Saturday, August 9, 2008

Cultural Surprises 1

China is brimming with cultural surprises, I’ve done my best to list a few of the biggest and most significant ones that I can recall.

1. Can things this good possibly be this cheap? From mouth watering meals to off the runway fashions and unique souvenirs, some of the best things in China will not leave a hole in your wallet. Some of the best experiences I’ve had have also been free (eg. Public museums)!

2. Why is everyone looking at me? Don’t be put off, foreigners are a novel sight in many areas in China. Even in areas frequented by foreigners, inquisitive looks in your direction will be common. Don’t be put off, learn to enjoy it, there are few places where you can take center stage as easily as this!


3. How can I possibly eat that? Though I don’t have a problem with the exotic, some may. From scorpion to sow stomach, some things may be difficult to handle. You can be as adventurous or as conservative as you like. Sometimes, just looking is enough of a cultural experience!

4. Did that person just push me out of the way? If someone or something is in the path of another person, it is quite normal to give it/them a gentle brush out of the way. Don’t get flustered though as often it is nothing personal. Likewise, sometimes to get somewhere through a crowd, you’ll have to push a little bit too. Don’t be afraid to be polite though, it is appreciated increasingly more so as of late.


5. I’ve never seen this before! There are countless cultural performances/experiences to be had which you won’t find written about in National Geographic or online. Don’t be surprised if you come across something you’ve never seen or heard of before!

6.
Why does everybody look so young? I’ve found that locals often look a lot younger than they actually are. So don’t underestimate the knowledge of the servers you have who don’t look a day past 15!


7. I am so lost… Even in Tianjin, the third largest city in China (over 10 Million people) there is surprisingly little information that exists on the internet. Even while I’m here, most of my experiences have been gained from asking my colleagues about good places to visit. There is still a lot to be translated and disseminated in English yet.

8. Oh my goodness… LOOK A FOREIGNER! After a while, you too will start to goggle at other foreigners you run across! I catch myself doing this all the time now that I’ve been here for a while.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The last sentence in this point is very important. I'm always interested in cultural exchange. I think Chinese people who can manage English should do more to help attract more foreigners to come to China and enjoy Chinese culture.

Anonymous said...

PS: It should be the last sentence in the 7th point. :)