I truly love and appreciate many things about the Chinese culture. They are a very caring group of people who genuinely seem to be concerned about the well being of others. Simply look at their everyday greeting:
"Ni hao, chi le ma?"
"Hello, have you eaten"
I mean, come on they have a compassionate interest in your state of health. Now I have been sick several times in China, nothing serious and nothing that was concerning. But, when I walk into my office coughing I am bombarded with home remedies that are sure to heal any alignment and I thought they would be very useful to pass on.
1. NEVER drink cold water when you are sick! I don't care if it is 100 degrees out! According to the Chinese it is bad for your body to have cold water when you are sick and you should only drink hot water!
2. NO sugar! This sugar comes in a variety of ways so it is best to avoid chocolate, fruit, lollies, and any candy
3. DO NOT sleep with the air conditioner on! Again, it doesn't matter what the temperature is, it is not good for you! And if you are in Korea they will tell you not to sleep with the fan on either because it will chop up all the air molecules and you will suffocate!
4. NO exercise! This is especially true if a woman is having her period! Exercise will make your blood flow faster and this is not good for you when you are sick!
5. NO spicy food! This again makes your body have a reaction. It is not good for you when you are sick, so put down the hot sauce mister!
6. NO Alcohol! This is contrary to what my grandfather told me, he said Whiskey cures everything!
These may not seem too extreme but the Chinese seem to live and die by these guidelines. They are so curious when Westerners believe it is ok to eat spicy food for example and seem to think it is absolute malarkey!
So get well and keep that water kettle running on those feverish nights:)
There are many wonders in China that people spend thousands of dollars to travel to every year; The Great Wall in Beijing, the Terracotta Warriors of Xi'an, the great beaches of Hainan. However, not all who come to China come as tourists. I am one of those people. I seized the opportunity and took advantage of the many opportunities China has for native English speakers, I became an English teacher:) Since I have been in China for 10 months I have noticed that there are a variety of people who I have also come over here for such an opportunities.
One of the greatest things about my stay here in China has been to get to know these people and at the same time learning who to avoid. Now, I am no expert and I am still quite a newbie to the whole living abroad thing but from my experience I have gathered that even though everyone I have met is very unique there are categories that seem to fit even the most usually characters.
First, there are the people that simply live abroad. They are the people that might look at this blog and immediately dismiss the validity of this post because I have not only been here a year. It seems there is an underlining competition amongst the "lifers" as to how long they have been abroad. You may be judged upon your answer if the question is prompted to you "How long have you lived abroad" and may not make it into the "cool crowd." Just playing, most of these people are used to having friends come and go and are very open and willing to give good advice, if this person opens up as to things you should or should not do, get out a note pad! I found that some of these "lifers" may not have any connection to a "home" outside of their suitcase and their families are those they make abroad. Some of these people grew up traveling and were spawn from a nomadic spirit.
Other people I have met are simply taking a gap year. Lots of these people studied international relations in college and are usually focused on expanding their resume by living in other countries and immersing themselves in other cultures. I truly enjoy these people, they are usually quite intelligent and are goal orientated. They were more then likely only be in one place for a year and they go off to do other cool things. I know these are people to keep in touch with, you will always have sweet places to visit and hear about lots of cool adventures.
Business people folk to Guangzhou for all over the world and if you get into a conversation with someone with this background expect the same answer to the question, "So what do you do in China?" "I do business.." awkward silence. To me this response signifies something illegal, maybe that's because I am American. It is undoubtedly answered in a Capone type manner accompanied by a sly smile. I usually don't talk to or see too many of these people out since I work weekends.
The next category are people with mixed features. These are people that are seemingly wanting to possibly escape from one thing or another or just got sick of the day in and day out commute of suburbia. I suppose I fall into that category. As a social worker in the States my pocket book did not always compensate for the heartache the job could cause. Oh yeah, and there was this boyfriend thing too, but yada yada yada I moved to China. Oh and this brings me to one of the biggest categories of people I have found all over China ( and pretty much Asia so I have heard) the reborn stud, the sand that had created the Man Desert in China. Now, I am not a shallow person, at least no more then any one else, but this phenomenon is sweeping through Asia like coal smog in Beijing. The reborn stud is a man, who for whatever reason did not make it in with the normal fabrics of society. He may have been called a dweeb, or a nerd, a dork perhaps, even some harsher terms I am sure were thrown his way, but not in China! In China, he is a stud! He has a good job, a hot ass Chinese/Korean/Taiwanese girlfriend, and a newly established sense of self. This is great however, word is spreading, and it seems you can't even have a conversation with a member of the opposite sex without it being about superheros, video games, or whether or not Neutrogena or Clearasil is the better acne cream. So ladies heed this warning: if you are looking to come to China to find the man of your dreams, think again. China is not about rubbing up on hotties or 'make your friends jealous' hookups, it is about learning the culture of the people of Asia and taking time to gain some independence. And don't worry because the women here are not just mirages. They are truly refreshing drinks of water in this Man Desert! I have met some of the greatest ladies of my life and companions I know I will have for life here in this country! So drink up sister and stay Clean and Clear and under control.
So concludes my thought on the people you may encounter while living in China. I again am not claiming to be an sort of expert and did not include all walks of life that wonder the streets of China. I am Caitlin, a keen observer with a sassy sense of humor I hope you enjoyed while reading my post!
