China report, Jan. 8

It's fun, frustrating and rather humorous being in a new culture.

For example, taking a taxi isn't as easy as NYC. I had them print off a note card with the address of the church and our apartment so I could take a cab to and from. Church here is on Sunday afternoon's and the service is only open to foreign passports holders or Chinese that have lived abroad.

The laundry machine and dryer are VERY small. You can only fit a few things in. I can see how you could do laundry non-stop because it's so small. Four days of clothes for one person basically took four loads.

Prices here play tricks on your mind. I went to the grocery and spent 127RMB=$15.88 cents on a loaf of bread, Pringles, Chinese Cheerios, two rolls of paper towels, two sponges, two loaves of french bread, four things of strawberry/banana yogurt, detergent (laundry powder), fabric softner (all in Chinese but the Chinese lady at the store handed it to me and seemed to recommend it), four bottles of Coke Light (600ml=20 oz.) for a little over 25 cents (2.4 RMB), and a Chinese thing of butter than was similar to Can't Believe It's Not Butter. Bread here is a different consistency and there are numerous types - sweet, soda, brown (=wheat). A whole loaf of wheat costs 10 RMB but it is usually sold by the half loaf.

I've now lost almost 10 lbs. Part of it is just not eating much and part of it is not having food you're used to in the US.

Saturday, I went out exploring the Shimao grounds and the neighborhood. I didn't walk to a grocery store because it was so cold out and my coat really doesn't cut it here. It's unseasonably cold. It's in the 20s at night and the lower 30s during the day.

The Shimao does have a restaurant with American food down at the American club with the pool, etc. It's expensive though compared to Chinese prices.

I went across the street to a little 7-11-like store called "All Day." It's got wine, sodas, and stuff like 7-11 but it's about the size of our family room in DE. There is fresh food too that they're cooking but it's all Chinese and I can't read the sign to tell what it is. The pictures aren't much help either.

Next door to it, there is a really cool bakery/restaurant called Ichido. It a pretty impressive bakery with all kinds of intricate cakes with fruits on the top of the frosting. I saw a couple westereners there. You can also eat in the back. I had a plate-sized pizza with Italian sausage, iced coffee and caesar salad for 78RMB=$9.75.

While everyone said peanut butter is expensive, it's not nearly as expensive as jelly. I haven't seen honey, but I'm sure it's here. Also, many of the restaurants I've been to don't serve soda and I've not seen milk on menus.

I don't have a bank account yet. You need US$2,000 to open a bank account at HSBC which would give me access to our money in RMB and USD. But...because I'm a foreigner, I couldn't get a debit or credit card with them. I have to have a Chinese account to do that. It's rather odd. I'm not sure how much to trust a Chinese bank. Need to speak with Martin about that.

I woke up early this morning for some reason, but it was nice because the Redskins/Buccaneers game was on live. It's weird to think I'm watching the game live in China. Fox News is nice too. Fox & Friends in on at night because of the time difference.

Observations:

Business cards are handed with both hands as a gesture of respect.

From our welcome booklet. "A gift will be declined three times before being accepted...Gifts associated with death that you should NOT give: clocks (must explain why there are no clocks in our apartment except on the phones and microwave), straw sandals, stork/crane, handkerchiefs, anything white, blue or black."

Always arrive for dinner early or on time.

Do NOT discuss business at meals.

Taste all the dishes you are offered.

Do not drop the chopsticks. It is considered bad luck.

Do not eat all of your meal. If you eat all of it, the Chinses will assume you did not receive enough food and are still hungry.

Women do not usually drink at meals.

Tipping is considered insulting.

Religion is a sensitive topic and best not discussed.

Chinese men spit in public. Watch where you place things on the floor is the best advice.

Chinese men smoke and smoke alot. It is far less common with women.

Pushing, shoving and jumping the queue are perfectly acceptable and often the norm.