Final thoughts on China

Jasmine tea is everywhere - many Chinese walk around with a few tea leaves in small Thermoses. When they finish the tea, they refill the bottle from hot water dispensers are in almost any room and drink another cup.

Waiting in line is practically unheard of - its a cultural thing. The idea of waiting behind someone else for anything when you could just walk around to the front is completely foreign to many Chinese. This results in a lot of chaos and elbows at train stations, tourist attractions and anywhere else a line might form. It's a bit strange at first but eventually you get used to being practically bowled over by little old ladies in the grocery store.

Despite efforts to crack down on spitting in the wake of the SARS outbreak and in the run up to the Olympics, its still happens all the time and everywhere. One of my bunkmates on a train ride casually spit on the floor of our common area without looking - I took my shoes to bed with me that night.

Chinese babies rarely wear diapers. Most baby pants have a slit down the back side and mothers simply open this up when their children need to go to the bathroom. This happens everywhere, in the streets, on the sidewalk, or even in a bus. Its a disgusting practice but the Chinese, for the most, part accept or ignore it.

Far from being a taboo conversation topic, diarrhea is openly discussed even with complete strangers. I've found using it as an excuse is a great way to get rid of unwanted salesmen even when I'm feeling fine.

Finally, not many people in China speak English - since I can't speak Chinese I played a lot of impromptu games of charades. I only mention this to note that most of the Chinese people I encountered were very friendly, helpful, and willing to work to get through the language barrier.