One month down...

Wow, I can't believe I've been away for about a month now, it really hasn't felt like that long of a time being away from home. I guess it's just my easy-goin' personality and my love of traveling and seeing new things that has allowed me to adjust so easily to this place. Honestly it's been much easier settling in and becoming comfortable than I imagined it might be. Many modern comforts of Western culture have seeped into this corner of China - something that is both nice yet a bit disappointing at the same time. Supermarkets that sell many things you'd find in the US and fast food joints that sell burgers and cokes. They say this is a communist country, but from what I've seen it's a capitalist culture by all means at this point in time - from the Pepsi advertisements in the school cafeteria to all the shops on the streets selling plastic knick-knacks and colas.

One of the most noticeable differences between Chinese and American culture would be in the traffic/transportation culture. Back in the US, traffic is comprised of 99.9%cars and trucks, and bicycles and motorcycles are considered abnormal or even toys by many people. Here in China though, the majority of traffic consists of motocycles and bicycles. That said, practically all the motorcycles have very small 125cc motors or are 50cc scooters, and nearly all of the bikes are single speeds complete with fenders, rear rack, and handlebar basket. It's very impressive as I've seen people haul more things on their bikes and motorcycles here than most Americans usually load into their enormous SUVs.

Often times you will see bicycles with two people on them, one pedaling and another sitting on the rear rack. You'll see motorcycles carry boxes of chickens, poles, ladders, or pretty much anything that would surely warrant a citation of some sort in the US. Also I've seen up to 4 or 5 people riding one motorcycle, though three or less is more common. For hauling cargo and people, motorcycle trucks are very popular here. I posted a picture of one hauling a pig a few posts ago, but basically it is a motorcycle body on front with a two-wheeled rear chasis that can hold a small cabin for passengers or a bed for hauling things - they seem very efficient. People here seemed to be more conscious of efficiency and space saving - you have to be when there are so many people in a smaller space with less resources.

And traffic itself would be considered fairly insane to the average American. Cars, motorcycles, bikes, pedestrians, street vendors all use the same streets, so it can get a bit crowded sometimes. Honking is a constant and ever-present reality, as cars and motorcycles consistantly beep to let people know they are there and are coming through, and people just don't get pissed off about honking like they do in the states. People pull out onto a road from side streets often without bothering to check cross traffic. I'm simply amazed that there are not collisions everyday at all the intersections, but they seem to manage and survive with this system fairly well.

So now I am about one third of the way through my stay here in China. I'm really not homesick at all, though I do occasionally crave pizza and the non-existant cheese that goes on those pizzas. I think I'm really going to miss this place in many ways when I have to leave, especially all of the cheap prices for everything.