One of the first things you notice about China are the crazy drivers.
To give you a visual, imagine Grand Theft Auto or some sort of racing
game, except everyone drives that way. See a pedestrian? So what.
Wanna get into a lane? Squeeze yourself in without slowing down or
signaling. See those painted lines on the street? What lines? It's
basically kill or be killed; a free-for-all for those that dare. And
bicycles everywhere, and they ride as crazy as people drive. It's
rather scary to walk along the streets of a city. It'd probably be
scarier to drive in such a place. Not that I would have the chance to,
as you would need a license issued in China. But there are taxis in
abundance here. Rates are rather reasonable too, with prices varying
city by city.
 
Prior to coming to China, I had many concerns. Many of which has been
resolved with the recent developments because of the Olympics. One
such concern is that regular toilets are more frequent these days, or
as WIlliam the tour guide called it "the Toilet Revolution". I was
scared to think that I would have to use those squat toilets...
*shivers*
 
Another concern I had was the whole plug/voltage issue. First off, I
had heard that the plugs were different and that people should bring
an adaptor. That's not really much of an issue these days, unless if
you're in the countryside, I suppose. I've yet to use the adaptors
that I've brought with me. One thing I wish I did bring is an adaptor
from the grounded three prong into the standard 2 prong. The second
concern I had was that voltage is double that of the US standard. I
had heard stories of fried laptops and various other appliances
bursting into flames. So I brought a converter with me... I've never
used that either. Reason being is that my laptop and other electronic
devices all are able to withstand 220v. Why didn't I realize to check
that before I got here? I still worry about my laptop though, as these
outlets aren't grounded to my knowledge, so it can still get fried if
there's a power surge. So I charge it when I need to, and leave it
unplugged most of the time.
 
They say that some people can't take the food here, and get bowel
troubles soon after. So prior to the trip, I bought a lot of Tums and
Alka-Seltzer. Maybe because I regularly eat Chinese food or because my
stomach is pretty good with digestion, but I've yet to use either. But
I've only been here for just about 2 weeks, so hopefully I haven't
jinxed myself.
 
I'm still not used to the foreign currency. Probably because I've yet
to buy much of anything. 100 RMB sounds like a lot to me, but it's
about 14 dollars US. Even 7 RMB sounds like a lot, but that's just a
dollar US. And the concept of haggling for stuff doesn't really suit
well with me. I'll need to go with a local to help me. I saw a Mao
pocket watch recently that caught my eye...
 
I feel weird leaving a restaurant without tipping. Supposedly that's a
cultural thing, but with the country adopting many western ideals, I
wonder if some of those stares are thinking about getting tips... I
mean, I still have to tip the bellboy and tour guides.
 
One thing that I wished I had brought along was a bar of soap. What's
the deal with this liquid bath soap? I miss that. I did manage to
bring a razor with me, which I've heard could also be considered a
good welcoming gift for relatives. American razors are top notch,
along with many other things.
 
I was bothered that many eyeglass vendors typically sell their frames
as unisex, so I was very hesitant in getting one for myself. I managed
to get this thin framed glasses that feel like steel or aluminum for
about a $100 US, which includes the exam, frame, and lenses. Not bad.
I plan on getting another pair of glasses back in the states. I'd
rather pay extra for a more fashionable pair there.
 
Everything's measured differently here, which is more to blame on the
states, because much of the world uses the metric system. Roadways,
temperature, food. So that's as foreign to me as the Mandarin that's
posted everywhere as well.
 
The typography around this country is drastically changing. Old
buildings and farmland are quickly being destroyed into condos and
apartment complexes. And yet there's still this feeling of old and
grime that still remains. The colors, at least outside the main
cityscape, are rather muted and faded.
 
You're not supposed to drink from the tap. Much like the unpurified
water system in Mexico, as you're running water into the tub, you'll
see a nice golden color. Mmm... all your assorted minerals.