Observations

I have been in China for 4 months now, and I realized today how many things I no longer notice as being different from things in America. Before I become any more desensitized to these differences, I want to record them.

Afternoon card games: The older men and ladies especially sit outside in the afternoons and play card games. I am not always sure what they are playing, but usually it involves 3 or 4 players and a special deck of cards. Some of them also play mahjong, a Chinese game that involves special Chinese dominoes.

Neighborhood: In general, a lot of the older people and their grandchildren hang around outside during the day. I think it is because it is much warmer in the sun that it is in their apartments. They will sit around with their grandchild and knit, talk to the other grandparents, peel vegetables, play games, or push their grandchild in a stroller. They are all very kind and will greet us in simple Chinese. About 80% of these older people are women and only about 20% are men.

Cheap, delicious fruit: The fruit here is really cheap and so delicious. I can buy about 6 large oranges for the equivalent of 20 cents. It’s wonderful, and so sweet. Also, there is a large variety of fruit here—fruit that I never even knew existed in the states such as bite sized oranges that you do not need to peel or big, yellow grapefruits that are sweeter than pink grapefruits.

Out to Dry: Because there are no dryers and few washing machines, most people wash their clothes by hand and hang them outside or on their porch to dry. It reminds me of summer time as a child when mom would hang our laundry on the clothesline.
Noises: There are a lot more noises here in our city than anywhere I’ve lived in America. People will set off firecrackers at all times of the day to celebrate something or to remember someone has just passed away. Also, the vehicles honk their horns A LOT. I think it has to do with the traffic rules being more like suggestions. He who honks the loudest has the right of way in China. Other noises include stores that play their music loudly into the street with big speakers. Finally, right beside our apartment is a technical college that plays all varieties of music early in the morning and around meal times. I don’t even need my alarm clock.