(no subject)
Twenty things I learned in China (in no particular order):
1) Everything is a game.
Examples: Food-chopsticks make the most mundane things like eating a feat when accomplished not to mention that half the time you have to guess what you're eating (is this a potato or an apple...)
Shopping-bargaining doesn't begin to describe it, they start ridiculously high and you go really low and sometimes if you're lucky they chase after you to give you your price when you walk away
Walking-Car goes first because if you go first, the car goes first anyway
2) There is no 'no shirt, no shoes, no service' rule.
Example: The men in China frequently go shirtless or lift their shirts up and the boys (in traditional Chinese style) emulated the men by walking around with their shirts off.
3) They harbor all things from the 80's and 90's.
Examples: Lingo-Robin our tour director's frequent use of the phrase 'let's bounce'
Music-Amilly's Mom's ringtone was 'I Want It That Way' by the Backstreet Boys
Fashion-And I thought those ugly scrunch shirts went into a black hole
Food- Tang & Koala cookies
4) Euchre is more entertaining overseas.
Example: Sean calling trump as spades when he had no spades, in hopes that Sam had some spades.
5) They call it the Wall 'Great' for a reason. It is more strenuous than the Elliptical.
6) Supermarkets are an adventure.
Examples: Buying items that had interesting bags to see what they were, going on (successful) hunts for Tang and Magnum bars
7) Babies have no covering for their butts in their outfits. This way they go on the ground and it is easier cleanup...?
8) Sometimes Geological 'Museum' actually means Geological 'Store/Warehouse.'
9) You can never have too many Mao items.
Example: Zach may have bought close to 10 different items: watch, lighter (he had to give it away), poster, bust, t-shirt, cards, pin...etc.
10) Food gets a little repetitive.
Example: By day 6 or so we could guess the menu of orange chicken, zucchini, white rice, potatoes and beef, fried spinach, something with red and green peppers and watermelon.
11) Chinese people are more flexible than Americans, or anyone for that matter.
Example: The Shaolin monk kung fu show and Chinese acrobatic show featured body contortions that should not be humanly possible.
12) Forget everything else the Emperors did, having concubines was their big feat.
Example: Our tour guide told more than one story involving the trysts between the Emperor and his concubines while neglecting to mention things they may have don't politically and socially for China.
13) Biking on the City Wall is dangerous but exhilarating.
Examples: You get blisters from the handrails. There are potholes the size of a cat. Sometimes your chain pops off.
14) Watermelon is dessert. This is probably why Americans are so overweight. We don't have dessert watermelon.
15) Tofu that tastes like cigarettes is 'traditional.'
16) A developer wanted to knock down the Forbidden City and turn it into apartment complexes.
17) Bathrooms must be rated on a star system.
Example: 6 or 5 star-clean, toilet paper, western toilet
3 or 4 star-clean, no toilet paper, western toilet
2 star-clean-ish, no t.p., eastern toilet (i.e. hole in the ground)
1 star-dirty, no t.p., eastern toilet
18) Americans are another tourist attraction.
Example: We became the thing to take pictures with at historic site. Tourists would take pictures with us instead of the Pagoda forest.
19) Kevin is an excellent volunteer.
Example: When we say, "Kevin, beat the record! Eat 10 bowls of noodles!" he does it. Or he moves to the aisle in hopes of being chosen for the acrobatic show.
20) Chinese people are friendly, giving, intelligent and nice.
Example: Everyone we met (save the vendors-they are sharks).
1) Everything is a game.
Examples: Food-chopsticks make the most mundane things like eating a feat when accomplished not to mention that half the time you have to guess what you're eating (is this a potato or an apple...)
Shopping-bargaining doesn't begin to describe it, they start ridiculously high and you go really low and sometimes if you're lucky they chase after you to give you your price when you walk away
Walking-Car goes first because if you go first, the car goes first anyway
2) There is no 'no shirt, no shoes, no service' rule.
Example: The men in China frequently go shirtless or lift their shirts up and the boys (in traditional Chinese style) emulated the men by walking around with their shirts off.
3) They harbor all things from the 80's and 90's.
Examples: Lingo-Robin our tour director's frequent use of the phrase 'let's bounce'
Music-Amilly's Mom's ringtone was 'I Want It That Way' by the Backstreet Boys
Fashion-And I thought those ugly scrunch shirts went into a black hole
Food- Tang & Koala cookies
4) Euchre is more entertaining overseas.
Example: Sean calling trump as spades when he had no spades, in hopes that Sam had some spades.
5) They call it the Wall 'Great' for a reason. It is more strenuous than the Elliptical.
6) Supermarkets are an adventure.
Examples: Buying items that had interesting bags to see what they were, going on (successful) hunts for Tang and Magnum bars
7) Babies have no covering for their butts in their outfits. This way they go on the ground and it is easier cleanup...?
8) Sometimes Geological 'Museum' actually means Geological 'Store/Warehouse.'
9) You can never have too many Mao items.
Example: Zach may have bought close to 10 different items: watch, lighter (he had to give it away), poster, bust, t-shirt, cards, pin...etc.
10) Food gets a little repetitive.
Example: By day 6 or so we could guess the menu of orange chicken, zucchini, white rice, potatoes and beef, fried spinach, something with red and green peppers and watermelon.
11) Chinese people are more flexible than Americans, or anyone for that matter.
Example: The Shaolin monk kung fu show and Chinese acrobatic show featured body contortions that should not be humanly possible.
12) Forget everything else the Emperors did, having concubines was their big feat.
Example: Our tour guide told more than one story involving the trysts between the Emperor and his concubines while neglecting to mention things they may have don't politically and socially for China.
13) Biking on the City Wall is dangerous but exhilarating.
Examples: You get blisters from the handrails. There are potholes the size of a cat. Sometimes your chain pops off.
14) Watermelon is dessert. This is probably why Americans are so overweight. We don't have dessert watermelon.
15) Tofu that tastes like cigarettes is 'traditional.'
16) A developer wanted to knock down the Forbidden City and turn it into apartment complexes.
17) Bathrooms must be rated on a star system.
Example: 6 or 5 star-clean, toilet paper, western toilet
3 or 4 star-clean, no toilet paper, western toilet
2 star-clean-ish, no t.p., eastern toilet (i.e. hole in the ground)
1 star-dirty, no t.p., eastern toilet
18) Americans are another tourist attraction.
Example: We became the thing to take pictures with at historic site. Tourists would take pictures with us instead of the Pagoda forest.
19) Kevin is an excellent volunteer.
Example: When we say, "Kevin, beat the record! Eat 10 bowls of noodles!" he does it. Or he moves to the aisle in hopes of being chosen for the acrobatic show.
20) Chinese people are friendly, giving, intelligent and nice.
Example: Everyone we met (save the vendors-they are sharks).