Second Nature, Part One: 5 Habits You Pick Up In China
This is not the first time I've been to China.
The first time I came was for five weeks in the summer of 2016 with an organization called ELIC. After a week of orientation in Beijing, my six-person team taught two 10-day English camps for High Schoolers: one in Wujin, Changzhou and one in Changsha. Now as I've returned to China for not even a full month yet, I've found myself already falling back into the habits I barely got comfortable with last summer. Somehow it's just familiar enough to make the transition a little smoother.
Never been to China before? Going to China for the first time and curious as to what to expect culturally? Here's a quick list of some habits you'll likely pick up (or be forced to pick up) in your first few weeks in country.
This one's kind of a no-brainer. The Chinese have been eating almost exclusively with chopsticks for thousands of years, so it makes sense that expats will have to learn how to use these utensils, too. Basically every restaurant you'll go to will give you chopsticks to eat with, minus a few foreign-based establishments (if you can successfully eat a Big Mac with chopsticks, then you have my respect). Definitely expect to use chopsticks every time you go to a Chinese national's house, and also expect to be asked by your Chinese friends or coworkers if you can actually use chopsticks. They're very supportive and pretty impressed when expats use chopsticks, so don't be afraid to try.
That being said, chopsticks aren't always the most intuitive. They take a lot of practice, and different foods sometimes require different "techniques" to pick up. You'll probably find at first that you'll need to stab jiaozi (dumplings) a little in order to successfully pick them up, or use a shovel method for rice. Observe the nationals you're eating with or even ones at the next table over, be patient, and be willing to laugh at yourself when you drop things. The Chinese are an understanding people. They'll encourage your efforts and give you tips (sometimes whether you ask for them or not). Before you know it, you'll be using chopsticks like a pro. You may even momentarily forget how to use a fork when you return home.
Long story short, you can't approach a Chinese crosswalk like a North American or a European one. In Western culture, the pedestrian has the right of way. As long as there's somebody in the crosswalk, all cars must stop and wait until the person has crossed. If a pedestrian gets hit in the crosswalk it's basically always the driver's fault.
Not so in China. At all.
This isn't to say that they don't have crosswalks (they do) or that they don't have stoplights (they totally do), it's more like:
1. You can use the crosswalk, but technically you don't have to. Jaywalking's not a crime here.
2. It's safest to go when the green pedestrian light is on, but that's also kind of relative.
3. If you can make it - even if the pedestrian light is red - do it.
4. If you can't make it, you can go halfway and just stand on the yellow line until you can finish crossing.
5. If you get hit (even in the crosswalk), it's basically always your fault.
6. Watch out for buses who don't really seem to care if they cream you and people on scooters.
7. Actually, just watch out for everybody and everything at all times.
8. If you're scared, follow closely behind a Chinese national until you get the hang of it.
9. If you're not a little scared, you will be.
10. If you don't have any common sense, you'll get it sooner rather than later.
Basically, chuck almost everything you know about crossing the street in Western culture out the window, be smart (still look both ways), and "I think we can make it. I'm going for it! Please, please, please don't hit me! AAAAAAAAAH!" (But in your head, please. Not out loud.)
Living in China Rule #1: Drink lots of water.
This is especially the case if you're living in a humid area, and it's absolutely critical if you're living in or visiting one of the Seven Furnace Cities: Chongqing, Wuhan, Nanjing, Changsha, Hangzhou, and Shanghai. The first three (Chongqing, Wuhan, and Nanjing) are the worst as far as "hot and oppressively humid summer weather" goes. If you're planning on visiting or living in any of those seven cities, please drink at least two full bottles of water a day all year, and more if you're there during the summers. Dehydration is a nasty thing that you really don't want to deal with, especially since it's so easily avoidable.
Not planning on being anywhere near the Furnace Cities? You're still going to need to get in the habit of having drinking water always on hand. This is mainly due to the smog and air pollution, which is somehow a bit more bearable with plenty of water to drink.
Living in China Rule #2: Do. Not. Drink. The. Water. Ever.
But you just said--?
I did, but consider this:
Chinese tap water is uber-super unhealthy. I don't know exactly what's in it, but it's nasty and will most likely give you some kind of sickness or infection if you drink it unfiltered. The nice thing, though, is that drinkable water is still easily found. You can buy bottles of water at your local convenience and grocery stores or at many restaurants pretty cheaply. If you're living here long term, consider investing in a filtered water cooler or in a sink-mounted filter for your own tap. Even boiling it over a stove for a few minutes works if you're desperate.
Worth noting: the Chinese will never offer you unfiltered, unsafe water (I mean, unless they're trying to kill you in a really unconventional manner). They know their unfiltered water is gross and unsafe for consumption, so they won't give you anything they wouldn't drink themselves.
Also worth noting: though Chinese tap water is undrinkable (unless you like going to the hospital), it's safe to wash in and to use for cleaning dishes. Just try not to get too much of the shower water in your mouth and you should be fine.
If you are Caucasian, African, Hispanic, or any other non-Chinese/Japanese/Korean ethnicity you will feel like you've become a kind of living, breathing exhibit in China. You will stick out like a sore thumb and be noticed immediately basically everywhere you go.
Going to the grocery store? Some Chinese lady is following you around, peering very obviously into your cart to see what you're buying.
Going to a restaurant? Suddenly the line's longer behind you because, hey, if the foreigner likes the food then it must be good, right? The teenage girls at the table beside you are probably also taking pictures of you to send to their friends.
Just walking down the street? Some kid is pointing at you and saying, "Wai guo ren" ("foreigner"). Everyone you pass is looking at you, and if you make eye contact it's going to be more awkward for you. Some of the older people are also talking about you, and the only reason you know that is because you caught the word for "foreigner" as you passed them.
On public transportation? More awkward eye contact, more people trying to be inconspicuous as they take a quick video or picture of you (and they could definitely try harder in the sneakiness department), and the people next to you are probably eavesdropping on your conversation (especially if you're speaking English) and not doing a very good job of hiding it.
Your experiences will always be a little different depending on where you are in China. The more expats live in one area, the less likely you are to be noticeable. The nationals will be used to seeing "your type" around. The farther out you go, especially if you go to the rural areas that have basically never seen a non-Asian before, the more noticeable you'll be. Even so, amongst all the uniformity you still look different from them, and there will always be people who are going to stare. I would dare say that 95% of the time they mean no harm. The Chinese are a very kind, hospitable people who will help you if they see you need it and will greatly appreciate it when you try to incorporate their language and culture into your daily life and how you interact with them. Of course, there are some who hate Americans, hate Germans, or hate people from any other culture, country, or religion than themselves, but you're going to find people like that everywhere in the world. Thankfully they're a small minority
And the pictures and videos? They're just sending them to their friends, usually with a caption like, "Look at this pretty foreigner on the subway today!" or "I wonder what country he's from?" Learn to have fun with it. Smile at them when you catch them trying to take your picture, wave to the little kids who run up and point at you. You'll get used to it eventually. At the same time, though, don't use your newfound "fame" to get away with things or to impose yourself on others. Whatever ethnicity you are, you're a regular person just like they are.
Plus, you'll soon discover that you've developed your own "Foreigner Radar." You'll catch a glimpse of blonde hair out of the corner of your eye or hear someone speaking Spanish, and it'll stick out to you like you wouldn't believe. It's actually a really great way to get to know new people, both national Chinese and expats.
China is still very much a cash society, which makes sense since they've been using paper money for thousands of years. Credit cards aren't really a thing here. You will find some places that will take credit cards, but most still won't. Little "mom and pop" style shops definitely won't.
Don't want to carry cash around all the time? Well, you probably still should carry some just in case, but if you've got a Chinese bank account and a working cell phone you can hook them up using apps like Alipay and WeChat Pay. These apps sync to your bank account and basically turn your smartphone into a credit card. A lot of places do accept Alipay and WeChat pay, and some places accept smartphone payments exclusively. Still, China runs on cash, so it's best to break and carry around a couple hundred RMB everywhere than to be stuck somewhere money-less. Just make sure you know where your wallet or purse is at all times. Pickpocketing is a worldwide problem, even in China.
And there you have it: five habits you'll be picking up pretty quickly on your trip to mainland China. Obviously some of these you'll encounter sooner or more obviously than others depending on who you are (if you're ethnically Chinese or not, for instance), how long you'll be in China (one week vs. one year), and where you are in China (expat central vs. small town).
The moral of the story is to be smart and enjoy your time here. China is a great country with great people. Don't let your annoyance at people sneaking pictures of you or your insatiable desire for everyone to cross the street like "normal" people do overshadow your time here. Expat life is about being flexible, and the sooner you embrace that the better your experience will be.
The first time I came was for five weeks in the summer of 2016 with an organization called ELIC. After a week of orientation in Beijing, my six-person team taught two 10-day English camps for High Schoolers: one in Wujin, Changzhou and one in Changsha. Now as I've returned to China for not even a full month yet, I've found myself already falling back into the habits I barely got comfortable with last summer. Somehow it's just familiar enough to make the transition a little smoother.
Never been to China before? Going to China for the first time and curious as to what to expect culturally? Here's a quick list of some habits you'll likely pick up (or be forced to pick up) in your first few weeks in country.
1. How Do These Things Work?
This one's kind of a no-brainer. The Chinese have been eating almost exclusively with chopsticks for thousands of years, so it makes sense that expats will have to learn how to use these utensils, too. Basically every restaurant you'll go to will give you chopsticks to eat with, minus a few foreign-based establishments (if you can successfully eat a Big Mac with chopsticks, then you have my respect). Definitely expect to use chopsticks every time you go to a Chinese national's house, and also expect to be asked by your Chinese friends or coworkers if you can actually use chopsticks. They're very supportive and pretty impressed when expats use chopsticks, so don't be afraid to try.
That being said, chopsticks aren't always the most intuitive. They take a lot of practice, and different foods sometimes require different "techniques" to pick up. You'll probably find at first that you'll need to stab jiaozi (dumplings) a little in order to successfully pick them up, or use a shovel method for rice. Observe the nationals you're eating with or even ones at the next table over, be patient, and be willing to laugh at yourself when you drop things. The Chinese are an understanding people. They'll encourage your efforts and give you tips (sometimes whether you ask for them or not). Before you know it, you'll be using chopsticks like a pro. You may even momentarily forget how to use a fork when you return home.
2. Run, Kid, Run!
Long story short, you can't approach a Chinese crosswalk like a North American or a European one. In Western culture, the pedestrian has the right of way. As long as there's somebody in the crosswalk, all cars must stop and wait until the person has crossed. If a pedestrian gets hit in the crosswalk it's basically always the driver's fault.Not so in China. At all.
This isn't to say that they don't have crosswalks (they do) or that they don't have stoplights (they totally do), it's more like:
1. You can use the crosswalk, but technically you don't have to. Jaywalking's not a crime here.
2. It's safest to go when the green pedestrian light is on, but that's also kind of relative.
3. If you can make it - even if the pedestrian light is red - do it.
4. If you can't make it, you can go halfway and just stand on the yellow line until you can finish crossing.
5. If you get hit (even in the crosswalk), it's basically always your fault.
6. Watch out for buses who don't really seem to care if they cream you and people on scooters.
7. Actually, just watch out for everybody and everything at all times.
8. If you're scared, follow closely behind a Chinese national until you get the hang of it.
9. If you're not a little scared, you will be.
10. If you don't have any common sense, you'll get it sooner rather than later.
Basically, chuck almost everything you know about crossing the street in Western culture out the window, be smart (still look both ways), and "I think we can make it. I'm going for it! Please, please, please don't hit me! AAAAAAAAAH!" (But in your head, please. Not out loud.)
3. Water, Water Everywhere
 |
| Nongfu Spring (red) and C'estbon (green) are the best. |
This is especially the case if you're living in a humid area, and it's absolutely critical if you're living in or visiting one of the Seven Furnace Cities: Chongqing, Wuhan, Nanjing, Changsha, Hangzhou, and Shanghai. The first three (Chongqing, Wuhan, and Nanjing) are the worst as far as "hot and oppressively humid summer weather" goes. If you're planning on visiting or living in any of those seven cities, please drink at least two full bottles of water a day all year, and more if you're there during the summers. Dehydration is a nasty thing that you really don't want to deal with, especially since it's so easily avoidable.
Not planning on being anywhere near the Furnace Cities? You're still going to need to get in the habit of having drinking water always on hand. This is mainly due to the smog and air pollution, which is somehow a bit more bearable with plenty of water to drink.
Living in China Rule #2: Do. Not. Drink. The. Water. Ever.
But you just said--?
I did, but consider this:
Chinese tap water is uber-super unhealthy. I don't know exactly what's in it, but it's nasty and will most likely give you some kind of sickness or infection if you drink it unfiltered. The nice thing, though, is that drinkable water is still easily found. You can buy bottles of water at your local convenience and grocery stores or at many restaurants pretty cheaply. If you're living here long term, consider investing in a filtered water cooler or in a sink-mounted filter for your own tap. Even boiling it over a stove for a few minutes works if you're desperate.
Worth noting: the Chinese will never offer you unfiltered, unsafe water (I mean, unless they're trying to kill you in a really unconventional manner). They know their unfiltered water is gross and unsafe for consumption, so they won't give you anything they wouldn't drink themselves.
Also worth noting: though Chinese tap water is undrinkable (unless you like going to the hospital), it's safe to wash in and to use for cleaning dishes. Just try not to get too much of the shower water in your mouth and you should be fine.
4. All Eyes On You
If you are Caucasian, African, Hispanic, or any other non-Chinese/Japanese/Korean ethnicity you will feel like you've become a kind of living, breathing exhibit in China. You will stick out like a sore thumb and be noticed immediately basically everywhere you go.Going to the grocery store? Some Chinese lady is following you around, peering very obviously into your cart to see what you're buying.
Going to a restaurant? Suddenly the line's longer behind you because, hey, if the foreigner likes the food then it must be good, right? The teenage girls at the table beside you are probably also taking pictures of you to send to their friends.
Just walking down the street? Some kid is pointing at you and saying, "Wai guo ren" ("foreigner"). Everyone you pass is looking at you, and if you make eye contact it's going to be more awkward for you. Some of the older people are also talking about you, and the only reason you know that is because you caught the word for "foreigner" as you passed them.
On public transportation? More awkward eye contact, more people trying to be inconspicuous as they take a quick video or picture of you (and they could definitely try harder in the sneakiness department), and the people next to you are probably eavesdropping on your conversation (especially if you're speaking English) and not doing a very good job of hiding it.
Your experiences will always be a little different depending on where you are in China. The more expats live in one area, the less likely you are to be noticeable. The nationals will be used to seeing "your type" around. The farther out you go, especially if you go to the rural areas that have basically never seen a non-Asian before, the more noticeable you'll be. Even so, amongst all the uniformity you still look different from them, and there will always be people who are going to stare. I would dare say that 95% of the time they mean no harm. The Chinese are a very kind, hospitable people who will help you if they see you need it and will greatly appreciate it when you try to incorporate their language and culture into your daily life and how you interact with them. Of course, there are some who hate Americans, hate Germans, or hate people from any other culture, country, or religion than themselves, but you're going to find people like that everywhere in the world. Thankfully they're a small minority
And the pictures and videos? They're just sending them to their friends, usually with a caption like, "Look at this pretty foreigner on the subway today!" or "I wonder what country he's from?" Learn to have fun with it. Smile at them when you catch them trying to take your picture, wave to the little kids who run up and point at you. You'll get used to it eventually. At the same time, though, don't use your newfound "fame" to get away with things or to impose yourself on others. Whatever ethnicity you are, you're a regular person just like they are.
Plus, you'll soon discover that you've developed your own "Foreigner Radar." You'll catch a glimpse of blonde hair out of the corner of your eye or hear someone speaking Spanish, and it'll stick out to you like you wouldn't believe. It's actually a really great way to get to know new people, both national Chinese and expats.
5. Make It Rain (Don't Actually)
China is still very much a cash society, which makes sense since they've been using paper money for thousands of years. Credit cards aren't really a thing here. You will find some places that will take credit cards, but most still won't. Little "mom and pop" style shops definitely won't.Don't want to carry cash around all the time? Well, you probably still should carry some just in case, but if you've got a Chinese bank account and a working cell phone you can hook them up using apps like Alipay and WeChat Pay. These apps sync to your bank account and basically turn your smartphone into a credit card. A lot of places do accept Alipay and WeChat pay, and some places accept smartphone payments exclusively. Still, China runs on cash, so it's best to break and carry around a couple hundred RMB everywhere than to be stuck somewhere money-less. Just make sure you know where your wallet or purse is at all times. Pickpocketing is a worldwide problem, even in China.
And there you have it: five habits you'll be picking up pretty quickly on your trip to mainland China. Obviously some of these you'll encounter sooner or more obviously than others depending on who you are (if you're ethnically Chinese or not, for instance), how long you'll be in China (one week vs. one year), and where you are in China (expat central vs. small town).
The moral of the story is to be smart and enjoy your time here. China is a great country with great people. Don't let your annoyance at people sneaking pictures of you or your insatiable desire for everyone to cross the street like "normal" people do overshadow your time here. Expat life is about being flexible, and the sooner you embrace that the better your experience will be.
Soli Deo Gloria!
- Chrisi -
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