Coming from the UK, some of the scenarios you come across and the way of life amongst the Chinese people is vastly different to what we are used to. Some good, nice, amazing to see in everyday life; others just unpleasant, horrid and rude. The habits in which Chinese people have can be quite shocking to what you may be used to. Sadly, you are likely to pick up these habits that are embedded into the Chinese culture and lifestyle, it comes natural after a while. So natural that you don't realise you have become a part of that culture yourself.
The Chinese lifestyle, I think, is commonly known to be quite diverse but is shown to be gruesome across the social media. Yes, a lot of this publicised media is true but it does not generalise China as a whole, only some elements.
So what habits do you tend to pick up in this particular lifestyle? (Some of these are not habit but just day-to-day actions you will find yourself doing/seeing.)
- Pushing and Shoving - You get used to it eventually and will find yourself doing it back
- No queuing - Get used to Chinese always cutting in line
- Any rude gesture in public
- Disregarding ALL manners - What even are manners in China?
- Always having a pack of tissues on you - you never know when you will need to go to the toilets, and China toilets never have toilet roll in them
- Almost always carrying your umbrella with you - The weather always takes you by surprise here
- Having more than one transport card - They seem to spontaneously disappear all the time
- Staring wars with the locals - It's like they've never seen a foreigner in their life
- Seeing dogs in better fashion than yourself - It's a little embarrassing
- Getting used to drinking hot water or tea
- Long dreaded taxi journeys
- The classic Chinese street smells - They always catch you by surprise (something I still haven't got used to).
- Squatting toilets - Takes getting used to but after a few practises you will have mastered the squatting position. (Warning: it's twice as hard when you're drunk!)
- Being the only foreigner out of 10000 people
- Invitations to drink with Chinese people at bars/clubs - You don't tend to complain when they give you free champagne
- Late night to early morning KTV (karaoke) sessions
- STREET FOOD.
- Fake alcohol!
- At least one of your friends will be a promoter - Everyone knows a club promoter
- Expensive western food - Sadly it isn't any cheaper than back home
- Creepy taxi drivers
- LADIES NIGHT - Where all ladies get unlimited amount of drinks during a period of time in the night for free, anything better than that?
So there you have it, a few encounters you will have facing the Chinese culture.
Any of these you think are normal/similar to your lifestyle?
