5 Habits of the Chinese that Will Hit you Like a Ton of Bricks
Strange, fun, nonsense, inexplicable…Habits of the Chinese can be called in different ways, but it is impossible to ignore their odd behavior! First, you wrinkle your nose, then you understand the hidden meaning of their traditions, and in a couple of years spent in China, you behave just like a common Chinese. Here are the most exotic habits that you need to get used to in order to survive in China.
1. The Chinese have no idea what a “personal space” means
Due to the high population density in big cities, you will be just a part of the crowd. This is a typical situation for China. If you want to use the public transport here, prepare to be hurt with bags, crashed into or pushed with someone’s elbows. At first, it will make you mad, but then you will quickly get used to it. However, there is another way. It is always easier to overcome something together, so if you are still single, search for a girl to go there with you on bridesbay.com.
Chinese take the buses and the subways by storm, clearing their way to the public transport, as if there is an apocalypse on Earth and do not even think to apologize.
2. Chinese like spitting
They do it without blinking. They spit everywhere: in the streets, at the airport, in the shop, and on the road. Such a nasty habit has its roots in traditional Chinese medicine. According to the fans of ginseng and the bear bile, a phlegm ingest is harmful to health and they should spit it out. One way or another, the Chinese clear their throats and spit, taking no account of others. Sometimes you can even find special boxes, spittoons, where their owners spit the saliva.
3. The Chinese are very noisy
After a day spent in the Chinese society, the foreigner will definitely have a headache. In China, everyone speaks in raised voices and are not embarrassed. Friday evening noise level in a restaurant can reach 120 dB (for comparison: a forging shop floor makes a noise of 100 decibels).
4. The illogical traffic movement
The Chinese do not chase while driving but they are definitely awful drivers. They can easily drive in the oncoming traffic lane, slow down on an empty road dramatically, make an obscure maneuvers without even looking at direction indicators, and all of a sudden turn to the right from the left lane, and so on.
Pedestrians do not differ much as well: they cross the road where ever they want and behave as if there are no cars on the road. Therefore, if you are in China, be careful on the roads whether you are either a driver or a pedestrian.
5. Nap time
Chinese people are famous for their high working ability. They arrange themselves a rest-hour during the day in order to sustain such an intense regime of work. You can see people sleeping in the offices, factories, in the libraries and parks sitting, napping or lying down, depending on the situation and the surroundings.
The so-called “power napping” that takes from 30 minutes to one and a half hour restores the power and provides the energy so that they are able to go on working or studying. So next time you see a Chinese sleeper during the day daylight, do not rush to smile indulgently or mistake him for an alcoholic, and better follow his example.
This is a guest post by Аександр Поветкин. The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of Chinawhisper.com
