Oddities about China

Over the course of the past few days I have noticed a few things about China that are in no way similar to life in the States.

• Babies don't wear pants. Well...they do, but all babies were crotchless pants. and I saw a mother instruct her child to pee in a garbage can.
• Babies also have a silly haircuts. They actually do shave their entire head except the front and then put that in a bow. It looks ridiculous.
• People sleep anywhere. These are not homeless people, but everyday working people. They will just lay down on the sidewalk and take naps whenever and wherever they please. It's really ridiculous.
• There is a cat in every restaurant. This one I'm actually thankful for, just because the cats keep mice out.
• Thee are no traffic signals, or at least very few. Whenever you cross a street you kind of just go, and you hope the cars stop. This also applies for intersections between cars going in opposite directions sometimes.
• The right of way in traffic is decided by who has a bigger vehicle. Seriously, this is how it's decided. Trucks can do anything they want, and small cars or bikes will always yield in any circumstance including going the wrong way on the road to the bigger vehicle. This is no joke, and is actually how it works. It's both crazy and scary.
• People create makeshift taxis by attaching a wood box with wheals to their moped. They charge less than regular taxis, but seem to be very dangerous. For the record I've ridden in several of these, and find them to be really fun.
• The homeless are persistent. IN the States if I say no to a beggar they give up, or pursue a little more, but don't fight too hard. Here they see a white person, assume I have money, and follow me for blocks grabbing my arm and pointing towards their mouth. I have literally had to run away from them while they chase me on several occasions, but thankfully I have yet to have to give them anything.
• Similar to the States I see a ton of NBA jerseys. Mostly either McGrady or Yao, but I see a lot more. I think it's really funny how they are all such fans, and love to see them sporting AI or Kobe jerseys.
• There is more pollution here than imaginable. Everywhere, even western "undeveloped" cities have this thick haze around the city. It's really awful.
• This society only accepts cash. It's frustrating and annoying, but they only accept cash, no credit cards.
• People, not just children, pee everywhere. They treat the whole country like a toilet, and it's gross.
• Everything even restaurants are dirty. The only clean looking places I've seen are Western hotels meant to cater to foreign businessmen.
• Everything is food. Dogs, cats, rats, bus, monkeys, placentas from birth, everything is fair game to eat. I was even told, but do not believe, that in some regions you can pay a lot of money and eat aborted fetuses. I can't believe that, but was told it was true.
• Wild animals roam the streets. Dogs, cats, Oxen, goats, chickens, roosters almost anything imaginable just walk around and no one bats an eye.
• Coffee is rare and expensive.
• Water is always served very hot unless bought at a supermarket. No one likes cold water, and restaurants will always just serve you hot water.
• All models in advertisements are white people. Apparently they don't find Oriental people as attractive as Caucasian.
• There is a huge number of disabled people. I was told this was for a many reasons combined. 1) The drinking water isn't good, and causes birth defects 2) People smoke around pregnant people 3) The actual birthing process is of poor quality and many mistakes are made 4) The mass pollution 5) Inbreeding is not as uncommon as it is in Western society 6) Girls give birth at an earlier age, sometimes unhealthily early.
• This is only different from The States, because I think many countries around the world are very similar, and I think that even in some regions of the US this may be the case, but everyone is always smoking. On trans, buses, even the air plains people don't put the cigarettes down. It's really a shame, but I guess it's good for American tobacco farmers.
• In a restaurant they don't serve the food all at once, instead they serve it when each thing is ready.
• They often will make you pay in advanced in restaurants.
• People don't trip their finger nails.
• Everything is negotiable!
• Staring at people different from you is not rude.
• You are instructed to throw away toilet paper in a bin next to the toilet as opposed to flushing it.
• People don't cut their fingernails, and that includes the men. I've seen some nails longer than an inch.
• They love KFC an unhealthy amount.
• There are spontaneous line daces in the streets
• They sell live animals at the markets to eat (most look very sick).
• Outdoor markets sell food, and it's all spoiled and gross.

That's about all I can think of at the moment, but there are so many more I just need to take the time to think of and write down at a latter time. I'm going to just edit this posting so check this periodically as the list will update as I think of more odd things.