Follow Ups:
Posted by TT Lee on 4:01:01 2/26/2012 from 14.119.9.100:Users of this forum might be interested to know what visiting China is like. Other than the surprising, futuristic skystacrapers 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. 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, Confucianism, feng shui, dresses, rickshaws, golf, jewelry, martial arts, politeness, playing cards, satellite dishes, homosexuality, dancing, boxing, kites, bodyguards, coffins, genealogy, mahjong, tennis, lanterns, tai chi, reincarnation, game consoles, 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 bans bicycles in some cities.
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 little 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 employees stationed in every aisle to promote products and watch customers shop. There are no self-checkouts in supermarkets or self-service gas pumps because Chinese labor is cheaper than technology.
10. Corruption is common due to a lack of ethics in China. Chinese people are generally much more individualistic than countries like Japan.
http://www.economist.com/node/9040393
11. Ironically in a country founded for the workers, employees are barred from organizing independent unions or strikes.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/12/business/worldbusiness/12iht-unions.3141929.html
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 neighborhoods 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 $5000 compared to US $37,800 for the USA.
http://www.worldfactsandfigures.com/gdp_country_desc.php
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, little legal copyright protection, and poor ethics. 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.theage.com.au/news/business/chinas-counterfeit-culture-is-quite-an-education/2007/03/27/1174761469475.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/FCDF91AE9116711C8625730A00124C4E?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 cabinets, drawers, toilets, doors, faucets, umbrellas, washing machines, phones, lights, TV's, nail clippers, belts, shoes, coats, shirts, pens, lighters, furniture, watches, surge protectors, speakers, clocks, batteries, pans, brooms, necklaces, and pants to not fit or to break in less than six months. Products even fall apart in the store. Stores do not have return policies.
21. Physical fights are more common here.
22. Furniture is very uncomfortable. Beds, stools, and sofas are frequently 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.
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 blocked to stifle freedom and protect Chinese Internet companies.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/24/INJB1BJVJI.DTL
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. Over 30 million people in China were killed or starved to death during the Cultural Revolution and Great Leap Forward.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/16/opinion/16iht-eddikotter16.html
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, making left hand turns from the far right hand lane, and driving on the wrong side of the road or the sidewalk is commonplace. Pedestrians do not have the right of way.
http://articles.latimes.com/2002/mar/24/news/mn-34526
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. Shopping is terrible due to poor selection, small sizes, bad quality, and rampant counterfeiting. Common products like the following are very difficult to find in China:
Deodorant
Dental floss
Underwear
Large clothes
T-shirts
Your Shampoo
Big 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/marjoram/bay leaves/caraway seeds/fennel/
cilantro/sage seasonings
Worcestershire sauce
Frozen pizza
Hamburger buns
Waffles
Toasters
Fish batter
Tartar sauce
Corn dogs
English books
Large bras/condoms/sweatshirts
Tampons
Perfume
Power converters
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/German chocolate/carrot cake
Peanut butter/Oatmeal raisin/Chocolate chip cookies
Cheesecake
Cowboy boots
Bounce dryer sheets
Flour
Vegetable Oil
Cornmeal
Laundry baskets
Pizza cutters
Cake mixers
Dishwashers
Trail mix
Beef jerky
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
Measuring spoons/cups
Butter dishes
Crab rangoon
Red potatoes
Non-alcoholic beer
Mayo
Dr. Pepper
Root beer
Brown sugar
Can openers
Limes
Beets
Charcoal lighter fluid
Potato mashers
Meat hammer tenderizers
Kitty litter
Flea collars
Croissants
Cornbread
3 Musketeers
Twix
Butterfingers
Milky Ways
Baby Ruths
Whiskey
Scotch
Rum
Brandy
Champagne
Vodka
Gin
Tequila
Cognac
Candle holders
Cottage cheese
Sour cream
Brown rice
Shortcake
Texas toast
Corn cob holders
Paper towel holders
Napkin holders
Salt/pepper shakers
Fudge
Pumpkin/apple/cherry/key lime/lemon meringue pie
Onion rings
Poster board
French toast
Apple fritters
Pork loin fritter sandwiches
Hot chocolate
Starbursts
Sherry
Goat cheese
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, Golden Corral, 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 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. Chinese often wear coats inside buildings in the winter.
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. Toll highways rarely have rest stops, hotels, or restaurants. Billboards often advertise factories.
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.
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, traffic, shouting, music, construction, and open windows.
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. Visitors may see five or six people riding 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 and investing in the stock market is risky because of poor accounting practices. Chinese can only purchase the right to use a house for 70 years. Banks pay very low interest rates and are unstable due to bad loans based on government connections instead of risk and reward calculations.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20070316/a_china16.art.htm
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 few big box chain stores like Target, PetsMart, or Pep Boys in China. Parking lots in China are small and almost 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 almost never used 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.html?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 fixed by the government.
http://articles.latimes.com/print/2008/jun/09/business/fi-chinagasoline9
72. Soap operas set in ancient China are constantly on TV.
73. Workers in many restaurants wear slippers, don't wear hats or uniforms, and are even sometimes shirtless. Cooks sometime 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 so Chinese products remain cheap.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/31/AR2010103104433_pf.html
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 refrigerated. 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. Public toilets rarely have towels, hand dryers, or soap.
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/property tax hassles here. Few people pay income taxes in China. Foreigners must pay income taxes on their worldwide income.
http://www.shjize.cn/en/newsshow.asp?ShowId=440&ClassName=Tax%20in%20China
102. Payphones use only cards instead of coins.
103. The news reporting is more upbeat here.
104. The divorce rate is much lower in China than in the USA.
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/peo_div_rat-people-divorce-rate
105. Chinese save 40% of their disposable income compared to 3% in the USA.
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/BUSINESS/11/10/china.credit.debt/index.html
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. Western medicine is very difficult to find and medicine is often fake here. Antibiotics are over-used and prescriptions are not required in China.
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.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/15/world/asia/15china.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1323235555-iaZiFIqjd5NOUx1zeQpR8w
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 tissues and sometimes even have a fee for using sterilized dishes. Most restaurants are not professionally run and will not have everything on the menu. Cheap plastic chairs or stools are used in many restaurants. Many restaurants in China have a TV in the dining room.
Restaurant workers take meal breaks at the same time.
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.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703514904575602731006315198.html
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.
http://www.5thhospital.com/
http://www.northside.com
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. Police cars do not have radar. Chinese usually do not pull over for emergency vehicles like ambulances and fire trucks.
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.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2012712114_traffic25.html
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 almost no jury trials in China.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/09/04/us-china-jury-idUSPEK6621120070904
139. Since websites are blocked, movies are censored, books are often banned and censored, and publishing companies, television stations, and newspapers are state owned, Chinese have difficulty knowing the truth.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4156458.stm
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/07/world/asia/murong-xuecun-pushes-censorship-limits-in-china.html?pagewanted=all#
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 or posted hours.
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, pineapple, and unflavored corn on the cob.
148. China uses international measurements and calendars, but also has a Chinese calendar and measurement system.
149. Child safety is not a priority in China. Child car-seats are not required and medicines do not have have child-proof caps.
150. Chinese often seem to break rules and laws because they cannot vote for them and children are not often disciplined by parents. Children won't care about littering if they aren't told not to do it and they see their parents do it.
151. China persecutes lawyers. Human rights lawyers are sometimes beaten, arrested, and harassed.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-12-10-china-lawyers_N.htm
152. Chinese who complain about the government are often arrested or placed in mental hospitals.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/11/30/china.black.jails/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34119263/ns/world_news-asiapacific/
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/12/world/asia/12psych.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all
153. Most bicycles in China do not have reflectors.
154. Chinese watermelons are small.
155. Many stores in China place stereos outside their doors to blast customers with music.
156. Customers must bring their own bags because grocery stores are not allowed to give customers free plastic bags.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/06/02/us-china-plasticbags-idUSPEK20921220080602
157. There are just 300 helicopters in China compared with 10,000 in the United States.
http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62ecb329d3d7733492d9253a0a0a0/?vgnextoid=f5db69f47ce4b210VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD&ss=Companies&s=Business
158. Users of net cafes must provide identification.
159. China unfairly protects their film industry by only allowing 20 foreign films per year and regulating the amount of time each movie can be shown. Pirated movies are the only way most Chinese can see foreign films.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/20/world/asia/20china.html
160. Public parks in China usually only have green space, kite-flying areas, and sometimes a lake and a mountain. Chinese parks do not have swimming pools, picnic shelters, BBQ grills, or baseball fields.
161. China has no academic freedom.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-28/china-halts-u-s-college-freedom-at-class-door.html
162. The Chinese government is taking land away from farmers and then selling leases to developers.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2011-03-25-chinaland25_ST_N.htm
163. China uses an internal household registration permit system that only allows Chinese to attend free public schools, receive subsidized medical care, have subsidized apartments, apply for passports, get marriage licenses, be issued driver licenses, take college entrance exams, or receive social welfare in their hometowns.
http://www.economist.com/node/16058750
164. Consumers in China contribute 41% of the gross domestic product. Consumer spending makes up 71% of GDP in the USA.
http://www.statesman.com/business/china-makes-a-shift-toward-a-consumer-economy-184729.html
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, airports, 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.
http://www.fuseki.net/home/comparison.html
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/eco_gro_nat_inc_percap-gross-national-income-per-capita
http://www.heritage.org/index/ranking.aspx
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