Chinese customs shocked me at first, but you get used to them. There are about 23 million permanent residents in Shanghai, and then about 4 million transients (people like me), so there is very little regard for personal space. People push each other to get where they're going, disregard queues, and never apologize for brushing by you. I learned how to say "excuse me" in Mandarin, and used it for about a week before I just gave up. There don't seem to be real traffic rules and every time I hop in a cab, I make sure to sit in the back because I can't handle looking at the action. Drivers disregard lanes, oncoming traffic, and just assume that if they get in your way you will move. The lights turn yellow before turning green so
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