Interesting facts about China (as noticed by me) #1

The "Great Firewall" isn't going to get me down

Well, after repeated attempts to post here, and to be turned away by the "Great Firewall of China", I am back up and running. Hopefully, everything will be OK from now on. Anyway, this post will be all in good fun. I thought that a period of NOT traveling may be coming and I haven't traveled for a little over a month now. SO, I thought up a few things to write about anyway that will be interesting to those of you who read this blog-o-mine. I want to clarify this first. This is NOT an indictment of China or the people of China, rather a look at some of the cultural differences between here and The U.S. Some of these things on this list I prefer, while others, well, I don't prefer! Living in China to this point (10 weeks already!) has been a very good experience. I have seen many things and learned many facts that I would have never known if I hadn't experienced them myself. I like it here to this point. It isn't the same as America, but it isn't so different. However, the list below highlights some of the "differences". Enjoy!



Here is my first list of Interesting facts about China (as noticed by me):

Fact #1 - Chinese people spit whenever, and wherever they want, and you can't do anything about it!

Now usually spitting in America isn't such a big deal. People try to do it carefully, quietly, not in the middle of a public walkway. Not so in China. When you walk down a street, you have to be cautious not to walk in spit (among other things I will discuss later in this blog). But it is worse than that. You have to pay attention in hallways, restaurants, everywhere you walk. And in China, you don't just spit! No, no, you SPIT in three parts! First comes the suck back (gross), then the hocking, then the spitting. It is loud and obnoxious, but it happens everywhere so I deal with it. This has become such a noticeable problem to foreigners in China, however, that they are trying to fine people for spitting (Not that they enforce it though!)!


Fact #2 - Young children do NOT wear diapers, they wear clothes with a huge hole in the crotch so they can do their business ANYWHERE!!

So, in China, instead of being a "bad parent" and putting a diaper on your child, you must subject them to being held over a tree hole or bush and a whistling parent while they do their business. In public. At any time. So they have this awesome thing for kids, instead of diapers, let's just put a HUGE hole in your clothes, and we are good! Yeah!! Go China!


Fact #3 - The streets in China don't look very safe to drive in, to walk in, or to be near! And they aren't!

So, you probably won't catch me trying to buy a car in China due to the fact that it will probably end up wrecked soon after! The Chinese have laws, but they have their own "laws of driving" that prevail. They drive and walk across streets much like they do anything. Whoever gets to the spot first, you let them pass, then you go, but you fight to get there first! It doesn't matter who you are, you can be a taxi, a bus, a person on a bicycle, or a pedestrian, you are treated the same. It can be quite an adventure! Another thing, directional markings exist for driving lanes (left only, straight, right only, etc.) but they aren't always followed, neither does it matter what side of the road you drive on(they drive on the right side, just like America, by the way.), just TRY to stay on the correct side. If you question this, just look at the laws I talk about above, they apply to the side of the street you drive on as well!


Fact #4 - Chinese people WANT you to tell "White Lies"!

Chinese culture has some very useful and at the same time mildly "interesting" tactics. One of them is the constant and understated use of the "white lie". It is a constant, and I will include a little bit on that from somewhere I found on the internet that explains it really good. Here it is: Chinese people like it when you lie to them. That pretty much describes it. It was weird to understand at first, but I completely understand it, and it is all about being polite and NOT making who you are talking to look stupid, or disrespected. The idea of saving face (both one’s own and that of others) is strong in Chinese society. Frankness or abruptness, especially in offering criticism of any kind, is to be carefully avoided. People are generally reserved, quiet, refined, gentle and friendly. They respect a person who is friendly and who carefully avoids hurting the feelings of others. Loud, untactful or boisterous behavior is usually regarded as very poor taste. Interesting, huh?


Fact #5 - It doesn't matter what you need, Chinese people will get it for you!

One day I was at a restaurant eating boiled dumplings and I ordered a COLD sprite. They didn't have one, but instead of telling me they didn't have one, they sent an employee (the owners mother maybe) to get me one. 5 minutes later, I had a cold sprite! This is all about AMAZING customer service! They really take service to a new level here. It doesn't matter what you buy, they make sure you are satisfied! When I bought a frying pan, they took it out of the box and made sure it was functional and in proper condition. They then repackaged it up real nice. When I bought my cell phone, they took it out of the box and showed me how to use it. They even checked the strings on the bag they put my box in to make sure it was sturdy enough! Amazing! In the morning you will walk by a store that is opening and the employees will be outside doing a dance, or marching. Just to open a regular store. It's great!


Fact #6 - Chinese people pop raw cloves of Garlic like they're Tic-Tac's!!

You read it correct. At restaurants, on the street, people peel open a clove of garlic and start chowing down! It IS the biggest reason for pollution in China (from the bad breath!). Just kidding, but, really, not good for the breath! When you talk to others here it is where you use the little "white lie" rule and just be polite while trying to stay upwind of their breath! So, one day while eating lunch with some friends I thought, hey why don't I try it? I grabbed a clove of Garlic(which are placed on many tables like bread, or popcorn, or any other appetizer in America) and peeled away a good looking one and took a bite. It wasn't bad, but... let's just say I won;t be doing that again soon. Go ahead, try it! I dare you!



Fact #7 - It is more dusty and dirty in China than I could have imagined!

We clean our hardwood (fake) floors and the next day they are just as dusty as before! It is just everywhere! You cannot get away from dust in China. Breathing hasn't been nearly as much of a problem as I thought, but the dirt EVERYWHERE is just not cool! I think that once I have a good coating of dust on EVERYTHING I own, I will just paint the dust so It looks clean! Now THAT would be Chinese!!


Fact #8 - Restaurants in China are a piece of work!

This is a fun section! I need to first say that eating in China is both GREAT and inexpensive! You must REALLY like Chinese food, because, except for a Mickey-D's or a KFC, you are eating Chinese food! This leads me to the subject of #8, restaurants. They have rules that are very different than America's rules. Let's see, where to start?? OK.. Let's take today for example. I walked into my favorite restaurant (I eat there once a day - sometime twice in a day!) and there were three hostess/servers waiting for me. They all sat me down together, in parts (one pointed the way, another sat me and grabbed a menu for me, and a third poured my tea.). Then I yelled, more like YELLED, Fu Yar (it sounds like that anyway..)! Then a server came over and took my order (面条 mian tiao, or noodles, and a 肉夹馍 rou jia mo, or hot meat sandwich). She then yelled the order to two others and wrote it down on a piece of three-ply paper and left two of the pieces at the table. The other went to the kitchen. In these restaurants, food comes out whenever. You WILL get your meal in pieces! One dish here, another there, and rice some other time (by the way, it is so surprising, but rice tends to be one of the most difficult items to get quickly unless you gripe constantly!). It is just lucky when you have all that you need at the same time! Another thing, usually when you eat at a regular type restaurant, the food is served family style, so you must be OK with sharing everything but your bowl of rice. Tea is ALWAYS served with your meal, and the type varies greatly (I go to one restaurant mostly for the tea!!). Well, I prefer eating my 肉夹馍 before my 面条 but today the noodles came first, but only just barely. I had some noodles then ate my meat sandwich, then finished off my noodles. At that point, I called the server over again, the same way. I then stated 买单 mai dan (you say it like MY DAN, or DONE), or "bill please". She brought me by bill and something happened which doesn't happen in the States. I DIDN'T PAY A TIP!! That is right, you DO NOT tip in China! Ever! I love it! They give you good service and they get to keep their job. I like it. anyway, then it is common to ask for a fa piao. A fa piao is a SUPER receipt! Really though, it is something to do with taxes, but you have a chance to win money when you ask for it. There is a little scratch section that if you don't win has "thank you", or something like that, written on it. If you win, there is a two character code. I have won 15 RMB recently from them! Anyway, that is eating in a Chinese restaurant!


Fact #9 - The Chinese celebrate EVERYTHING using fireworks!!

One of the first few days I was in China, I was at work talking with one of my sisters on Skype when, suddenly we heard what sounded like gun shots outside!
My sister started freaking out about what I had gotten myself into. I quickly found out that they were fireworks for a store opening nearby and nothing to freak out about. Anyway, it seems that for any occasion, be it a wedding, a birth, a death, the tooth fairy coming (Just kidding), store openings, birthdays, etc., etc! You name it, and they will celebrate with fireworks! I tell you they sell these things everywhere! Even the street vendors sell them. I am sure there is a place somewhere where 25% of the population has some form of physical damage due to fireworks! They are crazy too! They aren't wimpy American fireworks. No, this stuff will blow a hole in the ground (If it wasn't concrete in most places here)! It is not uncommon during the day to hear them going off constantly. Gotta love a nation of pyro's!



Well, it's time for me to sleep. It's 2:31am here in China and I have school to teach in the morning...