8 things I'll never get used to in China

By: Sarah Bennett

It’s been said many times before that China is a world away from home. Okay I get it, you all know that. However it’s also possible that as much as you begin to understand China when you live here, there are also certain aspects which you will never seem to get a grasp on, or at least, that’s how I feel anyway.

1. The climate and the way that the Chinese deal with it
   Coming from England this is an obvious choice but an important one nonetheless. In the north of China, you can get down to as low as minus 25. In the south, you can get highs of 37 degrees Celcius, plus ridiculous percentages of humidity. In the north, it’s common to have windows open in the winter. In the south, some people don’t like to use air conditioning because it’s “unhealthy.”
   You many fancy sitting out in the sun during the summer to tan yourself. The Chinese will think that you are crazy because you are making your beautiful and desirable white skin “black,” and yes, that is a direct quote. They also have no idea how to use beaches.
   
   
   
   Do you think the water’s cold?
   
   
   
2. People speaking VERY LOUDLY into their mobile phones
   Tone of voice in China is very important and it seems that most people can’t get their point across well enough unless they shout it down the phone. You can be in a lift with another person and wanting to cover your ears as they are so loud.
   
   
3. Constant beeping of horns on cars and scooters
   It seems like there is no way for people to know that you are on the road unless you beep your horn. It’s like having a conversation with someone on the road: “beep” means “hello, I’m here!” The flip side to this is when horns are actually used properly. You know, when you are riding a scooter of your own and someone just comes out in front of you as they haven’t looked. The Chinese never seem to look.
   
   
   
   This is quiet…
   
   
   
4. Spitting on the floor
   Or in the bin. Or in a plastic bag whilst you’re on a bus. “It’s unhealthy to keep that phlegm in your body so just get rid of it” seems to still be in practice around China. This is despite the whole incident with SARS a few years ago. Yes, it is more the older generation, but it seems that the younger generation still do it, especially the men and I’ve even seen very attractive young women do it too.
   
   
5. Lying
   I cannot get my head around the fact that people are such blatant liars in China. Obviously, in all countries there are liars and to be honest, we’ve all told lies ourselves. It’s more the manner that it’s done in that you can’t get used to here. For example, a colleague had a girl arrive at work in tears, saying that she couldn’t work for the company anymore because her father was ill. Two weeks later, it was found that she was actually just working for another company… It’s all to do with face. China revolves around a face-culture which means that you don’t want to lose face, or pride and people find it easier to deal with this here by lying.
   
   
   
   Chairman Mao watches over China
   
   
   
6. QQ
   You won’t be allowed Facebook in China* so why not get yourself acquainted with QQ instead. It offers instant chat and something akin to a Facebook wall which will allow you to post photos on yours and friend’s walls.
   However, it is frustrating to use. Whilst you can get an international version of the instant messenger, the home page is in Chinese and your comments seem to disappear. Also, people in China use it constantly, as a social and business tool. You will hear the “beep beep beep” of a message arriving on someone’s phone, iPad or computer constantly. It seems like the Chinese are never off QQ! Though I’m sure many people will say that about Facebook too, at least it doesn’t have the annoying “beep beep beep!”
   
   *The Great Firewall of China always has ways and means of being bypassed…
   
   
   
   Great Firewall easier to pass than this wall!
   
   
   
7. Being stared at and called “foreigner”
   You walk down the road, you’re stared at. You walk past a school and hear “look, a foreigner!” You go for a haircut, you’re stared at. You go for dinner and hear “a foreigner is here!”
   This is daily life if you live away from the main expat hubs of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou and something I have never gotten used to. How can people still be surprised that there are people who look different around the world? OK, so toddlers will often get away saying things like “mummy, he’s fat” at home, but you would be scolded to high heaven if we’d said “mummy, he is a foreigner” as at home that would be considered borderline racism.
   Even if they are brave enough to talk to you, they will think you are American 95% of the time because we all know the world only consists of China and America, right?!
   
   
8. Being “papped”
   This can sometimes go hand in hand with being stared at. You will soon begin to realise the constant attention celebrities receive from cameras and may begin to sympathise. Sometimes you cannot even do your weekly shop without someone taking a photo of you and that’s just the ones you know about. Whilst it is something that I have never really gotten used to, what can be funny about it is that if you sit in once place for too long, someone will always approach you, to talk to you and/or take a photo with you. And once one person has done it, more will follow in their footsteps.
   
   The most difficult thing to accept and get used to in China is that you are exotic. I come from England, a land as exotic sounding as mud to people who complain about it all the time, but in China, this place is fantasised and romanced about. This goes for any other country where you are of Caucasian descent.

However, these experiences will not only make you enjoy China and find it hilarious, it will also make you realise that your non-exotic home really is as cool as other people make it out to be. So what are you waiting for? Come and experience a fantastic land whilst finding out that your own is just as awesome.