Oops.

I wonder which came first: the pole or the road.  And who thought this was a good idea?  Or at least good enough to leave it.  I guess this isn't the worst I have seen however.  The other day I was walking near a construction zone and I noticed two huge holes each about 5 x 5 feet. One was about 2 feet deep, the other was at least 4 feet deep.  Between the two holes was a large pile of sand, in which two young kids were playing.  An arms length behind them was, what appeared to be a live electrical wire.  Within a short distance of the wire was a puddle of water.  You couldn't paint a more dangerous scenario.  

In general, I feel very safe in China. I do not fear a break-in, a murder, suicide bomber, kidnapping, etc. Of course, these things do happen.  As long as you fly straight and stay away from religious propagation and meddling in official affairs, the government will overlook you.  My chances of being pick-pocketed, however are somewhat high.  

Danger comes, however, when you are unaware of what is going around you.  Traffic is a no-holds-bar blender of pedestrians, cars, trucks and electric bikes.  You must declare your intentions and you must do so with very little thought.  If you want to cross the road on foot, wait for a small break in traffic and just start walking in front of the on-coming cars (my mother is probably having a heart-attack reading this).  They will slow down, but they will also assume you will continue at the pace you are going and if you don't, they will come uncomfortably close to you. Rule #1 is to follow and stay in the crowd. 

The unexpected is the other major danger here in China.  Case in point: the pole in the photo above.  You just never know what might be around the corner.  Long-term planning and preparation are simply not a common part of the culture and the Chinese, in general, are some of the best jerry-riggers in the world.  They are also quick thinkers and very adaptable people.  Things here are not built to last, they are built to be patched and jerry-rigged and repaired.

Everyone has experienced this scenario: you are walking and you see someone approaching you, someone who plans to walk past you.  You move to one side or the other, declaring your intention and they do the same and, before you come within reach of each other, it is fairly clear who is going where and nobody bumps into anyone.  Sometimes, however, there is a glitch and the intentions are not in sync and we end of having to stop our stride, blush a bit and say excuse me as we try not to slam into each other. This requires quick reactions, rather than planning and forethought.  When walking on the streets of China, this is a constant occurrence.  You have to be on your toes, you have to react.  I suppose this is probably a common occurrence in many densely packed areas, especially in less-developed, less-organized countries.

To walk the streets of China, you need this mind set.  You need to react and go with your gut, follow your instinct.  You have less time to prepare.  It keeps the brain cells firing and maintains a heightened level of awareness, but can be exhausting.  I see this type of thinking everywhere in China, in all levels of interaction and all activities.  It permeates the Chinese mind and, unless one has spent much time in other areas or countries, seems to be viewed as the only option.

I am not sure if you, who is reading this, will think that this is of little consequence, however, in my mind, this has enormous implication.  It helps to explain much here in China and, an awareness of this mindset, is one of the keys to understanding how China and the Chinese think and act.  Businessmen and women interacting with China must take note.