Here you will find some random cultural tidbits that I pick up.
1) Drivers on the road drive on the shoulder of the road all the time, either to pass a car or to create another lane of traffic during rush hour.
2) Honking here is a communication tool. It can be used to signal to other drivers about something, but it is also used to tell people to get out of the way. That would be fine, to me, except that the person blocking the road or not paying attention to the road will honk back.
3) Almost ever car has a charm hanging from the rear view mirror.
4) Most people use a cross-stick method of using chopsticks. Rather than having the sticks be parallel, most people will cross them to pick up things.
5) No one leaves a tip for the food.
6) Because one cannot drink the tap water, bottled water is incredibly inexpensive. There are also clean water taps everywhere so people can fill their water bottles.
7) There is no dessert at restaurants. You can buy ice cream in shops, but as a rule, Chinese people do not eat dessert as part of a meal.
8) In the supermarket, people are pushy, so if you are waiting your turn, they will cut in front of you.
9) Money is handled in a "hybrid" kind of way between Japanese and American. Putting the money down on the counter is normal and acceptable when you are paying for items, but handing the money straight to the cashier is also acceptable. Receiving change is done directly from hand to hand, not set down again on the counter.
10) Trash is left anywhere. No one really thinks much about litter and so there is a lot of trash on the streets. There are also piles of decomposing trash just randomly around, so some areas smell worse than others.
11) There really is no drinking age, or enforced regulation. Beer is often cheap (unless you go to a high-end bar) and other alcohols are sold in many convenience stores.
12) The roads here are like America, where everyone stays to the right.
13) There are bike lanes on almost all the streets, some of which are blocked off from motor traffic. However, electric bikes are allowed in the bike lane, so people on regular bikes have to be wary of them.
14) More and more people are getting electric bikes. They range from 2000 yuan to 5000 (new).
15) There is often more than one person on a bike. Oftentimes a couple will be on a bike and the guy is pedaling whilst the girl is sitting on the back of the bike. More often this is done on the electric bikes. Whole families will share rides as well, especially mothers with their child(ren).
16) There are feral cats and dogs that roam around the streets. Most are afraid of humans, despite living so close to them, and the Chinese people just ignore them.
17) Chinese people are nice and helpful, but can be pushy and forceful, especially when it comes to food. It is normal for someone to cut in line if one is being patient and not standing one's ground in line.
18) Public toilets are pay toilets. They also do not have toilet paper or much in the way of washing up afterwards. Having hand sanitizer is a must.
19) Girls' fashion is quite interesting. (I will make a blog post about it). They show off their legs and many wear heels or sandals. However, their upper body is covered and there is not a lot of low-cut clothing.
20) Girls use umbrellas for shade, so they avoid as much direct sunlight on them as possible.
21) It is common to see people on the street asking for empty plastic bottles. There is a small deposit for bottles, so some people will go around looking in trash piles for bottles.
22) There are lots of e-bikes here. Most women will wear these hand cover things, which look like oven mitts. To me, that makes sense to have in the winter, but right now, it does not make much sense. They also have these visors that cover the entire face.
23) People here are much more aggressive and pushy. If you are just standing, waiting patiently, they will cut in front of you. If you are getting money out and the person behind you has exact change, they will hand their money to the cashier and leave. If you are in their way, most of the time, they will shove you gently for you to move.
24) At dinners, everyone just takes food from the lazy Susan with their chopsticks and eats it straight from there. Sometimes it is ok to use a spoon or other utensil that does not go into one's mouth, but most of the time that is too time consuming and so just eating everything straight from the centre becomes more natural. To me, it is still kind of awkward to eat from the same dishes others have touched with their chopsticks, but as long as they are not noticeably sick, I have mostly adapted.
25) The lazy Susans in some of the restaurants are super neat and make things very easy, since no one has to ask for a dish to be passed.
26) Most of the time, paying in cash is preferred, and only a limited number of places take cards. Also, when paying in cash, exact change is preferred over having to give change.
27)
2) Honking here is a communication tool. It can be used to signal to other drivers about something, but it is also used to tell people to get out of the way. That would be fine, to me, except that the person blocking the road or not paying attention to the road will honk back.
3) Almost ever car has a charm hanging from the rear view mirror.
4) Most people use a cross-stick method of using chopsticks. Rather than having the sticks be parallel, most people will cross them to pick up things.
5) No one leaves a tip for the food.
6) Because one cannot drink the tap water, bottled water is incredibly inexpensive. There are also clean water taps everywhere so people can fill their water bottles.
7) There is no dessert at restaurants. You can buy ice cream in shops, but as a rule, Chinese people do not eat dessert as part of a meal.
8) In the supermarket, people are pushy, so if you are waiting your turn, they will cut in front of you.
9) Money is handled in a "hybrid" kind of way between Japanese and American. Putting the money down on the counter is normal and acceptable when you are paying for items, but handing the money straight to the cashier is also acceptable. Receiving change is done directly from hand to hand, not set down again on the counter.
10) Trash is left anywhere. No one really thinks much about litter and so there is a lot of trash on the streets. There are also piles of decomposing trash just randomly around, so some areas smell worse than others.
11) There really is no drinking age, or enforced regulation. Beer is often cheap (unless you go to a high-end bar) and other alcohols are sold in many convenience stores.
12) The roads here are like America, where everyone stays to the right.
13) There are bike lanes on almost all the streets, some of which are blocked off from motor traffic. However, electric bikes are allowed in the bike lane, so people on regular bikes have to be wary of them.
14) More and more people are getting electric bikes. They range from 2000 yuan to 5000 (new).
15) There is often more than one person on a bike. Oftentimes a couple will be on a bike and the guy is pedaling whilst the girl is sitting on the back of the bike. More often this is done on the electric bikes. Whole families will share rides as well, especially mothers with their child(ren).
16) There are feral cats and dogs that roam around the streets. Most are afraid of humans, despite living so close to them, and the Chinese people just ignore them.
17) Chinese people are nice and helpful, but can be pushy and forceful, especially when it comes to food. It is normal for someone to cut in line if one is being patient and not standing one's ground in line.
18) Public toilets are pay toilets. They also do not have toilet paper or much in the way of washing up afterwards. Having hand sanitizer is a must.
19) Girls' fashion is quite interesting. (I will make a blog post about it). They show off their legs and many wear heels or sandals. However, their upper body is covered and there is not a lot of low-cut clothing.
20) Girls use umbrellas for shade, so they avoid as much direct sunlight on them as possible.
21) It is common to see people on the street asking for empty plastic bottles. There is a small deposit for bottles, so some people will go around looking in trash piles for bottles.
22) There are lots of e-bikes here. Most women will wear these hand cover things, which look like oven mitts. To me, that makes sense to have in the winter, but right now, it does not make much sense. They also have these visors that cover the entire face.
23) People here are much more aggressive and pushy. If you are just standing, waiting patiently, they will cut in front of you. If you are getting money out and the person behind you has exact change, they will hand their money to the cashier and leave. If you are in their way, most of the time, they will shove you gently for you to move.
24) At dinners, everyone just takes food from the lazy Susan with their chopsticks and eats it straight from there. Sometimes it is ok to use a spoon or other utensil that does not go into one's mouth, but most of the time that is too time consuming and so just eating everything straight from the centre becomes more natural. To me, it is still kind of awkward to eat from the same dishes others have touched with their chopsticks, but as long as they are not noticeably sick, I have mostly adapted.
25) The lazy Susans in some of the restaurants are super neat and make things very easy, since no one has to ask for a dish to be passed.
26) Most of the time, paying in cash is preferred, and only a limited number of places take cards. Also, when paying in cash, exact change is preferred over having to give change.
27)