TIC (This is China)

**td_ref** · 02-25-2013, 08:44 AM

Originally Posted by ChinaV

So let's be optimistic and say that the data is not being tampered with and the monitoring stations are indicative of the surroundings where they are placed. I find it pretty scary that the best cities in China have far worse numbers than other Asian cities like Bangkok, Tokyo, or Kuala Lampur. It's pretty rare to see Chinese cities that aren't in the orange, red or purple range, yet most other cities in Asia rarely venture into the yellow.

Thank you for testing that out for the rest of us.
I'm staying in Longgang, Shenzhen, next to Dongguan, experience same air quality. Unfortunately, particulate dust is so much more nasty than polluted water. I use purify system from water at my apartment, and now the freaking pulluted dusty air!!!

**998S** · 02-25-2013, 08:53 AM

We all know it, right .... but frankly it scares the hell out of me to see that pic ...
And that is only the air ... how about food, fruit, meat, water, fish, ...

**bikerdoc** · 02-25-2013, 10:24 AM

I wear a motorcycle/bike mask under my helmet that uses a replaceable activated charcoal mask ( www.respro.co.uk ) although I also have a few paper elements that are washable, and have used these for a few years aside from the charcoal ones (all from respro). It is the reason I've just got to have a screen of some description on my motorcycles in PRC, otherwise if I don't then with the amount of riding I do each week, I'd be covered in crud. It's bad enough as it is. I make sure that I wear my mask even the 2-3km from my home to my work-place. And this is in a small town 30km away from a 3rd tier city. Here I am surrounded by mountains on the southern border and the sea and many islands therein on the northern border. Pity those in the big cities (SHZ, SH, BJ et al.) since I lived in SH many moons ago and could count the number of clear sky days/nights using the fingers on my hands each year. Even with all that said, I only need to leave my garage door or a window open here to find a layer of dirt covering every exposed horizontal upward facing surface (an ongoing debate with my wife! - best I don't go there!!!).

Unfortunately with the way things are progressing in PRC, the environment is but one part of the assaults (food supply chain, textiles, clothing, building materials and quality etc.) that any and all of us face just being here, foreigners and locals alike. Problem with this is that most of it is not something that rears it's consequences over the short term. The penalty is likely going to be paid further down the track. All of us should be more than just a little concerned about the supply chains here in Ch!na and anything exported from here. Hell Ch!na is not alone in the QA/QC, knowledge and enforcement of supply chains (horse meat anyone?!). Even when something makes the media/headlines it is akin to the horse has bolted. What about all the shady deals and wrongs that never make it to the media, or the misinformation that does the rounds on the Ch!nese mic0-bl0gs?

When I was doing my medical studies aeons ago, I can recall vividly looking at several cadavers and the pairs of lungs taken from each, one from a person who'd lived in the country (farming), one from a cigarette smoker (1 pack/day 30-40 years), and the other a city dweller. All were approximately of similar ages. The smokers lungs were heavily diseased, the lungs from the city dweller were ok but still not like the pair of lungs of the country dweller which were in pretty good order, free from disease etc. Now this was in a developed country with pretty strict environmental rules (one of my sisters is an environmental scientist and employed by local government) so I have more than a passing interest.

Nope it is fair to say that all of us are slowly but surely paying the penalty for living here, albeit in more ways than we might otherwise imagine. The consequences though are likely to be felt for many far and distant from now.

**ZMC888** · 02-25-2013, 01:55 PM

This pollution is disgusting. I thought it was bad 10 years ago, but it got better then worse again. I can't believe that so many Chinese people tolerate it without demonstrations. I've noticed in my area the pollution is produced at sea level and in the mountains you can see that the pollution level is massively reduced by gaining altitude, meaning motorcycle trips to the mountains!

Also the local governments are thinking about 'getting tough on air-pollution', by banning street vendors that cook outside. Of course the government heavy industry and black car drivers will be unaffected.

**TB-Racing** · 02-26-2013, 09:23 AM

Walnuts stuffed with rocks being sold throughout China....
http://shanghaiist.com/2013/02/26/ph...ed.php#photo-1
http://youtu.be/yjqElY2IpFA

**ZMC888** · 03-01-2013, 04:13 AM

What's the 'duo shao qian?' freaking obsession all about?

I always go to this shop to buy coffee beans. I always ride there bicycle. The people who work in the shop always try to sit on it/pick it up to see how heavy it is and always ask without fail 'ni de zixingche, duo shao qian?' Every time I politely say about 15,000 RMB. Everytime I come back the same guys ask:

duo shao qian?
duo shao qian?
duo shao qian?
duo shao qian?

Why? I freaking told you a 100 freaking times! Why do you keep asking the same goddam question? Do you have a weird quasi-religious obsession with money? Why not ask: where do you ride? How much does it weigh? Where was it made? What materials is it made from? etc etc

**bikerdoc** · 03-01-2013, 05:54 AM

ZMC888 ^I feel for you buddy, I'm hearing you loud and clear. All I can think to say is that there is no equivalent to the English word "logic" in Mandarin. That IS the answer!

**TB-Racing** · 03-12-2013, 01:11 PM

the ultimate bike accessory for the HOG crowd has finally arrived in PRC......

**ShuBen** · 03-12-2013, 02:38 PM

there was a children play "I put in my suitcase" .... beer, a BBQ grill, a little fridge, a mobile bar desk, a sun umbrella, a picture of the wife, a concubine, a HOG flag, ...