China-versary

One year ago, after a slight delay in Hong Kong, we arrived in our new home. April 20th marked our first China-versary.
Lots of things are different than they were a year ago. We've added another human this past year. Our daughter has started speaking Chinese. Our son refers to every Asian man as "Shu-Shu" now.  I can now carry a plastic bag full of eggs (not in a styrofoam carton) on my bike handlebars and arrive home with them all in tact. Yep, we've grown so much.



Within the past year we've experienced many differences between the US of A and the Big Chicken.
What follows is by no means an exhaustive list...by any stretch of the imagination. But just a few things that we've picked up on within our past year. Bear in mind that the B.C. is huge, and our observations are from living in one city among thousands, so things probably vary all across this vast country.

Also remember that we've got the "Big Sister" complex going on with this country. You know, the complex where it's ok if YOU make fun of your little sister, but if someone else dares to, you'll be all up on their grill lettin' em have it. Maybe that seems a little hypocritical. It probably is. So until I learn how to grow up and act like a mature (not-hypocritical) adult, I'll continue to not allow you, dear reader, to poke fun at my new home, all the while I finish my blog post...

-  In America, if you come home to your house on fire, you dial 9-1-1.  In the Big Chicken (where supposedly there are no fires) you would dial 1-1-9.   Not even kidding.

-  In America, people like to have sophisticated-looking, brushed metal appliances.
Exhibit A:

In the B.C., it's the opposite. Your choices of humidifier are either pink elephant or green teletubby.
Exhibit B, my current waffle maker:


-  This concept extends to cars. You'll have Mr. Successful Banker driving his black Lexus with a snoopy steering wheel cover (except it'll probably say Snoppy) and stuff animals in the rear window.

-  In America, when you talk about directions on a map or compass, we say "North, South, East, West."   Here, it's "South, North, West, East."

-  Kids in the B.C. don't play "Hide and Seek." They place "Seek and Hide."

-  In America, come summer time, women slather on the self-tanning lotion to get that summer glow. (at least those of us afraid of cancer but still wanting bronzy skin!)

Here, it's always a bit of a gamble when I buy skin products, besides the point that it's usually in Big Chickenese, but because women here want their skin to be sparkling white! When we come back from Thailand trips, I'm often scolded for letting my skin become slightly darker.

-  In America, when school or work lets out for a holiday, you get yourself a 3-4 day weekend.
Not so here. If school lets out on a weekday, they make it up by having school on Saturday and Sunday.

-  In America, it seems like playgrounds can be found in any and every neighborhood or apartment complex. In the Big Chicken, in any and every neighborhood or apartment complex, exercise equipment for the elderly can be found.  Our apartment complex is fairly new and we just got our token elderly exercise equipment installed. Not a single kid's swing to be found within a mile radius of our home, yet grandma can get fit right outside our door.

(source)

-  In America, you get treated to dinner and birthday cake on your birthday. In China, you treat others to dinner for your birthday.

-  If you stand in line at Best Buy in America and are within 2 feet of the person in front of you, you're probably giving them the creeps and they're thinking that you're trying to steal their PIN code. In the Big Chicken, if you stand more than 4 inches behind the person in line in front of you at the grocery store, you are leaving too large a gap and WILL get cut in line.



While on any given day, these differences might annoy me, they also remind me of how small I am. How insignificant I am. And how my worldview was so limited even just a year ago.
I wonder how many China-versaries it'll take before I'm used to all the differences...if ever.
Regardless of all the differences and flat-out opposites, I'm still maintaining my Big-Sister complex and will defend my new home if the bullies come prowling.

Happy One Year China-versary!