Wandering Secrets

Most of what amazes us in China comes from these little daily habits we don’t notice until someone makes them in a different way. China is full of little differences, shocking, funny, clever and sometimes disgusting to an occidental eye. Nevertheless the ancestral China is present in all its people habits, now dissappearing with the merging of our cultures but still present in most of the country outside the main cities.

Sure when we are past that, we realise that the funny thing is actually understanding that what we do make them laugh, shock them or make them feel disgusted…

All in all, whatever way we do it, we do it for the same goal. Makes me think, in the end, deep down in our primitive self, we are the same.

Eating

I often wonder, without looking into it, how we came to eat with a fork whereas the other half of the world uses chopsticks. I understand eating with the hand as being a different way to eat the same food. I also understand how chopsticks came to be used; I picture peasants looking for something to grab the food, finding a small wooden stick and thinking” If I used two, I wouldn’t have to touch the food” and bam! That gets you to chopsticks. But these little bamboo sticks are specifically adapted to Asian food, as you know. Difficult to eat a steak with them. My question is, what came first? Choping the food or the instrument? Why did they decide to chop the food? Because eating was wasted time? (They still east incredibly fast today, without enjoying whatsoever while eating)

Blowing your nose

Those who have been here know what I’m talking about. On one side we use tissues, on the other we don’t use anything. One side is horrified at the other keeping bacteria in the pocket, the others want to faint when they see what comes out of a stranger’s nose.

Natural needs

In small cities and in the country side, this is what you will see countless times a day. For months I have wondered why babies didn’t have diapers, until a statue answered my questions. The concept of the diaper is actually strange, in the way that the baby doesn’t learn how to be independent, or at least it takes longer. At first I also thought diapers were less hygenical than not wearing them, but when you see what the streets are made of, the argument is highly debatable. Originally, the mother would whistle in her baby’s ear to start the process and I think it’s what they still do today.

Please and thank you

Although there are words to express this in Chinese, it seems that using then is obsolete and even funny. Many locals make fun of foreigners for that, saying thank you for what they think is due anyway. Again with my theory that China is but a big ant farm, I believe that these words are not in use because each and everyone has its function, which none of them fail. Meaning, feeding people is his work and function, why would you need to thank him? You are wondering what happens if an any doesn’t do what she’s supposed to? Well, that doesn’t happen. Ever. She will perhaps do a bad job, but she will always do it.

Hanging up the phone.

Why waste your time with useless words? No goodbyes on the phone. Always a hello, never a goodbye. Are you wondering how they finish the conversation? They just hang up. Simple, efficient.

Curiosity

Westerners are like animals to watch at the zoo. Probably because of all these differences listed here, and for other mysterious reasons, watching us living a Chinese life is a huge entertainment. As I said before, people will stare at you for any reason ( or none) Most of the time they will keep silent unless: you use chopsticks and/or you speak Chinese. For some reason those actions will start a general laughter and will be followed by comments on your language or chopsticks skills. ” you hold them in a standard way” ” your Chinese is good ” “your Chinese is horrible!” ( true story). If you take part in the game the next tape will be to take pictures with them. If you don’t, they’ll leave saying ” he’s a foreigner, he can’t speak Chinese”.

“Helloooo please take picture?”

Toilets

Public and hotel toilets in China are squat toilets. In theory more hygenical, it explains why Chinese can squat with their two feet completely touching the ground. It also explains this kind of sign, aimed at Chinese when faced to western toilets:

Each one its habits

Other gigantic difference is that the toilet paper does not go in there toilet, but on a little trash bin placed next to the wc. I sadly still don’t really know why, rumours say that they use the excrements as compost on the fields, but all I’ve noticed so far is that if toilet paper( or women protections) goes in it, there’s a 95% that the toilets get clogged.

Things for women

With the exception of Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Taipei, western women will have difficulties finding everything they are used to. Finding make up, cotton, tampons or wax is like going to a hunt. Plus these items are very expensive here… You wonder how they live? Well, for starters they don’t wear make up, so no cotton is needed; tampons are replaced by sanitary towels and waxing… they don’t. Nor do they shave their armpits, but they actually don’t need it. Chinese women are like that: no cellulite, no hair, slim legs… Easy life.

A year after having set foot in China, I’ve decided to write about Chinese habits but it seems that I really have decided to write about how my life has changed these past months; these habits have become mine ( oh but I still wax!). How natural it has become using squat toilets, throwing the paper in the bin, eating with chopsticks, speaking Chinese… I am Chinese in my own way.