Thanks a lot bucko. Really enjoyed the music on your site and photos. I have also come across a document that kind of outlines the border crossing process. It seems to indicate that the visa and car paperwork can be taken care of at the Mohan border as long as I have my ownership papers, license, etc. And I will definitely have a bit of money handy.
I have a personal car and am looking to drive to Thailand via Mengla and Laos to Chiang Mai. Does anyone have experience driving through Laos? Can I get my Laotian visa at the border (and for my wife and kids) or do I need to go to Kunming? Is it possible to get my car across the Mekong at Huay Xiay on the Lao-Thai border. I heard there might be a car ferry. Any help much appreciated.
Again, thanks to all for the insightful commentary. Just a bit of clarification. My Chinese level is around upper intermediate and my children are not too far behind me. The conversation was in Chinese, so the word used was hen4. Also, after talking with my wife I realized I needed to get my facts straight. The comment was directed toward my children, not my wife and I. My son and daughter quoted their 4 year old playmate as saying, "My Mom hates you because you are foreigners [wo3 ma1ma hen4 ni3men. yin1wei4 ni3men shi4 wai4guo2ren2]."
We also had another interesting comment from a neighborhood girl who often comes over to play. She entreated us, "When China becomes strong, would you Americans please stop bullying us? [wo3men zhong1guo2 qiang3da4 yi3hou4, qing3 ni3men mei3guo2ren2 bie2 qi1fu wo3men, hao3 bu4 hao3?]?"
We have had plenty of interactions with overwhelmingly warm and kind people here. They seem more concerned with us looking down on them than they seem interested in judging us.
At the same time, another portion of people remain distant in a shared context (like a meal arranged by mutual friends), even when it becomes obvious we can communicate and are reasonably aware of etiquette.
As an adolescent (and probably before), I received somewhat unhealthy patriotic messages from my surrounding culture. Some of these were even nurtured in a religious context (which was also confusing - was I pledging allegiance to a deity or a country or both!).
As an adult, I am grateful to friends with differing viewpoints who have educated me on their particular perspectives (even political, ethnic, or religious ones). I hope to be this kind of positive resource for others, but only if they are curious, I suppose :)
Thank you for your comments. I look forward to reading more as the thread develops. I think it can lead to a healthy discussion.
It is important for long-standing prejudices to be challenged (as mine have been after moving to China).
Recently at the dinner table, my 3 year old daughter and 5 year old son relayed to me a conversation they had with a playmate. Their friend told them their mother hates my wife and I. They asked her why and the playmate's reply was, "Because they are foreigners, and my mother hates anyone who is a foreigner."
I was not surprised by the negative attitude, but by the strength of the language. I happen to really enjoy living here and enjoy the people as well. It has been an enriching journey learning not just what people do and think, but why.
I don't think the mother specifically announced her hatred of me personally, and yet I have heard rumblings from others (mostly children) of a strong negative attitude toward foreigners.
I just wondered if anyone had any thoughts or experiences that would be helpful.
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