I dug up a list of things that people are often surprised about when they first come to China, so I thought it would be fun to upload a few each day. The list is huge.
Don’t freak out when
- …you blow your nose and your tissue is black. Of course, coal is used here in huge quantities. Weifang is actually not bad in this regard. We don’t have a lot of heavy industry here and the sky is pretty blue on most days, like today. However, I recently traveled to the western part of Shandong and did experience this first hand. I’ve heard Jinan, an hour west by train, is pretty bad sometimes.
- people randomly and constantly shout out to you, “Hello!” then giggle. This happens every day and I don’t understand it, personally. It seems that it’s mostly young kids that do it, or males in their early 20s in a group. I just ignore it for the most part. I’m sure it’s part curiosity, part nervousness, and I’m sure part of it is genuine friendliness.
- your empty beer glass while eating is suddenly refilled to the brim. The host is just being nice and wants to toast you… repeatedly. Fortunately, even I can out-drink many Chinese guys. Unfortunately, the beer is like water… one bottle means three bathroom trips.
- people want their photos taken with you. Once in Beijing, a woman tried to give me her baby to hold for a photo. Surely, they’re tourists themselves, who have probably never met a foreigner. I often wonder about how many village homes my picture is now hanging up in.
- people spit. When you hear that throat clearing sound, it’s time to duck and cover.
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