06-03-2008, 01:48 PM
john,
i totally agree. since i'm living and working in china presently, i see it every day. yeah, the foot massages, they're amazing! one hour foot massage is about $3 US.
because of the large population of china, there are alot of people who need jobs, so there is always someone picking up trash, opening doors for you and ALWAYS greeting you when you enter a restaurant or shop.
the haircuts here are the best i've ever had. they start with a scalp massage for 15-20 minutes. you always get a shampoo and rinse. even a neck massage if you want it. my hair takes 10 minutes in the states to cut, they only use the electric trimmers and charge $20. in china, they use scissors and it's amazing how much time and effort they'll spend on your hair, all for a little over $2 US. the hair care industry in china is an artform.
food too. at our favorite restaurant we eat 5-6 delicious dishes with drinks and a 40 oz beer for about $7 US.
of course, not everything is perfect or quality, but for the most part, service is king in most parts of asia.
i think if the US doesn't get it's act together and figure things out, we'll be serving the good folks in china very soon. they put a premium on education (school is not free here) and they definitely stress learning english. the government is cash positive and i see HARD working people every day who have nothing compared to what we "demand" and expect in the states and never complain.
i think we've gotten a bit spoiled in the states and forgotten what got us their...
just my 2 cents...
aloha!
i totally agree. since i'm living and working in china presently, i see it every day. yeah, the foot massages, they're amazing! one hour foot massage is about $3 US.
because of the large population of china, there are alot of people who need jobs, so there is always someone picking up trash, opening doors for you and ALWAYS greeting you when you enter a restaurant or shop.
the haircuts here are the best i've ever had. they start with a scalp massage for 15-20 minutes. you always get a shampoo and rinse. even a neck massage if you want it. my hair takes 10 minutes in the states to cut, they only use the electric trimmers and charge $20. in china, they use scissors and it's amazing how much time and effort they'll spend on your hair, all for a little over $2 US. the hair care industry in china is an artform.
food too. at our favorite restaurant we eat 5-6 delicious dishes with drinks and a 40 oz beer for about $7 US.
of course, not everything is perfect or quality, but for the most part, service is king in most parts of asia.
i think if the US doesn't get it's act together and figure things out, we'll be serving the good folks in china very soon. they put a premium on education (school is not free here) and they definitely stress learning english. the government is cash positive and i see HARD working people every day who have nothing compared to what we "demand" and expect in the states and never complain.
i think we've gotten a bit spoiled in the states and forgotten what got us their...
just my 2 cents...
aloha!