Sidewalk Clutter

I love all the vendors and food carts that turn out here in the summer (pictured above are the vendors on Hexing 3rd Street along the south side of Qingbin Park), but when they take over the sidewalk and barely leave the width of a person for foot traffic to get through I start being less of a fan...

Crowds: The Chinese Queue

There's nothing like trying to get on a crowded bus at a crowded bus stop, especially during the winter. Suddenly your personal space goes from minimal to non-existent as everyone from grannies to children start shoving their way to the bus door. There is no queuing (if only!). Even once you've gotten to the door there's no yielding - I've seen grown men both try to fit through at the same time, which just does not work! (The bus entrance doors really are only wide enough for one.) Occasionally the very old or very young will get some mercy, but even this is often not the case. And strangely enough, you will endure the same pushing and shoving if you try to get on an empty bus at an

only slightly crowded bus stop - there is no concept of lining up, of making the whole process easier and quicker. Instead people skip straight to difficult as they elbow their way towards the bus door.

I grew up in places where this sort of masochism is the norm, so most of the time it doesn't bother me. When I find myself in such a situation I just pick my mascot in the crowd - someone to use as a wedge to get me in the door - and use my height and weight to push them along until we're in. But there are days I find the whole situation exhausting. It is all so incredibly unnecessary! Why the rudeness, when you could just queue up and enter the bus without the danger of being knocked flat on the icy ground? (Or, once in, the slushy bus floor!) If Chinese culture cares so much for children and expects people to honor the elderly, then why not at the very least send them to the front of the crowd? I think in some circles it is fashionable to speak of the West as being the place where it's all about the individual and individuals' selfish pursuits of what benefits them, but what is all of this rudeness - from granny and hipster alike - if not selfishness?

I wish it were only buses where this sort of thing is the norm, but unfortunately it extends to leaving the bus, getting in (and out) of elevators, entering and leaving buildings, and lines (often "lines") in stores. (And no doubt many other places!) It is all the more surprising given how friendly and warm I've found coworkers and strangers alike to be here in Harbin. All the same, the crowd "queue" craziness is something to be aware of, whether you're planning a visit or a move to this wonderful Ice City!

Personal Space

Americans sometimes joke about having personal space bubbles around them and not being comfortable with people invading that bubble by standing too closely, being too touchy or huggy, or sitting too close. When I moved to the States a little over a decade ago I found these bubbles to be sad and alienating, and was rather discouraged by how distant Americans were. I went from cultures and countries where physical closeness was normative to one where most people were islands. I actually chose which church to attend based largely on how many Eastern

Crowded Zhongyang Dajie.

European immigrants attended it already. Their kisses - a normal part of greetings in many parts of the world - and Old World manners helped ease my homesickness and loneliness a great deal.

That being the case, as I've settled into Harbin it's come as a surprise to me to discover how much of a bubble I've developed over the past few years! Even with short-term moves to Eastern Europe and Africa I've still managed to develop a zone of physical space within which I'm comfortable, and which I'm uncomfortable having violated. And it is violated on a daily basis here! In the elevator, on the bus, walking down the street, shopping at the grocery store - everywhere you go there are people popping out of the woodwork it seems, and precious little personal space to go around.

Something refreshing about all of this change - uncomfortable as it has been - is seeing how relaxed people are with the presence of others. When someone gets on the elevator they don't stand in the corner opposite from me, more often than not they're right next me. Likewise on the bus, where people will often settle their children on strangers' laps if there's no seating available for them. And if I bump into someone by accident pretty much anywhere there's no need for the Canadian sorries and apologies that spring to my lips - it happens all the time, and is a complete non-event. (Hugs and greeting kisses seem to be another thing entirely - I haven't seen much of either since arriving here. To each their own though!)

It's been strange discovering that I've developed a bubble, and awkwardly delightful deconstructing it bit by bit over the past month. If nothing else Harbin has reminded me of who I was and is helping me reclaim it, and for that I am grateful!