Culture Tid-Bit

March 24, 2017
11:45 pm
Beijing, China

Okay, so today I think I’m going to talk a bit about the differences between Chinese and American Culture. Obviously, that is a HUGE topic that I could not possibly hope to cover in one short blog post. But I think it’s something fun to write about and it might interest you.

1. Bodily Functions: I don’t remember if I’ve mentioned that people are a lot more open about their bodily functions and fluids here. For example—and I may be repeating myself here—a few months ago, I saw a grown man peeing in the middle of the street in a big shopping area. While that is a bit of an extreme example, there are many other little things. People here spit A LOT. I mean, they will hawk a loogie and just spit it on the sidewalk. I’ve even had a few kids do it in the middle of class.
2. Hygiene: I’m not saying that Chinese people are unclean or anything, but there is definitely a different standard of hygiene maintenance here than in the US. In the US, most people take a shower every day or at least every other. While some may not wash their hair as often as others, most people tend to either start or end their day in the shower or bath. Chinese people are a lot more lax about that. It’s not unusual for people to go a few days without taking a shower. Some may even wait longer to wash their hair. Typically, this isn’t a big deal. But there are a lot of people in Beijing, so when you’re crammed on the subway, you start to realize who has and has not showered recently.
3. Hygiene 2: Brushing your teeth is different here, as well. I cannot tell you the number of students I have with messed up teeth. Many have visible cavities and others are completely missing their teeth. One of my students, a 5-year-old boy, has no front teeth (there don’t seem to be any new ones coming) and the two framing the gap are eaten away. It was a bit jarring at first, because I know these kids come from decently well-off families. Shouldn’t they have the money and ability to take care of their kids’ teeth? This hygiene change was definitely something I had to get used to.
4. Toilet Paper: You don’t typically flush toilet paper or anything else down the toilet. I think I may have mentioned that I’m doing the whole “don’t ask, don’t tell” thing with my toilet at home, but out and about, I never flush toilet paper. As a result, all bathroom stalls have a small trash can where everyone throws their used toilet paper. It also means that in women’s bathrooms, other things are very noticeable. It also means that there’s a bit of a smell in all bathrooms in China. It’s not that bad in big malls, because there’s always an ayi (cleaning lady) to keep it clean. But in other public toilets, that’s not the case. Again, this was one thing took a while to feel comfortable with.
5. Jobs: Speaking of ayis, everyone in China has a job. It’s not always the most glamorous, but everyone has a job. It’s very unusual to see someone who is unemployed. Every once in a while you may see someone begging on the subway, but it’s rare. So most public bathrooms have some sort of attendant, there are a lot of cab drives, and there are A TON of security guards. Seriously, though, there are so many security guards. Each bus has 3 people on it at all times: the driver, a person who calls out each bus stop and then tells the bus driver whether anyone is getting off (Why is this necessary? Because people need jobs), and a security guard to stop all the crazy fights that happen on the bus.

That’s about all I’ve got for this round. If there’s anything specific you guys would like to hear about on that front, let me know.

Words to Remember: Numbers 14:17-24
Challenge: Day 12: Take a moment to reread verses 18 and 20-23. Look at how Abba is described. How does this make you feel? Look at what He does. Even though these people have continued to doubt Him and tested Him many times, He still forgives them. But, He doesn’t just let them slide for their actions. He holds them accountable and they receive their punishment for their sins. Now look at how He regards Caleb. There’s something different about him. Imagine what it would be like to live your life so passionately for Abba that you were placed away from the crowd. What would that look like in your life? Choose one thing today and do it passionately for Abba. How does this change your perspective on that one action?

Talk Soon,
Kristen