Train Ride : Jonathan Burky

3/31/99
Train Ride From Shanghai to Xian

…I loved watching the people from the train. Many people would be busy picking rice or wheat or something, while others would be working in ditches, while others wold be standing there watching the trains pass by. The people in the country seem more friendly on the whole than the city dwellers. The pace of life is considerably slower. I really enjoyed waving at people to see how they would react. Some would stare blankly at me while others would crack the widest smiles and wave back. One man’s smile was absolutely priceless. He walked along the train (about 20 feet away) and grinned ear to ear and waved. I motioned to my camera and his grin widened further and I then took his picture. It was a relieving feeling to see this joy. I have been uncomfortable with the seemingly cold stares by so many of the Chinese. For that minute I feel like I made a connection with another person. Two humans walking on the same soil, breathing the same air, sharing the same moment of happiness.

4/3/99
A farm in Xian

…Seeing the farm was my favorite part of the day. My only regret was that I didn’t explore more of the village. It was hard to believe the simplicity of their existence. Their housing consisted of a windowless mud hut that housed a whole family in a 12x12 space. The beds were simple slabs of wood raised up from the floor. I loved being able to meet the families, though we constantly were surrounded by the men who wanted to cut your figure on paper for ten Yuan. The children were beautiful and were very amused by the bubbles we brought.

4/7/99
An encompassing vision of China

While sitting in our hotel room in Xian I looked down at the intersection below and took a picture of the early morning bustle. This snapshot encompasses much of how I view and understand China. The image includes a vendor on the corner selling his merchandise, a restaurant serving breakfast to people at a small outside eating area, a melee of bicycles, cars and people. This scene encompasses many different elements in Chinese society. The mass of people at such an early hour shows how crowded it is here in China. 1.2 billion people equates to very crowded city scenes at any hour of day. The man on the corner is part of a movement towards a market economy. People in the marketplace are able to bargain for their goods, and there seems to be a push towards capitalism as the vendors make a profit according to the laws of supply and demand. The outside cafeteria shows the foods of the region. All over the city there were eating areas on the sidewalks. The food was being cooked in large iron pots on open flames and in huge quantities. The Chinese diet leans heavily on rice dishes and pots of vegetables and meat. The people eating are there not only for the food, but also for the socializing. It is fitting that with a country heavily underemployed that so many people would spend time to eat together and socialize. There is a very relaxed atmosphere among so many of the Chinese. Other elements include the vintage and make of the cars in the intersection. The cars I see in this image are mostly Chinese or Asian are ancient looking. I would guess that the average age of a car here is around 1981, much like the vintage of cars in Budapest, Hungary. I’ve also noticed that the cars travelling through this intersection are sharply divided between the old and the new. There are either older looking little buses and cars, or brand new Jettas, Jeeps, and Accords. I’m not sure everyone would agree with this, but I’ve noticed it a lot. To me it suggests the absence of a middle class, which other people might debate as well. Another thing I noticed in this snapshot is how the bicycles are so different than the bikes in the US. Not only do the Chinese use a bike for many years, but they also use it for many things. Bikes that Americans might throw in the trash or give to the local antique shop fill the streets. The people riding the bikes carry things on the handlebars and behind the seats. Sometimes a whole family would be squeezed on a scooter. This indicates to me the resourcefulness of the Chinese. They do not waste anything, as they cannot afford to. They do not have the wealth we take for granted, so they take advantage of what they do have.