Value of Life and Common Sense

It's interetsing to see how other cultures go about living their lives. Living overseas makes you see your own culture in a different light. And there are some fundamental differences where I grew up in Australia, and in China where I live now.

One big difference I see so often if the lack of care for ones own life. I don't understand how they can so casually do something very dangerous, but it can also be so standard.

I'm talking about motorbikes cutting off cars on a highway. People blindly walking across a road. I really do feel a lot Chinese people just don't seem to value their lives so much.

These workers on Shamian island Guangzhou are another example. No protection, no safety gear. Just 1 little slip and they're gone.

Although these workers aren't very high up, this seems to be common practice, even on skyscrapers.

These guys aren't so bad actually cause they are using metal rods, as oposed to the bamboo sticks they also often use.

But actually this kind of safety standard is much better than in Myanmar. I remember seeing these teenage kids on a building site with no shoes at all!

With saying this, I do also think that Australia is a bit over the top when it comes to safety.

You know..... You must wear a helmet riding a bike. You must wear one of those bright fluorescent vests on any loading dock. You must vote! A true nanny state, and at times a little too much.

I remember one time I was delivering fresh pasta to a restaurant at the Rocks Sydney. It's fresh pasta, and the rules are that it needs to be under 4 degrees for the chef to accept it.

But this time the pasta had literally just been rolled, and was of course well over 4 degrees. Still you could not get any fresher! But it could not be accepted because of the rule (even though the chef smelt the pasta and could tell how fresh it was). Rules are rules ....

I prefer awareness and common sense. It's just that simple.