One difference in China that's immediately apparent is how transportation works. Streets, roads, sidewalks, parking lots, and every item you can generate using Google Sets on these terms serve up the most noticeable cultural divides. The bigger and more aggressive the vehicle, whether it be a bus, bike, or person, the more control they command over their vicinity. I realized that the system was a self-organizing ecosystem of constituent artists, not chaos when I took my fifth taxi ride:
Out of the office and into the taxi. Heading downtown from... downtown to fill out some forms. 20min trip, so I strap on my iTouch and clip tight the first seatbelt I've seen in China, not expecting any revelations.
Head down the road. Stop at the light. Watch pedestrians Frogger the raging six-column torrent of traffic one lane at a time. Light turns and flow subsides, initializing a turning trickle as pedestrians get 'their turn' to cross the road. Hardly their turn, but slower bullets to dodge as the wave accelerates around the corner. A droplet in the stream, we follow.
Slow down and poke our nose around the corner. The street is packed. We force our way back into traffic, angering the smaller animal behind us and head for an alternate route. Stop again and watch a couple of brave bikers brave their way past some oncoming street carnivores. Our turn, and as we vault our way up a ramp to the highway, Daft Punk's Alive album begins to play.
Taxi accelerates to threaten its way into the outside lane. Driver sees the crazy taxi and slows marginally. Fitting in with inches, we look to move over again. No shoulder or mirror check necessary since a car just passed - that means there's at least 1m of space between it and the next vehicle. 60 degree turn and instant our way to the next. Traffic slowing down, bit of space beside us, move over a bit. Now we've got the best of both lanes. Whichever one's faster's one we take. Ride the separator line until there's a clear winner: the middle prevails. Over again to the right. Catch up to a bus. Bus puts on indicator. No one's letting it in... way too much potential for slow. It starts a sluggish moveover, and we cuddle up to its side. Bus failing to get half its legs over the line, I start pondering how safe this is... evolution makes people safe, but taxis haven't had much time to evolve...
The difference in driving between China and Canada is huge. The lanes in Beijing are small, but more profoundly, you must be aggressive to get anywhere. Canada is clockwork. Obese cars get overweight lanes and go straight with few, simple rules. Droning drivers suffer sloth suburbia and highway hypnosis. Driving in China puts the fun back into commuting. Syringe of adrenaline ~= rush you can get here. A Chinese art to Canada's dull science.
-dough