What would be considered standard night life in the US simply does not exist outside of the largest cities of China. Even in cities like Beijing and Shanghai, if you were to go out to bars after about 9pm Beijing time (its all Beijing time in China, no time zones, making for a weird time schedule in Tibet) you would find that the bar scene is almost exclusively exchange students, foreign teachers/workers, and backpackers, with a few new rich Chinese people out to show off their wealth. In the provinces and more rural communities bars tend to be the hangouts of ruffians, bastards, and prostitutes, and the occassional foreigners passing through. So the bar scene doesn't tend to be the most happening, and thus it is necessary to find other forms of entertainment.
DIGRESSION:
A quick side note on the term "bastard." In China this word is remarkably useful and can describe a wide range of men. I was astounded my first year in China how much I would here some of my most mousy and conservative of my students throw around the B-word. After finishing up a conversation about who their favorite pop-star was I would tell them I was considering going to a bar in town for a night and they would politely recommend that I don't go. When I would inquire as to why I shouldn't go out for a few drinks, they would promptly respond, "there are many (pause to wrap their minds and mouths around the new word) bastards there." This phraseology, clearly directly translated from a pocket dictionary, more than anything peaked my curiosity rather than deterring me. It is always funny to me the unfounded fear that so many people have of places they have never been. How do you know something is dangerous if you refuse to go see it? I wanted to confront these bastards head on and see what the true story was.
I discovered that what the students had said was pretty true, the bars and the discos in rural china, as well as many of the restaurants, and almost every motorcycle, are filled with bastards(Maximum capacity for one motorcycle around here must be like 8). But the bastards are far less harmful to other people than my poor students imagined. Basically a bastard is anyone who goes out after 8 o'clock at night to have a drink at a bar, disco, barbeque pit etc.... most likely wearing a leather jacket and tight jeans or a really awesome cheap suit(unless its summertime, in which case it would be difficult to find a bastard with a shirt on, even indoors, unless of course it was comfortably roled up exposing his well developed gut), sporting a cell phone they can't really afford, at least 3 packs of cigarettes (and the corresponding dental work), and a blood stream loaded with Baijiu (chinese liquor). The character of said bastards ranges from remarkably friendly to a little standoffish. They tend to be very macho, and pretty ignorant, but one thing is for sure, they love to talk to/at foreigners. I have spent about three years hanging with various bastards in different regions of China, never have I been in danger (though I have met a few men that have supposedly killed men with their bare hands, no joke, but these thugs don't hold a candle to the fear a group of smiley faced blood thirsty children can produce) and on the contrary I have been treated to alot of interesting and fun nights while in their company(which generally aid me with material for blogging). Would I consider myself a bastard? Absolutely!
I discovered that what the students had said was pretty true, the bars and the discos in rural china, as well as many of the restaurants, and almost every motorcycle, are filled with bastards(Maximum capacity for one motorcycle around here must be like 8). But the bastards are far less harmful to other people than my poor students imagined. Basically a bastard is anyone who goes out after 8 o'clock at night to have a drink at a bar, disco, barbeque pit etc.... most likely wearing a leather jacket and tight jeans or a really awesome cheap suit(unless its summertime, in which case it would be difficult to find a bastard with a shirt on, even indoors, unless of course it was comfortably roled up exposing his well developed gut), sporting a cell phone they can't really afford, at least 3 packs of cigarettes (and the corresponding dental work), and a blood stream loaded with Baijiu (chinese liquor). The character of said bastards ranges from remarkably friendly to a little standoffish. They tend to be very macho, and pretty ignorant, but one thing is for sure, they love to talk to/at foreigners. I have spent about three years hanging with various bastards in different regions of China, never have I been in danger (though I have met a few men that have supposedly killed men with their bare hands, no joke, but these thugs don't hold a candle to the fear a group of smiley faced blood thirsty children can produce) and on the contrary I have been treated to alot of interesting and fun nights while in their company(which generally aid me with material for blogging). Would I consider myself a bastard? Absolutely!
Pop Quiz: Can you identify the Bastards?
Drinking Baijiu at dinnertime, maybe...
nipple pinching at dinner, probably...
(check out the composure of the guy to the left
still texting amid the chaos)
Shirtless pool playing outdoors after dark, most definitely!!
Anyway, bastards aside, I have found many other ways to go out and have a good time with legimate workmates and friends (Note: many my legitimate friends and workmates maybe bastards also, maybe even YOU), and I will keep a somewhat regular section in my blog of different ways I entertain myself Out On The Town.
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