THE WEIRD CHINESE

SPA was the only place
I wanted to go anyways!

I have never been to Asia before, so I was particularly acute to some things that jumped at me as something very weird. As soon as we boarded our China bound train it was clear to me that the Chinese are very hungry people. In our 4 person train compartment our Chinese neighbors took a break from eating only when they were deep asleep, which was from about 9pm to 5am (not exactly my schedule). In the morning, that is before sunrise, we were woken up by the sucking sound of the instant noodles being inhaled by our new friends accompanied by a mortal stench of garlic coming from the hallway, where others were shoving in their breakfast favorites. I am not being mean or condescending when I use such strong verbs as “shove” when I describe these eating habits. In China (at least in Beijing) people are always in a rush and they do not appear to let themselves enjoy eating. They eat not to be hungry and do it as quickly as they can. When it comes to noodles, they “inhale” those suckers very noisily in order to cool them down that way. Why not let them cool in a bowl and then eat normally and without the annoying noises?! Oh, and the spitting….! I have never heard so much and so frequently people want to spit stuff out their mouths. Everyone does it from grown men to young children and women. I don’t know if there are sick all the time or just want to attract attention, but it sound and looks so awful that it is extremely difficult to ignore. I am not judging. I guess “it is not good, it is not bad, it is just different”, but way too different for me…

Emi's beard was the #1 attraction on the Great Wall.

As soon we got off the train in Beijing we were reminded that China is a super over populated giant and the land of competition where only the fittest survive.  The Chinese seem to not see/not care what so ever whether there is something or someone in front of them. Whatever that is that is in front of them is in their way, therefore needs to be moved, pushed or removed out of the way. You pretty much have to walk and do things at the speed of the people around you, unless you want to be run over. When people run into you (they do it all the time) they don’t even look at you, let alone say “I am sorry” or something along these lines. The Chinese will always try to push you out of their way to get into a train car, cut you in line to get into a bus, sneak money to a cashier at a grocery store to get the shopping done faster and so on. It is really, really annoying at first, but then, once you learn that there is no such thing as politely letting someone go first, you realize that you just have to make your way through and you start acting the way the Chinese do and everything starts working out for you.

The Red Hat tour group.

Once we have finally settled in and made our rounds in town plazas, markets and walking streets, I have notices a couple of other interesting things. Most of the younger Beijingers are very fashionable and seem to be a little too obsessed with appearance. Fashion I like very much, and it was a breath of fresh air for me to see some interesting clothing on people after months and months that we have spent in south America and Russia. Nonetheless, men’s fashion seemed a little over done for my taste. Besides the latest fashion in their clothing they are absolutely obsessed with their hair. Oh, you should see those hairdos! That is right, they are not just haircuts, but daily styled hairdos with gel, hair spray and whatever else other hair products. The actual haircuts are really quite good and elaborate the opposite of what you might get at a US Hair Cuttery. But it is not the haircuts, but the amount of attention that they received every time those gentlemen left their house that amazed me.

The obligatory "Fire Spirit".

Those guys would also sneak “check up” stares every time they passed a mirror, adjusting the do with their female-like manicured fingers. This is something that I have never seen anywhere else before. Many of the Chinese (and Asians in general, as I have discovered later) keep their finger nails long. Supposedly, it is a sign of a class demonstrating that you are not a peasant who works in the fields. I am sure there is a reason for this and it must be an important one. Nonetheless, I could not (and still can’t) hide my disgust when I see those male hands with long thick fingernails.  I have no idea why it makes me feel this way, because I have nothing against long finger nails on women. Why does it make a difference to me I have no idea, but it does. Personally, I think all of those guys should relax about their hair a little bit, cut their fingernails and they’d be a lot more attractive, even though they are not much of my style.