Merry Christmas!

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There are a lot flavors to life in China that make it a unique experience. So often travellers only share their most epic stories. Here is a list of the little things that make China, China.

Riding a bicycle along with 30 or more mopeds and there being zero noise since they're all electric.

The friendly "hello" from Chinese people using their only English word on a Westerner.

The fun game of charades that occurs while attempting to converse.

The disgusting squatty toilets with water(?) all over the floor, a sink for hand washing and never any soap or hand towel.

The weird tractors with the motor exposed loudly spewing black exhaust that you see everywhere.

Hot water available on the trains to heat up your loose leaf tea (that you brought on board) or your ramen noodles (that you bought on board).

Chinglish EVERYWHERE.

Baby seats on the back of bicycles that are nothing more than a small wicker chair tied with plastic to the rear rack.

Plastic tubs of water with all sorts of fish and other sea life for sale in the street.

Your pickpocket calmly walking away after an unsuccessful pickpocket attempt.

Constant noise everywhere, motors, Chinese music... even the train has a lady speaking Chinese on the loudspeaker virtually the entire ride.

Flagging down a bus in the middle of nowhere as normal practice.

Walking away from an unsuccessful haggle only to have the purveyor chase you down and agree to your lower price.

Never being served water or napkins with your meal at a restaurant.

Being in a mass of people and nobody saying any form of excuse me or seemingly bothered by it. Lines are never formed, only masses pushing forward.

Looking both ways the entire time you cross the street... traffic never really seems to stop anywhere.

In progress and unfinished projects everywhere and people living in these structures.

Meat drying on the same lines as laundry.

Pull tabs on all the cans.

Extra update: I have created an account at http://occipital.com/user/ed62-195324/simon-hess

Click on that link to see all the 360 degree panoramas that I've taken and uploaded with my iphone. They are very cool... a 360 snapshot of where I was standing in different places. Let me know what you think.

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