You Know You Are in China When...
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Sometimes in the Ringy group, the Ringy volunteers talk about cultural differences between China and the West. Here are a few of the things that we have noticed about the Chinese that may be surprising to somebody from a different culture:
1. Chinese people think cold water is bad for you especially for ladies!
Ringy Agent Chloe: We were brought up with this. Cold water does make my stomach sick, though.
2. Old Chinese people play Chinese chess (xiang qi 象棋) , do Taichi, and dance in large groups in public places. They look like Xiangqi Masters, Kungfu Masters or even Dancing Masters!
Ringy Agent See-saw: Playing Xiangqi at home won't satisfy a Xiangqi Master. A battle on the street can draw more people's attention and they get to play with more people! It's the best way to learn Xiangqi!
3. They love playing Mahjong and always wait for the fourth person.
Ringy Agent Sarah: I heard that Sichuan people were still playing Mahjong during the earthquake! I wish I could be as relaxed as them...
4. They are okay with asking people who they just met about their salary or their rent.
Ringy Agent Swan: Sometimes we're just curious about the market value in that area or that job.
5. They'll often make the "peace" sign in pictures.
Ringy Agent Cheney: You'll also likely hear Chinese people shouting "yeah!" when they take a group picture and the peace sign expresses their happiness perfectly with the smily face of 'yeah.'
6. Love stinky tofu and animal organs.
Sometimes you'll find something in the food that you can barely recognize. When you finally realize what it is, you'll either laugh or freak out. It could be a hen's head, fish head, a shaved rabbit head, chicken feet, or some other unpleasant part of an animal...
Ringy Agent Sandra: They are so delicious! If I'm in a new country, the first thing I'll want to do is try some food that I can't find in China - no matter how weird it is! It will be a waste of a chance if you don't try new stuff in a different culture.
7. Chinese are the best at cutting in front of you, no matter where you are, regardless of where the line sign points.
Ringy Agent Mark: People got used to fighting for limited resources during the Cultural Revolution, so standing in line is something that has disappeared a long time ago.
8. Keeping plastic shopping bags at home.
Ringy Agent Nancy: We only keep the clean bags. We don't like wasting resources, and it's also convenient for when you need a bag to take things out.
Ringy Agent Sarah: It's a waste to throw them away instead of recycling them, and they take a really long time to biodegrade.
9. Praising other families' children and criticizing their own children.
Ringy: We are used to it. 'Other families' children' are always the best. If there is only one enemy in the word, that's it. [Nose Pick]
10. The most commongreeting phrase is "Have you had a meal?"
(Once a time I bumped into the girl I like at the entrance of the toliet. I was too shy and too excited to say anything. At the end I said nothing right but this:"Did you eat?" ....After that day the girl neve talked to me anymore. T_T)
Ringy Agent Mark: China used to have a hard time when people were always short of food. So people greeted others by asking if they have eaten yet. It's just like British people like to talk about weather.
11. Be obsessed with number 6 or 8 meanwhile 4 is a number that people avoid seeing.
Ringy: In Chinese, the number 4 is unlucky because it sounds just like the word death. The number 8 is considered lucky because it sounds like "booming."
12. The famous Asian Squat. Chinese are the true squatting master. Men or women, on the street or in the metro, people are squatting everywhere!
Ringy Agent Lambert: It's like resting your legs and sitting in the air, another type of Kungfu haha.
Besides these, there are many other differences between Chinese and Westerners. We just listed a few that we could think of. Leave us your comments to tell us what SURPRISED you when you first got to this new land!
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