China Culture Shock [ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ View all Messages ] Posted by Lee on June 04, 2008 at 05:46:15: Users of this forum might be interested to know what visiting China is like. Other than the surprising, futuristic skyscrapers that stand out, China is still a dirty, backwards, poor third world country where most everything Western countries have like cleanliness, quality, ethics, freedom, comfort, wealth, safety, justice, prayer, creativity, education, fashion, diversity, good healthcare, or politeness is not easily available. Most first time China visitors think they have stepped into the future when they arrive until some retard wearing a dirty suit and slippers squatting next to a tricycle shouts "Hello!" and giggles. Visitors are quickly jerked back to reality that they are not in Kansas anymore when they realize that they have instead fallen into a time warp back to 1900. Foreigners can live here for years and never adjust. If you are traveling to China, here are some observations and weird facts to be aware of to lessen the cultural shock: 1. China is dirty. People eat from the same dish using the chopsticks they are eating with. Littering, nose-picking, and spitting is common. The air quality is very poor due to non-existent or unenforced pollution laws. Kids often do not have diapers and parents whistle to encourage them to pee on the street or on the floor of stores. People here often don't wear or use dental floss, mouthwash, deodorant, perfume, cologne, makeup, nail polish, eye shadow, mascara, lipstick, hairspray, earrings, jewelry, rings, bracelets, or necklaces. Some people have lice or go six months without taking a bath in the winter because they have no hot water. Most women do not shave their underarms and some use cloth instead of tampons. Many men don't shave and grow long pinky fingernails to clean their ears. Few people cover their mouths when they cough. Toilet paper is used for napkins and toilets do not have toilet paper or soap. Toilets are often squat toilets. Vomiting in public is commonplace. People cover their noses instead of cleaning up the environment. http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=62379 http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-manners17sep17,0,2427523.story?coll=la-home-world 2. Just about everything in life is or was once banned here within the last 50 years including education, books, democracy, capitalism, personal property, free speech, protests, religion, superstitions, free movement, pets, puppets, movies, long hair, baseball, rock music, psychologists, Disney, art, premarital sex, flunkyism, splittism, flowers, sending newspapers abroad, UFO associations, gambling, world record attempts, smoking, cooking at home, cosmetics, prostitution, footbinding, opium, guns, story-telling, opera, theatre, concerts, acupuncture, Confucisism, feng shui, dresses, rickshaws, golf, jewelry, martial arts, politeness, playing cards, satellite dishes, homosexuality, dancing, boxing, kites, bodyguards, coffins, genealogy, mahjong, tennis, lanterns, and hula hoops. In just 10 short years, 5000 years of Chinese history, relics, temples, paintings, buildings, palaces, books, and art were destroyed. Now China is only left with poor rebuilt copies of the past and basic, ugly tile buildings. Life in China was grey, drab, and dreary. Today, Hong Kong and Taiwan are more Chinese in some ways than mainland China. http://www.aliciapatterson.org/APF2102/Pomfret/Pomfret.html 3. Some things that were good in China are bad now and what was once bad is now good. Warning of a possible overpopulation problem, for example, lead to prison for one person and warning of SARS lead to prison for another man. Both were found to be correct and policies were reversed. China once banned car ownership, but now ban bicycles. http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1108534,00.html 4. Mental health treatment is not encouraged or popular here. There are very few psychiatrists or Western drugs available for the mentally ill. This may be one reason China leads the world in suicides. Alcoholics Anonymous is also nearly unknown here. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2002-12-03-china-suicide-usat_x.htm 5. China has a strict one child policy where women are forced to have abortions and be sterilized if the have more than one child. Since there is very public welfare and sons traditionally care for the parents, daughters are aborted or abandoned in favor of sons. China is predicted to have 60 million more men than women by 2014. Sadly, sex education and birth control pills are very uncommon here. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5953508 6. Chinese people eat almost every kind of food including snakes, worms, eels, dogs, cats, squid, and all parts of animals like chicken feet, duck lungs, pig brains, pork fat, and fish heads. Even human meat and dinosaur bones have been consumed here. Ironically, however, most Chinese dislike cheese. Restaurants often have live birds or fish outside for customers to choose from. Seeing wildlife like birds, squirrels, and pigeons is rare because everything gets eaten in China. Chinese generally do not like nonsteamed bread unless it is sweetened bread or has weird toppings like dried pork. Most Chinese people hate uncooked food like sushi or salads and don't know how to eat with a fork and knife. Meat is cut into small pieces before cooking and the bones are usually included in the dish. Diners spit the bones onto the table while eating. Restaurant food commonly has bugs, rocks, and hair in the food. http://www.canada.com/health/story.html?id=33fbfc84-a21d-4d3a-8f71-751c93409f11 7. Rudeness in China is well-known. Cutting in line, staring, not holding doors, not saying "thank you", "sorry", or "excuse me", or shouting "Hello!" or "Laowai!" to foreigners is common. 8. Many Chinese guys look like gay nerds because they are super thin, short, out of shape, do not comb their hair, carry purses, and put their arms around other guys. There are few joggers or weightlifters in China. Ping Pong is one of the most popular sports here. 9. The huge population of China and poor business practices means stores are overstaffed to keep the population employed. Most stores have an employee stationed on every aisle to watch customers shop. 10. Corruption is common due to a lack of ethics in China. Chinese people are generally much more individualistic than countries like Japan. 11. Ironically in a country founded for the workers, labor protests are banned. 12. Some Chinese people are so brainwashed that they are grateful to the government for restoring their rights to start a business. 13. Owning a car is rare here. Only 1 out of 100 Chinese people own a car compared to 75 out of 100 Americans who own a car. 14. Houses in China may not be very comfortable, but they are secure and easy to maintain. Many windows are covered with burglar bars. Windows are often opened in the winter or don't have screens or glass. Many businesses have no doors even in the winter. Buildings are often unheated in the winter. Many buildings and neigborhoods are surrounded by concrete fences and have security guards. Homes in China that have carpet are practically unknown. Buildings are fire-proof, wind-resistant, and do not need painting because they are concrete and covered in tile. Few homes have yards to be cut. Homes do not have closets or basements. 15. The annual per capita income of China is US$5600 compared to US$40,000 for the USA. 16. Only 5% of Chinese have a college degree compared to 25% of Americans. http://www.forbes.com/global/2000/1211/0325138a.html 17. 500 million Chinese have never brushed their teeth. http://www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/printout/0,13675,501040809-674820,00.html 18. Counterfeiting is rampant in China due to low creativity. How many Japanese, German, or American brands are there? How many Chinese brands can you think of? Even cars are copied. Items like sawdust are too often used in goods like fake milk powder or fertilizer. Products like pet food, tires, toys, seafood, or toothpaste are unsafe. http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/FCDF91AE9116711C8625730A00 124C4E?OpenDocument 19. Elevators are rare in China since buildings less that nine stories tall are not required to have them. 20. Chinese made products for the domestic market have very low quality. Expect products like umbrellas, nail clippers, belts, shoes, coats, shirts, pens, lighters, furniture, watches, surge protectors, washing machines, speakers, clocks, batteries, pants, necklaces to not fit or to to fall apart in less than six months. Stores do not have return policies. 21. Physical fights are more common here. 22. Furniture is very uncomfortable. Beds, stools, and sofas are often little more than wooden planks with no pillows. 23. Buses are often overcrowded here. Most buses have ticket takers and barf bags. 24. Male smokers are very common. Smoking is considered healthy. Smoking is even allowed in hospitals. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050611.wxchina0611/BNStory/International 25. Public welfare is very scanty. Private domestic and international charities are very rare in China. Many crippled beggars and old people beg on the street, as a result. Seeing handicapped people in wheelchairs or scooters is uncommon. Oddly, many TV shows have a handicapped character, however. 26. Chinese people seem to be able to sleep everywhere and anytime including during the day at work. 27. Small store owners in China often bring their children to work with them. 28. Free speech is not encouraged in China. Many websites are censored. 29. Prostitution is illegal, but commonplace. Streetwalkers operate openly in many places. Hairdresser and massage businesses are often open 24 hours and are actually brothels. Pornography is also banned. 30. Around 30 million people in China were killed or starved to death during the Cultural Revolution. 31. Traffic is dangerous in China. More people die in China on the roads than anywhere else in the world even though there are a lot less cars here than in the USA. Running red lights, not using turn signals, having four lanes of traffic on two lane roads, passing on the left or shoulders, and driving on the wrong side of the road or the sidewalk is commonplace. Pedestrians do not have the right of way. Childseats are not required for children. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2001/09/04/china-drivers.htm 32. Many Chinese live in company dorms and have no hobbies. Crowds of people watching TV outside of some stores at night is a common sight. 33. China leads the world in executions. Prisoners are used as organ donors. http://www.boulderweekly.com/archive/052401/coverstory.html 34. Torture is sometimes used to obtain confessions. 35. Many people have mobile phones. Mobile phones are pay as you go. 36. Many Chinese like to squat instead of sitting to rest. Chinese hate sitting on the floor and often use newspapers if sitting outside. 37. There are few lawyers and lawsuits in China. 38. Common products like the following are very difficult to find in China: Deodorant Dental floss Underwear Large clothes T-shirts Your Shampoo Socks Syrup Razors Shaving cream Mustard Pancake mix Croutons Pickles Big shoes BBQ sauce Tacos Taco sauce Coffee? Cobbler pies Turkey Stuffing Fruit cocktail Canned tuna Whip cream Gelatin Aspirin Cranberries Cranberry juice/sauce French bread Frozen strawberries Index cards Cherries Litter boxes Salsa Pop tarts Parsley/oregano/paprika/dry mustard/cumin/basil/thyme/dill weed/celery salt/rosemary/peppercorns/cinnamon/garlic salt/tarragon/onion powder/cilantro seasonings Worcestershire sauce Frozen pizza Hamburger buns Waffles Toasters Fish batter Tartar sauce Corn dogs English books Large bras/condoms/sweatshirts Tampons Perfume Power converter Bibles Cereal Pasta Gyros NyQuil Pepto Bismol Diet Coke Chapstick Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Breath mints Nachos Chex Mix Pretzels Marshmallows Graham crackers Tortillas Shrimp cocktail sauce English muffins Fortune cookies Eggrolls Snapple Cotton balls Calamine lotion Construction paper Felt Duct tape Powdered sugar Baking powder Pudding Chocolate syrup Conditioner Large towels Cake mixes Easter egg dye Caramel Kool Aid Gatorade Lemonade Bacon bits Pot pies Lasagna Potato salad Ice cream cones Ranch/French/Italian dressing Food coloring Canned pineapple/prune juice Blueberries/raspberries Pumpkins Hot dog buns Cake decorations Chilli Casseroles Clam chowder Cotton candy Baking pans Ovens Melba toast Romaine lettuce Garlic bread Rye bread Pie shells Shortening Bagels Muffins Cupcakes Donuts Au gratin potatoes Meatloaf Brisket Bumper stickers Smoke detectors Insulation Fluoride Birth control pills Cinnamon rolls Danishes Campbell's chicken noodle soup Macaroni and cheese Mashed potatoes Hash browns Potato pancakes Baked potatoes Pita bread Canned fruits/vegetables Pulp-free orange juice Mountain Dew Dorito's Cheeto's Frito's Funyun's Cigars Angel food/Carrot cake Peanut butter/Chocolate chip cookies Cheesecake Cowboy boots Bounce dryer sheets Flour Vegetable Oil Cornmeal Laundry baskets Pizza cutters Cake mixers Dishwashers Trail mix Beef jerky Caramel Candy apples Roast beef Vegemite Brown rice Rice pilaf Sweet and sour pork Kung pao chicken Eggrolls General Tsao's Chicken Brussel sprouts Asparagus Hominy Artichokes Eggnog Wrapping paper Licorice Funnel cakes Water softeners 9 volt batteries Jukeboxes Lettuce, butter, cereal, raisins, fresh milk, and cheese are very difficult to find here. Many of the above items may be available in Asia, but the brand may be not be very good or the price will be very high. Maybe some of these items are seasonal or can be bought in large cities like HK, but it is still amazing how such common and simple products are so difficult (impossible?) to find here. Many Chinese just do not realize how deprived they are. People looking for dried fish, peanut oil, noodles, white rice, soy sauce, or 50 kinds of tea, will find China to be heaven. Other people may find Zhongguo to be a bit boring after a while. Eating rice, noodles, and dumplings everyday gets old quick. Overseas Chinese are lucky that they can go to the local Chinatown if they get a little homesick when they are abroad. Too bad foreigners cannot have the best of China and the best of their home countries, too. At least saving money is easy since most things are cheap and there are not many good things to buy. Although foreigners in China probably will not miss these items if they are just coming here for a little two week holiday, those who plan to stay longer should consider having someone send them care packages or packing an extra large suitcase. The few imported goods already in China are just a drop in a bucket. Pepsi, Coke, KFC, Pizza Hut, and McDonald's are fine, but it would be nice to have Thai, Vietnamese, Middle Eastern, German, Greek, and Indian food, Italian Garden, Wendy's, Bonanza, Long John Silver's, and Taco Time, too. China has been cut off from the rest of the world for years and they do not know what they have been missing. 39. Fashion sense is a often muddled here. People often wear dark socks with shorts or white socks with suits or two-piece suits to do construction work or pajamas to go shopping. Many people only have one or two sets of clothes to wear everyday. Men usually wear dress pants and rarely wear jeans. Men often roll up their pant legs and shirts if it is hot outside. 40. English is rarely spoken or spoken poorly here, but many Chinese will try to speak English even if foreigners speak Mandarin. There are also almost no English books or magazines here. 41. There are few foreigners in China. 42. Hot water and heaters are hard to find. 43. Electricity, water, and Internet services may often have outages. http://www.usatoday.com/money/world/2004-09-01-china-energy_x.htm 44. Ice and tap water are usually unsafe. Ice is rarely used. 45. Western medicine is very difficult to find and medicine is often fake here. Antibiotics are over-used here. IV drips are popular for treatments. Prescriptions are not required in China. 46. China seems advanced in some ways and behind in others. For example, China still uses oxen to plow, yet has DVD players and telephone cards. China has bullet trains, but the stewardesses and nurses wear uniforms from the 1960's. John Denver, The Carpenters, Micheal Bolton, Celine Dion, and Whitney Houston are very popular here. http://www.bjtth.com http://www.northside.com 47. Visitors should also be aware that China has many pickpockets. Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and many other cities have gangs that wait on busy corners and target unaware people with bags. Be careful! 48. China is very noisy due to population density. 49. Many grown men ride tricycles in China. Bulky goods like queen-sized beds, refrigerators, and televisions are often transported on bicycles. Very few people have a driver's license and U-haul and Ryder do not exist here. Occasionally it is possible to see five or six people on one motorcycle. 50. Carjackings, illegal drugs, food handling inspections, and background checks are NOT common in China. 51. There is no drinking or smoking age enforced in China. 52. Hotels usually do not have keys. Guests must ask workers to let them into their rooms. 53. Odd crimes such as having slaves, kidnapping groups of women to be sold as wives, or crippling children to be used for begging happen here regularly. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20070614-1308-china-slavery.html 54. Many Chinese cannot swim. Women wear conservative swimming suits from the 1950's and men prefer to wear speedos. 55. Playing badminton outside in parking lots with no nets is popular here. 56. Most delivery trucks are blue for some reason. 57. Chinese people do not have many good places to invest their money since land ownership is prohibited, many banks pay very low interest rates and are unstable due to bad loans based on government connections instead of risk and reward calculations, and investing in the stock market is risky due to poor accounting practices. 58. Some doors are too short for many foreigners. 59. China is very poor. Some people do not have enough to eat and rarely eat meat or fruit, never had toys, cameras, lawnmowers, window cleaner, toilet cleaner, all-purpose cleaner, paper towels, furniture polish, bug spray, stain remover, or bikes. Many homes have a dirt floor and no running water or electricity. Many people had to share a single public bathroom. 60. Chinese people needed permission to travel and obtaining passports was once difficult. Chinese people often go sightseeing in groups with their companies or schools. Foreigners could not visit China easily and still need to stay in foreigner approved hotels due to government mandated discrimination. 61. Until very recently, Chinese people needed permission from their employer to get married. 62. The government once assigned work to everyone and Chinese people were not allowed to choose their jobs. 63. Chinese people prefer hot drinks to cold drinks and drink much more tea than coffee. Drinking anything other than alcohol or tea at meals is not very common. 64. Chinese people are generally very reserved and do not hug and kiss family members or strangers much. 65. Tipping is not expected in China. 66. There are almost no big box chain stores like Target, OfficeMax, BestBuy, PetsMart, ToysRUs, Pep Boys, or HomeDepot in China. Parking lots in China are small and always have a parking lot attendant. There is no handicapped parking here. Drive-thru windows or drive-ins are almost unknown. 67. Construction workers live in the building they are building or on-site in temporary dorms. Construction sites are surrounding by temporary brick walls instead of wooden or chain link fences. Scaffolds are made of bamboo and covered with green netting. Construction workers sometimes wear flip-flops instead of steel-toed safety boots and do not often wear hard hats. Items being welded or soldered on the street are not covered. Construction is done 24 hours/7 days a week here. Highways and skyscrapers can be built in six months. 68. Chinese people are very patriotic. 69. China is mostly a cash-based society. Checks are not used very often and the personal lending industry is very undeveloped. http://www.smh.com.au/news/business/chinas-banks-make-even-ours-look-good/2007/06/27/1182623991193.h tml?page=fullpage#contentSwap2 70. Auto parts stores, laundromats, fire trucks, sirens, funeral homes, car rental agencies, vacuum cleaners, greeting cards, car stereos, limousines, dryers, and pawn shops are also very rare here. 71. Gasoline prices are cheap here because the price is fixed by the government. 72. Soap operas set in ancient China are constantly on TV. TV shows cut to commercials in mid-sentence and finish before the plot is resolved. 73. Workers in most restaurants wear slippers, don't wear hats and are sometimes shirtless. Cooks sometimes smoke while cooking. 74. Barbers in China do not seem to soak their combs and scissors in disinfectant. 75. Bathrooms do not have baths or shower curtains. Water from showers falls on the floor. 76. Many businesses, including banks, are open everyday. 77. Wiring or taking a lot money out of China is difficult. Converting RMB to other currencies is also usually difficult. 78. China's currency is set by the government and not the free market. 79. People go to the hospital for even minor illnesses like colds. Appointments are not needed to see a doctor or dentist. 80. Many banks require customers to take a number instead of waiting in line. 81. Most people in cities live in apartment buildings, not houses. 82. Babysitters are not popular in China because grandparents usually take care of children. 83. Women use umbrellas on sunny days and skin whitening lotion because they hate dark skin and do not want to look like farmers. 84. Bras are small and usually padded here. 85. Most city streets have street sweepers. 86. Holidays like Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and St. Patrick's Day are not celebrated here. 87. Wedding rings are not popular here and wives do not change their names. 88. Phone books are not free here and not many people use them. 89. Not many people get a lot of mail here. 90. There are few movie theatres. http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article336761.ece 91. Outdoor meat markets do not have refrigeration. China has very few buffets and they do not have sneeze guards. Eggs, milk, and orange juice are not refriegerated. Eggs, rice, and dried fruit are often sold in bulk not by package or carton. 92. Political correctness, religious sensitivity, and knowledge is not common in China. Racist ignorance also exists. Sexual harassment is also accepted. Discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, age, handicap, or national origin is legal in China. 93. Cheap plastic chairs are used in many restaurants. 94. Since China has many mountains and limited space, many mountains are moved to the sea. 95. Eating sugarcane and bamboo is popular here. 96. Statistics are not very reliable. 97. Girls like to wear frilly clothes. 98. Many street corners do not have stop signs. 99. Chinese people are usually punctual. 100. Chinese people just push other people's shopping carts out of the way instead of saying "excuse me" and look into foreigner's carts and baskets. 101. There are less sales/income/property tax hassles here. 102. Payphones use only cards instead of coins. 103. The news reporting is more upbeat here. 104. The divorce rate is lower in China than the USA. 105. There is less personal debt in China compared to the US. 106. Public transportation is cheap, widespread, and frequent. 107. There are no classic cars, mobile homes, or RV's in China. http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/inimr-ri.nsf/en/gr116624e.html 108. Many similar stores are located in the same area in some cities. Groups of hardware stores may be next to other hardware stores, shoe stores may be next to other shoe stores, and computer stores may be next to other computer stores. 109. Chinese-owned Western restaurants mostly offer unrecognizable Western food. Pizza may be topped with lettuce, salads may have potato slices, and tuna salad may use radishes. 110. Private doctors are rare. Doctors have low education. Patients will not be treated without money. IV's are a common method of medical treatment in China. Patients privacy is unknown. Patients will be treated while other patients wait in the same examining room. 110. Chinese chocolate tastes like wax. 111. There are no newspaper vending machines here. 112. Memorizing is used more than creative thought in schools. Philosophy or psychology courses are rarely offered in schools. 113. Clothes sizes are not standardized. 114. Some cities ban the sale of motorcycles. 115. Sleeper buses with beds are used on some long-distance routes. 116. Makeup in movies is poorly done. 117. Restaurants usually only give out one menu per table. Restaurants often charge for napkins and sometimes even have a fee for using the dishes. Most restaurants are not professionally run and will not have what is on the menu. 118. Frozen food is not commonly sold. 119. Buildings are often demolished with sledgehammers. 120. Bus/airline/train tickets are the same price even if not purchased in advance. 121. Few homes have pictures on the wall or books. 122. 66% of Chinese live on farms while only 2% of Americans live on farms. 123. Grocery stores have small shopping carts. 124. School students wear school uniforms. The Chinese school year is longer than US schools. Students can leave the school for lunch. Schools are not free. http://www.edutopia.org/china-syndrome 125. The Chinese government owns most of the major companies in China including banks, airlines, electric companies, telephone companies, and oil companies. 126. China does not have proms, homecoming queens, or marching bands. 127. Many primary schools have school doctors instead of school nurses. 128. Many websites in China use too much Java. Chinese website URL's often use numbers instead of characters because it is easier to type. 129. Customers will sit at strangers' tables if restaurants are full. 130. College students are not able to check out books unrelated to their majors. 131. Police leave their lights on even when not responding to a call. 132. Instead of vaccinating against rabies, Chinese officials control rabies by beating dogs to death in front their owners. http://www.guardian.co.uk/china/story/0,,1835329,00.html 133. Churches must register with the Chinese government. The government appoints bishops instead of churches. Priests are routinely arrested. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-2523506,00.htm l 134. Secrecy is common in China. Chinese people often refuse to give their names to reporters. 135. Traffic jams in China can last for DAYS, not minutes or hours. 136. Camping, horses, polo, wrestling, rugby, skydiving, skiing, surfing, skateboarding, and snowboarding are very uncommon in China. 137. Voluntary organ donation is very rare in China. 138. Courts are not independent. There are no jury trials in China. 139. Since websites are blocked, movies are censored, books are often banned, and television stations and newspapers are government owned, Chinese have difficulty knowing the truth. 140. There are few nursing homes in China. 141. There are not many libraries in China. 142. Many cars in China have tinted windows. 143. China has very few hypnotists or chiropractors. 144. Small stores often do not have price tags next to products. 145. Replays from past Olympics are popular TV sport programs. 146. Most Chinese receive a salary not an hourly wage. 147. Outdoor snack sellers in China often sell cooked sweet potatoes, peanuts, goat meat, sunflower seeds, popcorn, and unflavored corn on the cob. 148. China uses international measurements and calendars, but also has a Chinese calendar and measurement system. 149. China treats the truth as state secrets. Media may not portray China in a bad way. Corruption and the poor may not seen on TV, newspapers, or films. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,501030414-441239,00.html?cnn=yes The best things about China are the weather in Hainan, the thin girls, booming economy, and the cheap prices, but as a result of Communist policies, the USA leads China in almost everything despite having only a fraction of China's population. China trails the US in railroads, roads, hotels, income, GDP, life expectancy, cars, religious freedom, human rights, free speech, Ph.D's, airplanes, democracy, mental health treatment, science, dentists, charities, health care, credit bureaus, insurance, credit cards, mutual funds, ski resorts, plastic surgery, self-storage, and comedy clubs. No wonder why so many Chinese want to emigrate to the USA. If you live in a free, developed country, thank your lucky stars. Follow Ups: Re: China Culture Shock nik 20:37:30 6/04/2008 (1) Re: China Culture Sh Niall Scott 21:42:30 6/04/2008 (0) Re: China Culture Shock nik 20:37:09 6/04/2008 (0) Post a Followup

Name: E-Mail: Subject: Comments: : Users of this forum might be interested to know what visiting China is like. Other than the surprising, futuristic skyscrapers that stand out, China is still a dirty, backwards, poor third world country where most everything Western countries have like cleanliness, quality, ethics, freedom, comfort, wealth, safety, justice, prayer, creativity, education, fashion, diversity, good healthcare, : or politeness is not easily available. Most first time China visitors think they have stepped into the future when they arrive until some retard wearing a dirty suit and slippers squatting next to a tricycle shouts "Hello!" and giggles. Visitors are quickly jerked back to reality that they are not in Kansas anymore when they realize that they have instead fallen into a time warp back to 1900. : Foreigners can live here for years and never adjust. If you are traveling to China, here are some observations and weird facts to be : aware of to lessen the cultural shock: : 1. China is dirty. People eat from the same dish using the chopsticks : they are eating with. Littering, nose-picking, and spitting is common. The air quality is very poor due to non-existent or unenforced pollution laws. Kids often do not have diapers and parents whistle to encourage them to pee on the street or on the floor of stores. People here often don't wear or use dental floss, mouthwash, deodorant, perfume, cologne, makeup, nail polish, eye shadow, mascara, lipstick, hairspray, earrings, jewelry, rings, bracelets, or necklaces. Some people have lice or go six months without taking a bath in the winter because they have no hot water. Most women do not shave their underarms and some use cloth instead of tampons. Many men don't shave and grow long pinky fingernails to clean their ears. Few people cover their mouths when they cough. Toilet paper is used for napkins and toilets do not have toilet paper or soap. Toilets are often squat toilets. Vomiting in public is commonplace. People cover their noses instead of cleaning up the environment. : http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=62379 : http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-manners17sep17,0,2427523.story?coll=la-home-world : 2. Just about everything in life is or was once banned here within the : last 50 years including education, books, democracy, capitalism, personal property, free speech, protests, religion, superstitions, free movement, pets, puppets, movies, long hair, baseball, rock music, psychologists, Disney, art, premarital sex, flunkyism, splittism, flowers, sending newspapers abroad, UFO associations, gambling, world record attempts, smoking, cooking at home, cosmetics, prostitution, footbinding, opium, guns, story-telling, opera, theatre, concerts, acupuncture, Confucisism, feng shui, dresses, rickshaws, golf, jewelry, martial arts, politeness, playing cards, satellite dishes, homosexuality, dancing, boxing, kites, bodyguards, coffins, genealogy, mahjong, tennis, lanterns, and hula hoops. In just 10 short years, 5000 years of Chinese history, relics, temples, paintings, buildings, palaces, books, and art were destroyed. Now China is only left with poor rebuilt copies of the past and basic, ugly tile buildings. Life in China was grey, drab, and dreary. : Today, Hong Kong and Taiwan are more : Chinese in some ways than mainland China. : http://www.aliciapatterson.org/APF2102/Pomfret/Pomfret.html : 3. Some things that were good in China are bad now and what was once bad is now good. Warning of a possible overpopulation problem, for example, lead to prison for one person and warning of SARS lead to prison for another man. Both were found to be correct and policies were reversed. China once banned car ownership, but now ban bicycles. : http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1108534,00.html : 4. Mental health treatment is not encouraged or popular here. There are : very few psychiatrists or Western drugs available for the mentally ill. : This may be one reason China leads the world in suicides. Alcoholics Anonymous is also nearly unknown here. : http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2002-12-03-china-suicide-usat_x.htm : 5. China has a strict one child policy where women are forced to have : abortions and be sterilized if the have more than one child. Since there : is very public welfare and sons traditionally care for the parents, daughters are aborted or abandoned in favor of sons. China is predicted to have 60 million more men than women by 2014. Sadly, sex education and birth control pills are very uncommon here. : http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5953508 : 6. Chinese people eat almost every kind of food including snakes, worms, : eels, dogs, cats, squid, and all parts of animals like chicken feet, : duck lungs, pig brains, pork fat, and fish heads. Even human meat and dinosaur bones have been consumed here. Ironically, however, most Chinese dislike cheese. Restaurants often have live birds or fish outside for customers to choose from. Seeing wildlife like birds, squirrels, and pigeons is rare because everything gets eaten in China. Chinese generally do not like nonsteamed bread unless it is sweetened bread or has weird toppings like dried pork. : Most Chinese people hate uncooked food like sushi or salads and don't know how to eat with a fork and knife. Meat is cut into small pieces before cooking and the bones are usually included in the dish. Diners spit the bones onto the table while eating. Restaurant food commonly has bugs, rocks, and hair in the food. : http://www.canada.com/health/story.html?id=33fbfc84-a21d-4d3a-8f71-751c93409f11 : 7. Rudeness in China is well-known. Cutting in line, staring, not holding doors, not saying "thank you", "sorry", or "excuse me", or : shouting "Hello!" or "Laowai!" to foreigners is common. : 8. Many Chinese guys look like gay nerds because they are super thin, short, out of shape, do not comb their hair, carry purses, and : put their arms around other guys. There are few : joggers or weightlifters in China. Ping Pong is one of the most popular sports here. : 9. The huge population of China and poor business practices means stores are overstaffed to keep the population employed. Most stores have an employee stationed on every aisle to watch customers shop. : 10. Corruption is common due to a lack of ethics in China. Chinese : people are generally much more individualistic than countries like Japan. : 11. Ironically in a country founded for the workers, labor protests are : banned. : 12. Some Chinese people are so brainwashed that they are grateful to the government for restoring their rights to start a business. : 13. Owning a car is rare here. Only 1 out of 100 Chinese people own a : car compared to 75 out of 100 Americans who own a car. : 14. Houses in China may not be very comfortable, : but they are secure and easy to maintain. : Many windows are : covered with burglar bars. Windows are : often opened in the winter or don't have screens or glass. Many businesses have no doors even in the winter. Buildings are often : unheated in the winter. Many buildings and neigborhoods are surrounded : by concrete fences and have security guards. : Homes in China that have carpet are practically unknown. Buildings : are fire-proof, wind-resistant, and do not need painting because they are concrete and covered in tile. Few homes have yards to be cut. Homes do not have closets or basements. : 15. The annual per capita income of China is US$5600 compared to US$40,000 for the USA. : 16. Only 5% of Chinese have a college degree compared to 25% of Americans. : http://www.forbes.com/global/2000/1211/0325138a.html : 17. 500 million Chinese have never brushed their teeth. : http://www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/printout/0,13675,501040809-674820,00.html : 18. Counterfeiting is rampant in China due to low creativity. How many Japanese, German, or American brands are there? How many Chinese brands can you think of? Even cars are copied. Items like sawdust are too often used in goods like fake milk powder or fertilizer. Products like pet food, tires, toys, seafood, or toothpaste are unsafe. : http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/FCDF91AE9116711C8625730A00 124C4E?OpenDocument : 19. Elevators are rare in China since buildings less that nine stories : tall are not required to have them. : 20. Chinese made products for the domestic market : have very low quality. Expect products : like umbrellas, nail clippers, belts, shoes, coats, shirts, pens, lighters, furniture, watches, surge protectors, washing machines, speakers, clocks, batteries, pants, necklaces to not fit or to to fall apart in less than six months. : Stores do not have return policies. : 21. Physical fights are more common here. : 22. Furniture is very uncomfortable. Beds, stools, and sofas are often : little more than wooden planks with no pillows. : 23. Buses are often overcrowded here. : Most buses have ticket takers and barf bags. : 24. Male smokers are very common. Smoking is considered healthy. : Smoking is even allowed in hospitals. : http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050611.wxchina0611/BNStory/International : 25. Public welfare is very scanty. Private domestic and international : charities are very rare in China. Many crippled beggars and old people : beg on the street, as a result. Seeing handicapped people in wheelchairs : or scooters is uncommon. Oddly, many TV shows have a handicapped character, however. : 26. Chinese people seem to be able to sleep everywhere and anytime : including during the day at work. : 27. Small store owners in China often bring their children to work with : them. : 28. Free speech is not encouraged in China. Many websites are censored. : 29. Prostitution is illegal, but commonplace. : Streetwalkers operate : openly in many places. Hairdresser and massage : businesses are often open 24 hours and are actually brothels. Pornography : is also banned. : 30. Around 30 million people in China were killed or starved to death : during the Cultural Revolution. : 31. Traffic is dangerous in China. More people die in China on the roads : than anywhere else in the world even though there are a lot less cars : here than in the USA. Running red lights, : not using turn signals, having four lanes of : traffic on two lane roads, passing on the : left or shoulders, and driving on the : wrong side of the road or the sidewalk is commonplace. : Pedestrians do not have the right of way. Childseats are not required for children. : http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2001/09/04/china-drivers.htm : 32. Many Chinese live in company dorms and have no hobbies. Crowds of : people watching TV outside of some stores at night is a common sight. : 33. China leads the world in executions. Prisoners are used as organ donors. : http://www.boulderweekly.com/archive/052401/coverstory.html : 34. Torture is sometimes used to obtain confessions. : 35. Many people have mobile phones. Mobile phones are pay as you go. : 36. Many Chinese like to squat instead of sitting to rest. Chinese hate : sitting on the floor and often use newspapers if sitting outside. : 37. There are few lawyers and lawsuits in China. : 38. Common products like the following are very difficult to find in : China: : Deodorant : Dental floss : Underwear : Large clothes : T-shirts : Your Shampoo : Socks : Syrup : Razors : Shaving cream : Mustard : Pancake mix : Croutons : Pickles : Big shoes : BBQ sauce : Tacos : Taco sauce : Coffee? : Cobbler pies : Turkey : Stuffing : Fruit cocktail : Canned tuna : Whip cream : Gelatin : Aspirin : Cranberries : Cranberry juice/sauce : French bread : Frozen strawberries : Index cards : Cherries : Litter boxes : Salsa : Pop tarts : Parsley/oregano/paprika/dry mustard/cumin/basil/thyme/dill weed/celery : salt/rosemary/peppercorns/cinnamon/garlic salt/tarragon/onion powder/cilantro : seasonings : Worcestershire sauce : Frozen pizza : Hamburger buns : Waffles : Toasters : Fish batter : Tartar sauce : Corn dogs : English books : Large bras/condoms/sweatshirts : Tampons : Perfume : Power converter : Bibles : Cereal : Pasta : Gyros : NyQuil : Pepto Bismol : Diet Coke : Chapstick : Reese's Peanut Butter Cups : Breath mints : Nachos : Chex Mix : Pretzels : Marshmallows : Graham crackers : Tortillas : Shrimp cocktail sauce : English muffins : Fortune cookies : Eggrolls : Snapple : Cotton balls : Calamine lotion : Construction paper : Felt : Duct tape : Powdered sugar : Baking powder : Pudding : Chocolate syrup : Conditioner : Large towels : Cake mixes : Easter egg dye : Caramel : Kool Aid : Gatorade : Lemonade : Bacon bits : Pot pies : Lasagna : Potato salad : Ice cream cones : Ranch/French/Italian dressing : Food coloring : Canned pineapple/prune juice : Blueberries/raspberries : Pumpkins : Hot dog buns : Cake decorations : Chilli : Casseroles : Clam chowder : Cotton candy : Baking pans : Ovens : Melba toast : Romaine lettuce : Garlic bread : Rye bread : Pie shells : Shortening : Bagels : Muffins : Cupcakes : Donuts : Au gratin potatoes : Meatloaf : Brisket : Bumper stickers : Smoke detectors : Insulation : Fluoride : Birth control pills : Cinnamon rolls : Danishes : Campbell's chicken noodle soup : Macaroni and cheese : Mashed potatoes : Hash browns : Potato pancakes : Baked potatoes : Pita bread : Canned fruits/vegetables : Pulp-free orange juice : Mountain Dew : Dorito's : Cheeto's : Frito's : Funyun's : Cigars : Angel food/Carrot cake : Peanut butter/Chocolate chip cookies : Cheesecake : Cowboy boots : Bounce dryer sheets : Flour : Vegetable Oil : Cornmeal : Laundry baskets : Pizza cutters : Cake mixers : Dishwashers : Trail mix : Beef jerky : Caramel : Candy apples : Roast beef : Vegemite : Brown rice : Rice pilaf : Sweet and sour pork : Kung pao chicken : Eggrolls : General Tsao's Chicken : Brussel sprouts : Asparagus : Hominy : Artichokes : Eggnog : Wrapping paper : Licorice : Funnel cakes : Water softeners : 9 volt batteries : Jukeboxes : Lettuce, butter, cereal, raisins, fresh milk, and cheese are very difficult to find here. Many of the above items may be available in Asia, : but the brand may be not be very good or the price will be very high. : Maybe some of these items are seasonal or can be bought in large cities : like HK, but it is still amazing how such common and simple products are : so difficult (impossible?) to find here. Many Chinese just do not realize : how deprived they are. People looking for dried fish, peanut oil, noodles, white rice, soy sauce, or 50 kinds of tea, will find China to be heaven. Other people may find : Zhongguo to be a bit boring after a while. : Eating rice, noodles, and dumplings everyday : gets old quick. Overseas Chinese are lucky that they can go to the local Chinatown if they get a little homesick when they are abroad. : Too bad foreigners cannot have the best of China and the best of their home countries, too. At least saving money is easy since most things are cheap and there are not many good things to buy. : Although foreigners in China probably will not miss these items if they are : just coming here for a little two week holiday, those who plan to stay longer should consider having someone send them care packages or packing an extra large suitcase. : The few imported goods already in China are just a drop in a bucket. Pepsi, Coke, KFC, Pizza Hut, and McDonald's are fine, but it would be : nice to have Thai, Vietnamese, Middle Eastern, : German, Greek, and Indian food, Italian Garden, Wendy's, Bonanza, : Long John Silver's, and Taco Time, too. : China has been cut off from the rest of the world for years : and they do not know what they have been missing. : 39. Fashion sense is a often muddled here. People often wear dark socks with shorts or white socks with suits or two-piece suits to do : construction work or pajamas to go shopping. Many people only have one : or two sets of clothes to wear everyday. Men usually wear dress pants : and rarely wear jeans. Men often roll up their pant legs and shirts if : it is hot outside. : 40. English is rarely spoken or spoken poorly here, but many Chinese : will try to speak English even if foreigners speak Mandarin. There are : also almost no English books or magazines here. : 41. There are few foreigners in China. : 42. Hot water and heaters are hard to find. : 43. Electricity, water, and Internet services may often have outages. : http://www.usatoday.com/money/world/2004-09-01-china-energy_x.htm : 44. Ice and tap water are usually unsafe. Ice is rarely used. : 45. Western medicine is very difficult to find and medicine is often fake here. Antibiotics are over-used here. IV drips are popular for treatments. Prescriptions are not required in China. : 46. China seems advanced in some ways and behind in others. For example, China still uses oxen to plow, yet has DVD players and telephone cards. : China has bullet trains, but the stewardesses and nurses wear uniforms : from the 1960's. John Denver, The Carpenters, Micheal Bolton, Celine : Dion, and Whitney Houston are very popular here. : http://www.bjtth.com : http://www.northside.com : 47. Visitors should also be aware that China has many pickpockets. Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and many other cities have gangs : that wait on busy corners and target unaware people with bags. Be careful! : 48. China is very noisy due to population density. : 49. Many grown men ride tricycles in China. Bulky goods like queen-sized : beds, refrigerators, and televisions are often transported on bicycles. : Very few people have a driver's license and U-haul and Ryder do not : exist here. Occasionally it is possible to see five or six people on one : motorcycle. : 50. Carjackings, illegal drugs, food handling inspections, and : background checks are NOT common in China. : 51. There is no drinking or smoking age enforced in China. : 52. Hotels usually do not have keys. Guests must ask workers to let them : into their rooms. : 53. Odd crimes such as having slaves, : kidnapping groups of women to be sold as : wives, or crippling children to be used for begging happen here regularly. : http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20070614-1308-china-slavery.html : 54. Many Chinese cannot swim. : Women wear conservative swimming suits : from the 1950's and men prefer to wear speedos. : 55. Playing badminton outside in parking lots with no nets is popular : here. : 56. Most delivery trucks are blue for some reason. : 57. Chinese people do not have many good places to invest their money : since land ownership is prohibited, many banks : pay very low interest : rates and are unstable due to bad loans : based on government connections : instead of risk and reward calculations, : and investing in the stock market is risky due to poor accounting practices. : 58. Some doors are too short for many foreigners. : 59. China is very poor. Some people do not have enough to eat and rarely eat meat or fruit, never had toys, cameras, lawnmowers, : window cleaner, toilet cleaner, all-purpose cleaner, paper towels, furniture polish, bug spray, stain remover, or bikes. Many homes have a dirt floor and no running water or electricity. Many people had to share a single public bathroom. : 60. Chinese people needed permission to travel and obtaining passports : was once difficult. Chinese people often go sightseeing in groups with : their companies or schools. Foreigners could not visit China easily and : still need to stay in foreigner approved hotels due to government : mandated discrimination. : 61. Until very recently, Chinese people needed permission from their : employer to get married. : 62. The government once assigned work to everyone and Chinese people : were not allowed to choose their jobs. : 63. Chinese people prefer hot drinks to cold drinks and drink much more : tea than coffee. Drinking anything other than alcohol or tea at meals is : not very common. : 64. Chinese people are generally very reserved and do not hug and kiss : family members or strangers much. : 65. Tipping is not expected in China. : 66. There are almost no big box chain stores like Target, OfficeMax, : BestBuy, PetsMart, ToysRUs, Pep Boys, or HomeDepot in China. Parking : lots in China are small and always have a parking lot attendant. There is no handicapped parking here. Drive-thru windows or drive-ins are almost unknown. : 67. Construction workers live in the building they are building or on-site : in temporary dorms. Construction sites are surrounding by temporary : brick walls instead of wooden or chain link fences. Scaffolds are made : of bamboo and covered with green netting. : Construction workers sometimes wear flip-flops instead of steel-toed : safety boots and do not often wear hard hats. : Items being welded or soldered on the street are not covered. Construction is done 24 hours/7 days a week here. Highways and skyscrapers can be built in six months. : 68. Chinese people are very patriotic. : 69. China is mostly a cash-based society. Checks are not used very often : and the personal lending industry is very undeveloped. : http://www.smh.com.au/news/business/chinas-banks-make-even-ours-look-good/2007/06/27/1182623991193.h tml?page=fullpage#contentSwap2 : 70. Auto parts stores, laundromats, fire trucks, sirens, funeral homes, : car rental agencies, vacuum cleaners, greeting cards, car stereos, : limousines, dryers, and pawn shops are also very rare here. : 71. Gasoline prices are cheap here because the price is fixed by the : government. : 72. Soap operas set in ancient China are constantly on TV. TV shows cut : to commercials in mid-sentence and finish before the plot is resolved. : 73. Workers in most restaurants wear slippers, don't wear hats and are sometimes shirtless. Cooks sometimes smoke while cooking. : 74. Barbers in China do not seem to soak their combs and scissors in : disinfectant. : 75. Bathrooms do not have baths or shower curtains. Water from showers falls on the floor. : 76. Many businesses, including banks, are open everyday. : 77. Wiring or taking a lot money out of China is difficult. Converting : RMB to other currencies is also usually difficult. : 78. China's currency is set by the government and not the free market. : 79. People go to the hospital for even minor illnesses like colds. : Appointments are not needed to see a doctor or dentist. : 80. Many banks require customers to take a number instead of waiting in : line. : 81. Most people in cities live in apartment buildings, not houses. : 82. Babysitters are not popular in China because grandparents usually : take care of children. : 83. Women use umbrellas on sunny days and skin : whitening lotion because they hate dark skin and do not want to look like farmers. : 84. Bras are small and usually padded here. : 85. Most city streets have street sweepers. : 86. Holidays like Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and St. : Patrick's Day are not celebrated here. : 87. Wedding rings are not popular here and wives do not change their : names. : 88. Phone books are not free here and not many people use them. : 89. Not many people get a lot of mail here. : 90. There are few movie theatres. : http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article336761.ece : 91. Outdoor meat markets do not have refrigeration. China has very few : buffets and they do not have sneeze guards. Eggs, milk, and orange juice are not refriegerated. Eggs, rice, and dried fruit are often sold in bulk not by package or carton. : 92. Political correctness, religious sensitivity, and knowledge is not : common in China. Racist ignorance also exists. Sexual harassment is also : accepted. Discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, age, : handicap, or national origin is legal in China. : 93. Cheap plastic chairs are used in many restaurants. : 94. Since China has many mountains and limited space, : many mountains are moved to the sea. : 95. Eating sugarcane and bamboo is popular here. : 96. Statistics are not very reliable. : 97. Girls like to wear frilly clothes. : 98. Many street corners do not have stop signs. : 99. Chinese people are usually punctual. : 100. Chinese people just push other people's shopping carts out of the : way instead of saying "excuse me" and look into foreigner's carts and : baskets. : 101. There are less sales/income/property tax hassles here. : 102. Payphones use only cards instead of coins. : 103. The news reporting is more upbeat here. : 104. The divorce rate is lower in China than the USA. : 105. There is less personal debt in China compared to the US. : 106. Public transportation is cheap, widespread, and frequent. : 107. There are no classic cars, mobile homes, or RV's in China. : http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/inimr-ri.nsf/en/gr116624e.html : 108. Many similar stores are located in the same area in some cities. : Groups of hardware stores may be next to other hardware stores, shoe : stores may be next to other shoe stores, and computer : stores may be next to other computer stores. : 109. Chinese-owned Western restaurants mostly offer unrecognizable : Western food. Pizza may be topped with lettuce, salads may have potato : slices, and tuna salad may use radishes. : 110. Private doctors are rare. Doctors have low education. Patients will : not be treated without money. IV's are a common method of medical treatment in China. Patients privacy is unknown. Patients will be treated while other patients wait in the same examining room. : 110. Chinese chocolate tastes like wax. : 111. There are no newspaper vending machines here. : 112. Memorizing is used more than creative thought in schools. : Philosophy or psychology courses are rarely offered in schools. : 113. Clothes sizes are not standardized. : 114. Some cities ban the sale of motorcycles. : 115. Sleeper buses with beds are used on some long-distance routes. : 116. Makeup in movies is poorly done. : 117. Restaurants usually only give out one menu per table. Restaurants often charge for napkins and sometimes even have a fee for using the dishes. Most restaurants are not professionally run and will not have what is on the menu. : 118. Frozen food is not commonly sold. : 119. Buildings are often demolished with sledgehammers. : 120. Bus/airline/train tickets are the same price even if not purchased : in advance. : 121. Few homes have pictures on the wall or books. : 122. 66% of Chinese live on farms while only 2% of Americans live on farms. : 123. Grocery stores have small shopping carts. : 124. School students wear school uniforms. The Chinese school year is longer than US schools. Students can leave the school for lunch. Schools are not free. : http://www.edutopia.org/china-syndrome : 125. The Chinese government owns most of the major companies in China including banks, airlines, electric companies, telephone companies, and oil companies. : 126. China does not have proms, homecoming queens, or marching bands. : 127. Many primary schools have school doctors instead of school nurses. : 128. Many websites in China use too much Java. Chinese : website URL's often use numbers instead of characters because it is easier to type. : 129. Customers will sit at strangers' tables if restaurants are full. : 130. College students are not able to check out books unrelated to their majors. : 131. Police leave their lights on even when not responding to a call. : 132. Instead of vaccinating against rabies, : Chinese officials control rabies by beating dogs to death in front their owners. : http://www.guardian.co.uk/china/story/0,,1835329,00.html : 133. Churches must register with the Chinese government. : The government appoints bishops instead of churches. Priests are routinely arrested. : http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-2523506,00.htm l : 134. Secrecy is common in China. Chinese people often refuse to give their names to reporters. : 135. Traffic jams in China can last for DAYS, not minutes or hours. : 136. Camping, horses, polo, wrestling, rugby, skydiving, skiing, surfing, skateboarding, : and snowboarding are very uncommon in China. : 137. Voluntary organ donation is very rare in China. : 138. Courts are not independent. There are no jury trials in China. : 139. Since websites are blocked, movies are censored, : books are often banned, and television stations and : newspapers are government owned, Chinese have difficulty knowing the truth. : 140. There are few nursing homes in China. : 141. There are not many libraries in China. : 142. Many cars in China have tinted windows. : 143. China has very few hypnotists or chiropractors. : 144. Small stores often do not have price tags next to products. : 145. Replays from past Olympics are popular TV sport programs. : 146. Most Chinese receive a salary not an hourly wage. : 147. Outdoor snack sellers in China often sell : cooked sweet potatoes, peanuts, goat meat, sunflower seeds, popcorn, and unflavored corn on the cob. : 148. China uses international measurements and calendars, but also has a Chinese calendar and measurement system. : 149. China treats the truth as state secrets. Media may not portray China in a bad way. Corruption : and the poor may not seen on TV, newspapers, or films. : http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,501030414-441239,00.html?cnn=yes : The best things about China are the weather in Hainan, the thin girls, booming economy, and the cheap prices, but as a result of Communist policies, the USA leads China in almost everything despite having only a fraction of China's population. China trails the US in railroads, roads, hotels, income, GDP, life expectancy, cars, religious freedom, human rights, free speech, Ph.D's, airplanes, democracy, mental health treatment, science, dentists, charities, health care, credit bureaus, insurance, credit cards, mutual funds, ski resorts, plastic surgery, self-storage, and comedy clubs. No wonder why so many Chinese want to emigrate to the USA. If you live in a free, developed country, thank your lucky stars. Link Title:

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