The Traffic: At first look it can only be described as complete chaos!! However as the trip went on we came to appreciate this confusion as a very intricate balance of give take. And admiringly only saw a total of 2 vehicle accidents the whole time! Ironically this makes the Chinese very good drivers in my eyes – they have to be to survive the mess they call intersections!!
The Smells: The smell of the outdoors changes with every step you take. One minute it’s the pleasant fragrance of fresh cut flowers or the local tea shop, the next it’s of roasted squid on a stick, and urine in the gutters. The pollution was worse in some cities than others, but the smells were everywhere!
The Street Markets: Such a blast of energy all smashed in to 4 or 5 blocks. Little “booths” of whatever you could imagine that are put up and taken down every day or night. A bargaining Know-how is a must before entering any of these locations (Thanks Dale!!)
The Villages: Such a different lifestyle altogether! And a dying lifestyle too. The closeness of the houses and the neighbors, the dinners of rice, pork, egg, and peanuts wrapped in bamboo leaves. And the unquestionable loyalty of those who continue to support their homeplace decades after leaving it.
The Food: Authentic Chinese food includes No-Trimmings Meat (skin on, heads on, bone-in), Fabulous teas, Fried Rice that melts in your mouth, and Learning that you can eat rice and noodles with Chopsticks!! And the most horrendous food of the trip – Not the scorpions on a stick, no, it was the HOT POT!!!
The Bathrooms: Toilets consist of a bowl that sits IN the ground – the edges are flush with the floor and you stand on the sides and squat. See Picture in Hong Kong Album. Oh, and very few public restrooms supply toilet paper for you.
The Signs: Funny Translations like: Forbidden to step here, Refuse to sit on, etc. Along with pictures of weird things like people getting hit by cars! Also, signs for things that seem odd to our culture, like Air-raid shelters and spitting, but are perfectly normal for the Chinese. And lastly, translations that come out as bad or funny words to us!
The Parks: City parks are everywhere!! They are filled with beautiful tropical plants, gardens, and gathering areas. These parks are used constantly by Many people. Every time we went to a park, early, afternoon, evening, there were always a ton of people dancing, singing, performing, doing Tai Chi, playing games, etc. The parks are the life of the party!! Plenty to do, and even more to watch!!
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