On yelling, honking and general noise in China

As a Westerner, I tend to like my selective personal space and keeping to myself, regardless of being extroverted. So, even on days when I am tired and I am tempted to take a motorcycle home (the motorcycle taxis here are much faster than taking the bus), walking outside and being immediately solicited to by several drivers in the form of honking and yelling seriously makes me reconsider the decision. I am not quite sure how direct advertising here works, but I know one thing, it MUST work for some people, otherwise why do vendors keep doing it? I go to the market and people yell in my face to get me to purchase their vegetables. I walk down the street and people yell at me to get me to ride their taxi. I walk by a cell phone shop and I am instantly yelled at to ‘check out the deals.’ I understand direct advertising, but I don’t understand how it can be effective in such a context. In my opinion, an annoyed customer is less likely to pay any attention to the message. Yet clearly the message is conveyed, regardless of the format. And should I really be thinking of yelling in the form of marketing campaigns when really it’s not anything that’s pre-conceived or well-thought out? I guess it’s the advertising chick in me that has to respond. Yelling won’t gain you a foreign customer. Though I’m sure it will gain you several locals.

Saturday night in Guangzhou, and it's flashy city lights, warm summer air, streets lined with Western boutique stores, and people, just people all everywhere. Walking up and down the well-kempt streets that are cleaner than most in Toronto, I am enticed by heavy bass-beat music and trendy girls clad in fake eyelashes and short shorts. Yet again, I'm reminded, that this isn't the China that most people would associate with communism. In fact, with stores most Westerners would run to, restaurants even the most discerning palate would
consider, and nightlife that is vibrant and varied, I am reminded yet again that pre-conceived notions usually do not ring true.