1. Squatty potty = hole in ground toilet. My kids pretty much forced constipation in order to not have to use these. Maybe it was the fact many previous users had bad aim?
2. You can barter in most stores for a better price, sometimes even half the price.
3. Check your American "line waiting techniques" at the US airport gate. Those rules don't apply in China. Don't worry, if you forget this, you will learn the minute you deboard the plane in China. We finally had to run a few people over with our teetering luggage cart in order to actually get on the elevator to get to our driver at the lower level of the airport.
4. Elderly people are actually respected in China. Thumbs up.
5. Hotel laundry service: $120. Store laundry service a few minutes outside hotel: $5
6. Expect blatant staring if you take your kids along (remember, China's one child/family rule, unless you have money). On a positive note, they think your kids are exceptionally cute, and want pictures of them everywhere you go. If you want excessive blatant staring, add a child with a missing arm, you'll even get pointing and grabbing of her malformed arm.
7. I'm not sure I tried the "right" authentic local Chinese restaurants. The rice and veggies were excellent, and I actually enjoyed tea at every meal. The meat, however, was a different story. I like to know what I'm chewing inside the saucy morsel I am partaking, but usually it is unidentifiable. I am thinking skin, tendon, or ligament. Of these, I forced a hard swallow. On the occasions bone was involved, I'm sure I broke some unspoken rule of food etiquette, but there was no way I was swallowing bone. Our guide one night took us to a "respected" restaurant for it's sanitary conditions. As she was telling us this, Luke spotted some unknown cockroach-y bug crawling up Jada's high chair.
8. If you can get beyond the staring, you will find that most of the people are very friendly if you get a chance to actually talk to them.
9. Parks in China are filled with older people, doing interesting exercises. See below:
10. I never really thought of China as tropical before. The last part of our stay was in Guangzhou. There were palm trees and temps were in the 70's in December.
11. The Great Wall of China is not to be missed!! We had even briefly considered dropping this part of our trip since it was scheduled the day after we arrived (remember, 13 hour time change). We were still on adrenaline at that point, so it was worth it and just an awesome experience.
13. We met up with our former exchange students' family in Guangzhou. The hospitality we received from them was remarkable. Let's just say a day and a half packed full of amusement parks, special dinners, a chauffer, a translator, a cruise on the Pearl River, and a tour of the Canton tower were involved. We were exhausted, but spoiled nonetheless.
Sam's beautiful home and family
Night view of the Canton Tower from the Pearl River cruise
Special reserved room dinner with Sam's family. I'm not kidding, there were like 20 courses.
On the 111th floor of the Canton Tower: A merry-go round contraption located at almost the very top of the tower featuring 16 glass bubble gondola-like compartments. As the wheel slowly makes its one rotation, those aboard are privy to a view of all of Guangzhou – including down beneath your feet.
These are the faces rollercoasters cause my kids to make.
That's all I have time for today!!! This blog may be continued.......
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