I’m assuming that by now you have discovered that China is a bit different from your home country. Whether you come from the United States, England, Australia, or any other country that isn’t China, chances are you’ve witnessed things that you just can’t get at home. Unabashed spitting in public? Check. Smoking on elevators? Check. China is a place unlike any other, and you’re reminded of this everyday. So read on for some of my favorite ways in which China is truly one-of-a-kind.

1) 2,000 year-old relics – right next to a Starbucks

Where else can you visit an ancient Buddhist temple, only to gaze beyond the walls and see that pervasive coffee sign that symbolizes our modern age? The contrast between old and new has been a constant source of tension in China for centuries. How much emphasis should be put on the past, on protecting ancient artifacts and historical sites? How much room should be made for new development, for the towering skyscrapers and factories that make this country run? With such a long, rich history, these kinds of questions cannot be easily answered. But sometimes it’s the questions themselves that can provide some striking beauty right in the heart of city – I was reminded of this the other day while visiting Jing’An Temple in Shanghai. While enjoying the serenity and calmness of such a place, all you have to do is peer over the temple walls to come face to face with the reality of modern China.

2) Unrestricted use of fireworks

As Chinese New Year ends and normal working hours prevail once again, I thought this would be a rather appropriate entry to the list. While certain places, especially inside the city, are supposedly “firework free” zones, did anyone actually witness people being turned away while lighting fireworks? Yeah, me neither. The multi-colored bursts of light, the relentless booming of noisemakers, the ear-piercing whistle of those spiral varieties –are all fair game in the country that invented these things.

3) The chance to bargain – for just about everything

Sure, you go to places such as Tao Bao or the fabric market expecting to negotiate prices. That’s part of the, ahem, “fun” of going there (personally, I have no stomach for bargaining, which is probably why I never buy any non-essentials…). But after having lived here for a while, I’ve come to realize that almost everything – and I do mean everything - can be bargained for. Food? Name them a price. A bouquet of flowers? Never as much as they first offer. Even taxi fares (especially to the Pudong airport!) can be negotiated if they go “off the meter.” This will make it very difficult when I go back home and can’t talk my way down to a lower price at the grocery store…

 

 

4) The socially accepted practice of wearing your pyjamas out in public

The first time I saw someone walking around in full out pyjamas (you know the kind I’m talking about – the matching top and bottom, sometimes even with matching slippers!), I swore to myself that I, too, would one day traipse around the city in my sleeping gear. I haven’t managed it yet, but I know some friends who have. They say it’s actually quite liberating. I would imagine so – in such a fashion-conscious city like Shanghai, where I see girls prancing around in taffeta dresses at three in the afternoon on a weekday, it was a bit shocking to me to see people utterly uninhibited by the typical social norms. Word is that the government’s going to make this practice illegal during the Expo in another attempt to take away all the individuality of the city – so walk around in your pyjamas while you can!

5) Forget Waffle House – chicken foot is the new hangover food

After a late night with friends, we decided to head out at 4:00am to grab some food, hoping to prevent the wicked hangover we knew would be coming. We stopped by a local restaurant and ordered… chicken feet. Oh yes, the typical hangover food is still available in Shanghai – there are plenty of places open late to grab your greasy hamburger or soggy French fries – but there is no way that things like chicken feet would be an accepted item of hangover food in my home country. Nor, probably, would the beef tongue or frog that was also available on the menu. So next time you’re gnawing on a spicy chicken foot at 4:00 in the morning and you’re asking yourself, “Whatever happened to good ol’ pancakes and eggs in the middle of the night?”, remember – you’re in China. Just go with it.

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Related links:

What I Will and Won’t Miss About China
3 Things I Misunderstood About Chinese People Before I Came Here
Side By Side: Expat Life in China and the Latin World Compared

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