HERE'S HOW THIS WILL WORK

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My writing on the eight days I spent in China totals safely over 15,000 words.  I don’t expect any of you to read that, except probably Mom.  So, to help you, in this post I’ll tell you what the coolest parts are and you can go read those.  I’ll also summarize the interesting cultural bits here.  But feel free to read as much as you want.  So many memories!

 

HIGHLIGHTS

Wei Ming

Jin Mao Tower (the first time)

Benny grabbing me by the arm at the Temple of Heaven

Nothing is Interesting

The Great Wall and its merchants

Victoria’s Peak

Family Insight Tour

Jen

Last Day with Catie

 

CULTURE:

 

People in Shanghai are REALLY pushy.  In lines, on sidewalks, on buses, whatever.  It’s just the way it is.  It’s not personal, they just do it.

 

Going to the bathroom in the streets is TOTALLY cool for little kids in Shanghai.

 

Food is super cheap pretty much everywhere.  Clothes are mostly the same way.

 

No one really cares that they can’t get Google or Facebook.  They have QQ and that Chinese search engine, so why bother?

 

Premarital sex is really rare in China and they don’t have any sex education at all, really

 

Haggle markets are pretty popular

 

There’s way more American goods in China than you might expect.  We’ve definitely done  a better job invading this culture than we have in, say, Japan

 

Even the poorest people in Shanghai don’t really have it too bad

 

Chinese cities are EXCEPTIONALLY safe and murder, assault, and gang violence are nearly unheard of

 

Newspapers are totally slanted toward the government – even the English ones

 

Old people exercise and hang out together A LOT and it’s really good for them.  The government supports it too

 

HK has a seriously awful housing situation and a really bad drug problem, specifically with amphetamines and ketamines, which are often fatal and very publicly used

 

HK has awful academic culture – kids come to class fifty minutes late, talk on phones in class, sleep in class, have conversations over the teacher, and whatever else they like

 

HK is the only place in my life that I’ve seen high-rise slums.  I’m talking literally buildings full of slums that are 90 stories high.  90 stories high.  Lots of people jump.  Lots of old people jump.

 

Just like in America, people who grow up near historic areas don’t care for them.

 

High school is way harder than college/university

 

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Alright, I think that’s all I got.  Enjoy whatever you want to take from this.

 

Peace out.