How Chengdu is like Kunming

So Kunming is a city of about 5,740,000 people. It is legitimately a city. Despite its cityness though, there is a small homey feel to it. There are small neighborhoods that break the city up and deflect from the bustling nature of a true city. Most buildings in Kunming are at least 7 stories tall and in the center of Kunming there are much taller buildings. We have some newly built malls and some very upscale stores such as Nike, Adidas, Levi's, Zara, Marc Jacobs but these stores are highly outnumbered by the vast number of knock off stores or Chinese brand stores. We have McDonalds and KFC, Papa Jon's, Pizza Hut and Dairy Queen. And I know that having Western or American products or stores does not make a civilization more civilized, but for me it makes it more comfortable.

At this point in this trip to Chengdu I am challenged to find the similarities and differences between my city and this one. Chengdu's population is approximately 10.44 million. There are vastly more people here. And so I will give to you 7 ways Chengdu is different and 6 ways that they are the same.

7 Differences:

1. There are buildings everywhere I look. Which isn't really a difference, the difference is that I cannot see any blue sky. Any amount of sky is filled with buildings or with clouds.
2. Chengdu has a very nice subway.
3. People only cross the street when the light tells them to walk.
4. There is no taxi tax, meaning that what to meter reads is what you pay. In Kunming, once the meter is stopped you pay 1 RMB on top of what it reads for petrol tax.
5. I have seen people sitting on public park benches without putting down newspaper. This strikes me as very odd indeed, for in Kunming, no one ever sits down on public property unless you have wiped it down or are sitting on something you put down first.
6. It is a lot colder here, in Chengdu.
7. Chengdu has a Mexican Restaurant called Pete's Tex Mex-worth every kuai.
   

6 Similarities:

1. People still spit on the sidewalks.
2. Both cities are under heaps of constructions which not only makes traffic bad but going places on foot slightly dangerous.
3. A river runs through both cities.
4. Around 5:30-7pm it is impossible to catch a taxi because either they are all full or they are off duty.
5. Food fenders are common, not legal in either city, and come out chiefly at night.
6. Foreigners hang out in foreigner spots.
   

The tourism committee needs to put together better maps, for I have gotten lost at least twice. The huge road closest to my hostel is filled with upper up scale stores such as Tiffany's, Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Burberry and many many others. Yesterday, I went walking and came to a mall that boasted that within it's walls lived: Calvin Klein, Old Navy, Victoria Secret, and others. I ventured in to take in the joy of going to an Old Navy and purchasing the in fashion at home. However, it was a huge disappointment. Dear Friends, what you can buy from Old Navy for 20 dollars the lovely Chengdu Old Navy wanted to sell it to me for 288 kuai. I counted 9 Starbucks while out my first day and now thanks to the Starbucks Marathon of 2011 have visited 6 of them.

I attended the Sichuan Opera the other night with a friend and it was so amazing. The performances ranged from playing the traditional erhu musical instrument to the fasinating art of hand shadows and finally ending in a crescendo of mystery during the mask changing dance. It was really such a jumble of experiences piled into one night that I was breathless with enchantment and truly do not know how to describe the evening.


I will post pictures later.