TravelNotes.org - The Online Guide to Travel Sitting in Silence While Studying The Lack of Privacy in China

Nomadic Gatherings by Michel Guntern

Sitting in Silence
Sitting in Silence by Jan Tinneberg on Unsplash.

Nomadic Gatherings: Chapter Six: Northern Capitals - Sitting in Silence.

Travel Writers - Writing About Travel

If the three Chinese men in my compartment refused to talk to each other, then I had very little chance of striking up any sort of meaning with them.

The man opposite me wore glasses and hid himself behind one of his three papers; a man with a blue cap beside me snatched one of the other papers from the table, without appearing to ask the owner's permission; and the third stranger was somewhat overweight and had trouble breathing.

He pumped some hot water into his tea jar, and intermittently slurped at the brew.

The train squeaked its way into the night, and soon the compartment sounded asleep.

South of Shanghaiguan, where The Great Wall meets the sea, patches of green appeared in the otherwise dry, brown landscape.

A lone dog wandered away from its master; a father with his child. The little child had a red coat on, and I could clearly see it squatting.

This reminded me of a little girl I had seen in the Harbin waiting-room. She could have been no more than three or four years old. She had on three pairs of woollen trousers, each pair had a purpose-made crutch hole; the girl could squat wherever and whenever she needed.

It was certainly convenient for the parents, but a little chilly for the child - I thought.

There is a complete lack of privacy when you need 'to go' in China; it seems the ultimate leveller of the people.

How can anyone have any pretensions, squatting over a hole without a door to close off the space, and a head on view of the straining person opposite?

Nomadic Gatherings
Nomadic Gatherings - by Michel Guntern.

Nomadic Gatherings available on Kindle

Travel Map More From Travel Notes

Travel Notes Online Guide to Travel

Travel Guides

The Travel Notes Online Guide to Travel helps visitors plan their trip with country and city travel guides, local tourist information, reviewed web sites, and regular travel articles.

Travel and Tourism Guides on Travel Notes

If you enjoy Nomadic Gatherings, please take a moment to share it with your friends on social media.

Travel Twip
Travel & Tourism With Industry Professionals.

Travel and Tourism Websites and Blogs

Travel Notes Disclosure - Affiliates, Cookies, User Consent and Privacy Policy.
Besides display advertising, we may also receive a commission if you purchase a product or service that we link to.

NextTurn The Page: Wake, Eat, Sleep.