The first thing you notice is traffic. People in the city drive where they want, no mind road signs, lanes, other cars, etc. Granted, unlike in Korea, everyone stops for redlights. People drive in both lanes at one time (half car in each lane), and they even drive on the opposite side of the road if they don't feel like waiting. Horns blare the whole time, sometimes just to let others know where you are, other times just to help the driver yell at whoever's in the way. Pedestrians dart out in the road to cross the street, and there are motor scooters and bikes everywhere. Everyone pays attention though. Everyone moves out of the way, even when it seems like the other driver is just carelessly changing lanes. Also, everyone drives really really slow. Everyone. So as crazy as it is, I doubt you'd cause any damage if you ran into anyone.
Spitting:
All the old guys spit. All the time. Very noisily. I can't imagine what you'd need to spit out? Saliva? It's not that I think I "shouldn't" spit, but personally I can't think of what I need to spit out. It's not just old men. Most any person, young or old, guy or girl, spit, just old guys more noticeably. Also, people don't spit in the traffic, or even on the side of the road or sidewalk. They just spit right down at their feet. Even on the walk paths on this mountain we climbed today, there's all the space in the world to spit and not be in anyones way. But there was still spit all over the path. .... ew ...
Smoking:
It seems like everyone but Anna smokes in China. All public places are fine to smoke in. Even the elevator. Maybe not Walmart. Haven't seen that yet. But that could be the exception to the norm.
Prices:
Everything is cheap. Mostly. My cell phone was around $120 US. A good example is I bought a washcloth for ¥5 and a travel mug for ¥10. In US dollars, they were 7 dimes and $1.40, respectively. Food is cheap too. In Fuzhou, me and Anna had a plate of Cabbage Hearts, this spicy beef and red pepper dish, and a large bowl of spicy stuff with a big cooked fish in the middle. Each dish was bigger than what you could get at Applebees for $10. And the total price for all three was about ¥60, which is just under $9.
Coffee:
Not as available as in the US. And the prices are quite high. In the airport in Fuzhou, 1 Caramel Cappuccino is about ¥58, or just under $9 US. Other places aren't so bad, but still not so great. Starbucks is still about $4-5 per cup. My usual Tall drip coffee is ¥15, just over $2, whereas in the States it's only $1.34.
Food:
All cheap, all tasty. Though, much too much oil! I'll take a photo. So now I feel fat eating so much oily tasties. I figured out I can eat a good breakfast for ¥2, lunch for under ¥5, and dinner (if I go really fancy) for under ¥20. ¥27 per day means my 2 weeks here in Hefei is ¥378， or just over $55. I kid you not, that is on the cheap side of things! It'll probly turn out to be less than that. Though, I might buy some Mandarin oranges for snack, which cost about 10 cents in US dollars.
Exercise:
They tell me "don't do it." Supposedly the air is so bad pretty much everywhere that going running will do more harm than good. I think I'll go running anyway. I feel like crap, since I haven't been exercising, and all the food is oily. Granted, we walk a ton, but that's still not enough for me.
I'll post more things like this when I find the time. For now, enjoy your clean water and clean air...!!
wow it is like all negetive ???? O_o
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