The good...the Bad...and the Ugly in China!

So China was a bit of a culture shock to say the least. I expected it because I did a lot of research before going, but that saying "you don't know what it's like until you experience it"....YEP it's so true. So I thought I would do a list of things that I learned in China.
-the rooftop bars in China are AWESOME...

-the lack of sanatary habits is disturbing. Here are some examples

1.People hock a loogie and spit , no matter where or who's around....you have to dodge loogies. 

2.The bathrooms smell really bad....I mean really bad...even in places like mcdonalds 

3.Finding toilet paper and paper towels in the country is like trying to find Bigfoot....it's impossible. 

4.Most toilets are "squat toilets", a hole in the ground, you put your feet on each side and let your business flow. 

5.NOONE washes their hands after using the restroom.....NOONE!!!!!!!! They don't even have soap in most restrooms.
-to turn on the lights in your hotel room, you have to put the key card in a slot. It saves electricity because all lights are turned off when you take the card out to leave the room. I think this is a great idea. I just wish that when I checked in the hotel, they told us this. I was the fool trying to turn lights on in the dark...LOL

 

-people are very loud and there is constant noise from TVs and media all around. 

Every cab has a tv in the backseat and they usually have a iPod playing as well.

-everyone has a bike...or motorbike and the amount of people and stuff they can fit on the bikes is incredible. I wonder if they have a class in school about how to stack stuff on a bike?

There seemed to be more bikes in Beijing than people.

 

They work on the honor system, I never saw one person lock their bike up. 

They drive their bikes like the cars, in the traffic lanes and do not stop for pedestrians. 

-pedestrians do not have the right away even in a crosswalk. A CAR WILL HIT YOU.

You would be crossing the street and a car would turn right or left into and not slow down...if not for Amy's eye site...I would have been a pancake on the street.
-I did not like the food in China...everything just had a weird taste...so I ended up eating burgers and pizza...and that was still weird too!

-I did LOVE the snack foods....I tried just a few...can you tell???? I had  to have supplies for the train ride! :)

-until babies are potty trained...they walk around with a hole sewed out of their pants....they just poop and pee wherever they are. EICK.

-no one smiles as you walk by

I am used to walking by people on the street, smiling and saying hi...here I walk by and say knee how (that's not how you spell it but how you say it...Hi in Chinese) and smile....nothing...not even a smile in their eyes....kinda sad. 

-"Yellow haired tall girls" are definitely a side show in China. 

I have never been stared at, talked about, pointed at and had my picture taken so much in my life. The first couple days it was funny...after a while it got old. Every person that passes me would take a double take...sometimes point and if they were with someone whisper something about me. I started having fun with it. When someone would take my photo, I started waving at the camera or giving them the cheesiest smile possible. The children would stare at me with disbelief that someone could look like me. 

-when walking over a threshold at a holy place, women walk over right foot first....men left foot first. Then we say a mantra as you pass over.
-I thought that a lot of people would have big SLR cameras like mine...but they didn't. I actually saw very few people taking photos.

-cab rides are super cheap...I mean cheap! You can get across town for $3. But none of the cab drivers speak a lick of English.
-the hotel provided us with gas masks...not going to lie...that made me a lil worried!

-there is a distinct smell in China. Not a good one. 

-the older neighborhoods have shared bathrooms. Several homes all share one public restroom....which is also available to the general public.

-they don't have normal car seats...they are the kind of straps you carry a baby on your chest...but they strap it to the seat.
-they value exercise. Walking, riding bikes, exercise machines in the parks...I love that everyone is active.

-you don't tip waiters or cab drivers...but the people you are supposed to tip will tell you they deserve a tip 8,000 times before you give it to them. 

-the waiters stand and stare at you from a few feet from your table...awkward. 

-the countryside is absolutely breath taking! Seriously...I have been fortunate to travel a lot and the countryside in China is AMAZING!!!!

-everyone honks their horn while driving...at first I thought it was out of anger...but after watching the drivers and noticing when they honk...I think it's more of a communication system. When you are in someone's blind spot, you honk. When you pull up behind someone, you honk. When you do really anything...you honk. No one got angry....they just honk all the time. 

-just when you think there is no way that bus or car can fit in between that semi and car....it does. There were times when a car was 2 inches next to our bus or cab...and no one bats an eye....and with that said....I only saw one accident the entire time I was there. Maybe they do know what they are doing.
-they can balance and carry more on their shoulders than I would even attempt to carry from the trunk of my car to the house...makes you rethink how strong you really could be.

-there is NO Facebook in China. They block it so visitors can't even get on. Instagram works though.
-Also...no Hulu or Netflix....so weird.

-I saw the steepest escalator in the world in the subway. I debated if I should go on it...

 

- everyone wants to see your passport...your hotel...the money exchange...the tour company. It became the joke...."you want a glass of water?" Can I see your passport?
-Everyone seems like the are going somewhere. Unless you are in a park...everyone is busy and moving.
-they have Starbucks and McDonalds....and it tastes just like it does in America. I ordered ok at McDonalds because they had pictures...Starbucks was a hot mess. I just pointed to the big menu board on the wall...then got a slip of paper that was in Chinese...waited until no one grabbed the cup of coffee on the counter and got that one. Lucky for me...it was GOOD.

There were pros and cons to China. I am so glad that I spent time there. It gave me a different perspective on a lot of things. Makes me appreciate home...and even though our country has issues...we also are very blessed. We make choices in our life to be who we want. The people in China have those choices made for them. It was an experience I will not forget and so glad to check a few more things off my bucket list. :)