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You Think You Know But You Have No Idea: CHINA.

• by Lauren Rains
• on February 17th, 2011
• 11 Comments

China is a crazy, crazy place. To this day, even after living there for a full year, I still don’t understand all the things I’ve seen. I still can’t comprehend the big things like why their government does some of the things it does, to the little things like why people walk around backwards clapping all night long.

Part of the craziness of China is the little things you see each day that blow your mind. Most of us know about their economic progress, government status, and pollution issues. But what about the little things?  What about the daily life? I’m talking about the stuff you only see if you spend some time there. The stuff you see if you walk around the narrow streets away from the tourist destinations. The stuff you see that makes you fall in love with the wackiness, randomness, and ridiculousness that China is.

If you’ve been there, you know exactly what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, here’s a glimpse of what you’ll find.

1.) Men In China Have Pet Birds

In America man’s best friend is the dog. In China, its the song bird! Chinese people often go to parks early in the morning with their beautiful handcrafted bird cages to let the birds sing to one another. It’s absolutely amazing to go to The Temple of Heaven in Beijing at 7 AM and experience this.

2.) Modernity mixed with Tradition

When the media tells us that China is growing fast they mean it! However, the juxtaposition created by this transition is the most fascinating part of it all though. You can walk down old neighborhoods of Hutongs in Beijing and then suddenly come upon endless high rises towering over your head in every direction. There’s Tienanmen Square and its surrounding hutongs, and then 2 blocks away is new The Opera House known as The Egg, which looks like a spaceship and glows blue and purple at night! Talk about an identity crisis!

3.) Chinese People Walk Backwards

This is a very common siting. Some believe that by doing this it will help them to correct past mistakes. The first time I saw this I was a bit confused, but by the time I left China I had joined them!

4.) Chinese People Love To Clap

Chinese people often clap at about 2 second intervals repeatedly as they walk, believing it is good for their blood flow. (They’ll also do this on the treadmill at the gym which can be very distracting!)

5.) Everyone Knows The Waltz

You’ll find people waltzing in large groups every single night of the week. They’ll congregate pretty much wherever there is space be it parking lots, parks, or even large underpasses below bridges! This has been a tradition for endless generations.

6.) They Seem Loud, but they can be Peaceful

Women wake up at 5 o’clock AM to do Tai Chi in the morning, even in the coldest January temperatures. You’ll find men and women of all ages standing peacefully with their hands folded behind their backs as they gaze contently for minutes on end at a single flower or blade of grass. For a country that has such problems with pollution, its people have a true respect for at least noticing the beauty of the earth.

7.) Belly-Out-Old-Old -Men

Groups of old men sit outside with their white-beaters on as they rub their bloated bellies and drink Tsingao beer playing mahjon or cards all day and night long.  They play everywhere, all the morning, all day, and all night long. Let me put it this way. If you’re over the age of 60 and are a Chinese man, this is all you do with your time.

8.) Some Will Scream for 30 Minutes Straight

This isn’t insanely common, but you’ll come across it. For instance, every day like clockwork at 4 PM a man not living far from me would stand on his balcony and scream at the top of his lungs. They believe it helps to balance the body and get rid of negative energy. And if you think about it, a good scream can do that. But when it lasts 30 minutes it can get a little annoying if they’re your neighbor!

9;) Chinese People Hike in High Heels

Don’t be surprised to be sweating your ass of on a hike outside of Beijing and be passed by men wearing suits and slacks and women in high heels and blouses. It’s either that or they’ll be decked out in professional hiking gear, walking sticks and all. I still am confused about this to this day.

10.) China Has The Strongest Family Values In The World

Family Values in China > The World. The tradition of respecting and taking good care of one’s parents is so strong in China that even in ancient times (before 1911), for almost two thousand years in China, all officials of the government, no matter how high their rank,  must leave their position and go back home for three years before going back to the government once one of their parents passed away.

11.) China Is Not A Dangerous Place

Let me put it this way: If you commit any kind of crime in China, you’ll probably be put in jail for life. While I was there a man advocating Democracy was sentences to 11 years in jail! And while democracy isn’t dangerous, guns and knives that help people to rob others are. I have never felt safer in my entire life than I did while I was living in Beijing.

12.) Everyone Rocks at Badminton

If you think Chinese people are good at ping-pong, than you should see them at Badminton! Every night around sunset people will go outside and play badminton until it gets too dark to see. I of course bought my own set and attempted to play with them. Let’s just say they were entertained by my so-called “skills”.

GO TO CHINA!

I wrote this in hopes that it might spark your intrigue to at least visit this mysterious country. It’s ancient traditions are fading by the day as modernity takes over. And it’s people are eager to learn from the foreigners that visit. Go while it’s history and culture is still alive and prominent, and go while you can inspire the younger generation to not make some of the mistakes the working generation is making now.

There is no way to understand all that China is and all that China isn’t without setting foot on its land. So, if you’re up for truly discovering some hidden gems in this world, go to China. It’ll be a challenge and an adventure that will change your life for the better forever.

Lauren Rains

Lauren Rains is a crazy, sexy, cool chick on a mission to live a life of abundant adventure, meaning, and substance. She is addicted to the following: WORLD TRAVEL: Experiencing new languages, cute boys, outdoor adventure, crazy transportation, variations on toilets, cultural differences and similarities, crazy food. Everything! WEB 2.0: Web design to social media, she's proud to be a dedicated geek. ENTREPRENEURSHIP: At 12 months she knew she couldn't work for the Machine. WRITING: Check out TheMadtoLive where she blogs about how to live the wild, crazy and meaningful life we're all meant to live! You can also start up a conversation with her about the meaning of life on Twitter at @LaurRains.