Everyday Life

As I exited the subway this evening, I realized that people back home have no clue how everyday life works in China. It is completely different than life back home. (for me anyways!) Some things are the same, I get up in the morning, have breakfast and lunch then head to work. Things that seem ordinary to me, to anyone else would seem well ordinary.

For instance dogs running loose. My apartment complex has many buildings in it. They are still building some of the buildings. The workers must have dogs, because everyday I see the same three dogs running around outside in the complex. They are sniffing for food, peeing on whatever, just roaming around. Roaming dogs outside in the USA would not happen. If I saw a random dog at home in the states I would stop and take the dog inside. Hear I think oh man poor dog, but I better stay away cause he may have some weird disease.

Another thing I realized the other day is the lack of safety here. In my house back in the USA I have a smoke detector in every room, a carbon dioxide reader, and if I went into any public building I would know how to exit and there would be fire alarms. Not so in China. I am fairly positive my apartment doesn't have a smoke detector in it.   At work there is no fire alarm. If a fire were to occur, they either a. announce it over the PA system or B. flicker the lights on and off. Sounds really safe. There are fire extinguisher but they are not in pristine glass cases, no they are just sitting on the floor. If I had to guess they probably aren't checked regulary either.

No street signs exist here. There are signs that mark the street name, but no yield to pedestrian (more like hit the pedestrian) , no stop signs and I have yet to see a speed limit sign!  Its kinda terrifying if you think about it. A busy four way intersection and no signs or traffic light. Its basically a giant game of chicken, who is going to win the battle! I have seen signs saying don't drink and drive but I don't know what the penalty for that is. (If there is one) I have been in taxis that have literally gone 100 km an hour down a residental street. I have seen speed limit signs in Shanghai but not in Beijing. (then again I don't drive here either so maybe I am missing them).

Street vendors line the street at night. You get off the subway and there are literally bikes with carts  attached to them and people selling food of the back of a bike cart. They sell everything and anything. I have seen them cutting pineapple of the back of bike, making pancakes, caramel popcorn, sweet potatoes, candied fruit, selling socks, hats, iphone cases, blankets, scarves, meat on a stick, and coconuts with straws in them. I have never exited the subway in Pittsburgh and see someone selling a cut up pineapple. Its really unreal.

No one drinks the water here, no one. Even the locals drink bottle water. Every place you go has water coolers. The airport has free hot water, the library the same. Every business has purified water. It is also very cheap. You can get a bottle of water for less than 1 kuai which is 15 cents. The water is so bad here.

There are many unusual things that occur in China. These are just a few off the top of my head that I wanted to write down and share!