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From: Ted Heise <theise@panix.com>
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech
Subject: Re: Job Offer
Date: Sun, 23 Mar 2025 13:37:01 -0000 (UTC)
Organization: My own, such as it is
Message-ID: <slrnvu03jt.8d7.theise@panix2.panix.com>
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On Sat, 22 Mar 2025 21:32:30 -0400,
  zen cycle <funkmasterxx@hotmail.com> wrote:
>  On 3/21/2025 10:06 PM, Ted Heise wrote:
> > On Fri, 21 Mar 2025 16:27:18 -0700,
> >    Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com> wrote:
> > 
> >>   I could use some opinions here.  Is this video of China for 
> >>   real? "This Video Will Change Your View of CHINA! (no more 
> >>   lies)"
> > 
> >> <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ED9iaYliMSg> (11:17)
> > 
> >>   It presents a very positive view of China from the point of 
> >>   view of a resident who emigrated from England 13 years ago. 
> >>   Is all of urban China like that, or is he cherry picking 
> >>   the best and most modern areas?  Do the videos look like 
> >>   they have been "improved" with AI?
> > 
> > From about 2005 to 2019 I made something like 20-30 trips to 
> > China.  The largest number were to Beijing, but I also spent 
> > some time (multiple days each) in Shanghai, Tianjin, 
> > Guangzhou, Jinan, Chengdu, and probably a couple others I'm 
> > not recalling.
> > 
> > I only watched the first few minutes of the video, and thought 
> > it was not terribly off base--though somewhat optimistic.  
> > I've ridden on the bullet trains, including first class.  
> > It's not bad, but nowhere as nice as the shinkansen in Japan.  
> > In general, things are grubbier up close and not uncommonly in 
> > need of repair.
> > 
> > For example, one conference center I was at had carpet that 
> > was stained and dirty and had obviously been brought in from 
> > somewhere else.  The edges were loose and didn't quite fit.  
> > Cupboard doors in hotel rooms may have broken hinges.  The air 
> > in most cities is atrocious--unless a front had come through 
> > and cleared the air, my sinuses typically burned from the 
> > moment of getting off the plane until leaving.
> > 
> > The nicest hotels are quite nice, and amazingly affordable.  
> > On the other hand, you can walk less than a mile and find 
> > yourself in alleyways that are somewhat scary--at least I felt 
> > a bit nervous walking alone.
> > 
> > Not sure if that answers your question, so please feel free to 
> > ask more specifics if you like.

>  nice response/commentary Ted. I lived in japan for just over 3 
>  years but it was in the early 1970s when my dad was stationed 
>  here. Things have changed quite a bit since then.

Thank you.  I've pretty much had my fill of China, and don't 
expect to be back again.  Japan on the other hand is one of my 
favorite places to visit.  It's clean and orderly, and the people 
are polite and considerate.  You're right about it being quite 
different than it used to be, at least from my perspective from 
visits over a span of about 20 years.  One example is the extent 
of signage in English has increased quite a lot.

I especially love the transportation systems, in the Tokyo area, 
but also more broadly.  I got fed up with the limo bus from NRT to 
Shinjuku after just a couple of trips, and ever after used the 
train into the city.  It took me some time to figure out how to 
find the right platform for the return trip, given that Shinjuku 
station has close to two dozen on many different levels.

-- 
Ted Heise      <theise@panix.com>       West Lafayette, IN, USA