To start off the food is very different. Like polar opposite different. They eat things that we would not even imagine tasting. At one restaurant we went to, guinea pig was on the menu. The menu included pictures, so there was a picture of a happy guinea pig and one of fried guinea pig with corn and a side salad. We were all daring each other to try it, but no one stepped up to the challenge. Today in the airport we saw a package with a turtle on it. Jokingly we said it was turtle soup. Surprisingly, further inspection proved us correct. It was a turtle paste that could be used to make drinks and soups. I was kind of grossed out.
I have also learned what it is like to be a minority while here in China. In Gaungxi our travel group and the other adopting families in our hotel were the only Caucasians in the whole city. Everybody just loved us. Where ever we went we were getting stares from the locals. Everyone was asking for pictures. Some people would just whip out their cell phones and start taking pictures of us while we talked or walked around. We also met some school children who practiced their English with us. They were all so cute. They asked us questions like "how are you?" and "where are you from?" I just love how special I feel here. This would never happen in America because we have such a variety of people.
I learned really quick that if you want to walk through the streets of China, then you better be extra careful. In China the drivers have the right of way - meaning that pedestrians have to be very skilled to cross the street and make it to the other side alive. Surprisingly very few people actually get hit by cars. Our guides have told us that when we have to cross the road we always stay with the locals because they know just what to do. So far it has worked. But we still get an adrenalin rush when we want to go across the street.
There are also scooters and bikes everywhere. On all of the roads there are just as many scooters as there are cars. The people rarely wear helmets and do not take many safety precautions. The other day, we saw a lady on a scooter and on the flat part where you put your feet, she had her infant there lying down sleeping. We were all freaking out and thinking the baby would fall off. Another time we saw an entire family of four or five packed onto a scooter. They were not even wearing helmets. We learned before we came that we should not bring a car seat for Emmett because they do not use them in China. In the U.S. we always take so many precautions. And seeing what people in China do is so different! I think it is a bit crazy!
No comments:
Post a Comment