Okay, So I know we have only been here a little over a week but here are a few things we have already noticed that are different from living in the U.S.
The only driving law is that there is no law. Only the wealthy drive their own cars, and they live and die by their horns. That's all you hear all day long. No need for an alarm clock here... we wake up when traffic picks up each day around 7:00 am.
No ice in your drinks, and no free refills.
The kindness you experience here is incredible. When a local notices you need help on the street and understands that you are a foreigner they rush to help you as much as possible... we don't exactly do that in the U.S. when people do not speak our language.
Waiters will not accept tips in restaurants, in fact they will chase you down to give it back to you if you try.
You pay for things in advance here: cell phone minutes, electricity, rent.
Milk is kept warm on a shelf.
It is cheaper to get chinese take out and have it delivered to your door, than it is to buy groceries and cook for yourself.
Mcdonalds and KFC deliver... and for just $1.00. crazy! When you ask them to point you towards American Food they will direct you to McDonalds. They think that is all we eat!!
They don't have dryers, dishwashers, or ovens.
Even on the sunniest day it is gloomy, because of the smog in the city.
There's a rule here to never pass up a western toilet (what we use in America) bc it may be miles before you find another one. The Chinese use squatty potties.
No animal is off limits here in the meat department.
There's no toilet paper in public restrooms (you have to always carry your own with you) because the people here just steal it.
I don't believe there is anything like OSHA, or builiding regulations. You can walk down the street and see the building next to you crumble because someone decided to tear it down. They don't have to give notice to the people in the area or get any type of permit.
Everyone here has their Chinese name, and then they all choose an american name too. For instance, they like to pick names they think would be cool in the U.S. We have met someone named Cherry, Lookie, Spice, Avril, Madonna, I can't remember them all but it's hilarious.
It is not rude to spit, burp etc in public ... but they are completely turned off if you pick up any food with your hands!
It's nothing for someone to walk up and get in front of you while you have been waiting in line for ten minutes. They all do it here, and no one says anything about it, not even the person who has been standing their waiting.
The Pizza Huts and Papa John's here are pretty fancy. It is a special occasion for the Chinese to go to one of these restaurants because it is expensive compared to the Chinese food.
The Servers will avoid coming to your table to wait on you in places like these because they are scared to death their English is not perfect. They get so embarrassed when they feel their English isn't good.
I will post more of these later. I could go on for days!
Jess
Wow, fascinating!
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