I never got to post about all the many things that are so completely different in China, and also some things that are pretty much the same. The first few days, it was so weird to me, I couldn't read anything, everything, and I mean EVERYTHING is in Chinese. I love to read, I'll read anything, street signs, billboards, cereal boxes, labels on food, and everything to be read was in Chinese. The garbage trucks play music like an icecream truck, a couple of tunes we heard were Fur Elise by Beethoven and Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I took some pictures, and here are a couple of things that were very different, not bad, just very different to me:
The Beds: small (granted my husband is a giant)
and very firm, slightly softer than a slab of concrete.
The Markets: open air, freshly butchered meat
(we saw this the first morning, no wondered I struggled with the meat)
Same Market: again, open air, pick your own,
un-refrigerated eggs, fresh from the chicken coup
The Fruit: this fruit could draw blood it is so prickly and sharp,
but every other fruit we tasted was fresh off the tree and was amazing to eat!
The watermelon is yellow in Taiwan, very yummy!
The Toilet Paper: I'm building up the finale,
the toilet paper wasn't so bad, just not your typical roll,
it was tiny pieces of tissue paper, if there was any at all,
we had to carry it with us, even in the airport in Qingdao,
there was no toilet paper. Oh,and they do not flush the toilet paper,
thats what the handy garbage cans are for.
The Toilets (aka: squatters): This is a clean squatter, as the day progresses, these get pretty gross, I (gratefully) never had to use one, but I was terrified (literally) of having to pee on my leg, or fall over. I was pushed to the front of the line to the "western" toilet, or what we know to be a normal, sit down, no squatting necessary toilet. My mom bought me a mini Lysol, and I carried that and tissue paper, along with hand sanitizer everywhere with me. If there's no toilet paper, there was definitely no soap.
Okay, so there were a lot of things different, again, not bad, just different, and we survived it! We took pictures of some things that are very much the same here in the US:
The Church: We went to church both Sundays abroad,
both experiences were so awesome, the first picture is Tyson
in front of his old church in one of his areas from his mission in Huei.
Even in China, there was a small branch for foreigners, and
it was so awesome to be able to go in such a far place from home
and be able to go to the temple and church.
Fast Food: Yep, they have a McDonalds and KFC on just about every corner,we never ate at McDonalds, but we had KFC one night in Beijing, it was Edwin's favorite!
Finally, 7/11's: They are on every corner too, we went to a few to buy treats, we even got slurpee's one afternoon when it was about 85 degrees outside with 100% humidity.
It was really such a blast to go over to such a foreign place and see so many new and exiting things, truly an adventure! We are so grateful for the opportunity to go and see Tyson's mission, to meet the people and spend time with them, and then be able to go to China and spend 10 great days with his parents. We are especially grateful for the time we spent with Tyson's Father.
9 comments:
K when you said your were going to china I was worried. My sis in law just got back from there, and she told me all about it. Some of that is so NASTY!! I could never go there. My sick stomach wouldn't put up with it!! but I'm glad you made it!! You are one trooper. Since that is where tyson went on his mission, he is sooooo lucky that his wife was down with going. You go girl!!
great post. I love how you kept saying different, not bad just different. hehe. Those toilets would scare me. WHen we went to London and ireland the toilet paper was tissue also. I started saving a square everywhere I went to bring home to the YW so they could see a bit of how different, not bad just different other countries are from ours. Its nice to go other places so we can appreciate what we have, soft toilet paper and nice toilets. hehe
They had the same type of toilets in Italy when I went there in college for a week. What a memory to come "flooding" back when I saw the picture!
What an amazing experience. Those pictures -- the eggs, the meat, the prickly fruit. Wow is all I can say.
Hey Tyson and Dani,
Can you email me your address, we are sending you guys something. I'm so glad you got to spend time with Edwin in China before his passing. What a sweet memory.
karenmatsen@yahoo.com
~Karen (Player)
Sorry I haven't been able to get to talk to you, but give me a call. Let me know how you are doing, and we'll talk! Love Ya! Love Megan
That was awesome! i love the picture of Tyson and the bed... Ha! what would that feel like, guess i'll never know, because i'm such a shorty... Or... if i go lay down in Caitlin's todler bed... maybe that's how he felt! ha! weird!
Seriously, I can't even imagine going to the bathroom in the squatter. You know what they say about food right? The fresher, the better. I guess they might take that a little too far.
Dani, I was happy to see a 'happy' post. :) I just got back from Europe and was complaining to have to pay to go to the bathroom - but now that I've seen those squatters - I'll keep my mouth shut. Those look horrible - and messy! :) Good luck with your house shopping!
The toilets made me laugh - I think the most disgusting toilets I've ever encountered were in Italy. The toilets in Peru just didn't flush, and the bathrooms in Russia cracked us up - they always had little pieces of paper everywhere that said disinfected in three or four languages! Travelling is such a great experience for so many reasons!!
How's the house hunting? I will be so sad to see you go... You are amazing Dani!!
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