As promised (threatened) a follow-up on my first visit at my parents-in-law the summer 2007.
Everywhere we went in the city of Yilan, we were greeted by massive writing of numbers. Almost like graffiti it was written on everything you could imagine. Billboards, walls, houses, stairs well everywhere.
I found it pretty odd, so I asked C what it was. “Phone numbers” she said. “Its phone numbers for people who sell fake exam papers, personal documents and such”. I was astonished. How many would need such papers? Well, knowing China, it would be in high demand, but still it nowhere near the amount I saw was needed.
It was illegal of course, but it didn’t stop the writers. Considering the amount of phone numbers everywhere, I would say that it was a fulltime job for a good handful of people, but still I never saw anyone doing the actual writing the month we spent there. Guess they did their dirty deed at night time.
They were thorough and also managed to write on the stairs to C’s sister’s apartment. Even though the front door was locked at all time. That’s dedication for ya.
A Chinese colleague of mine once said that everything in China is fake. I guess that’s not far from the truth! No wonder why the Chinese drivers are so bad when the can buy a fake drivers license – that they risk the life of everybody around them is less important.
Never trust an “official” business document in China unless you trust the person 100% !
Life doesn’t seem so important in China. Especially not other people’s lives.