Chinese people are many things—ambitious, competitive, hard-working, high-achieving and, outwardly anyway, humble. One thing they are not, however, is shy. If you’re anywhere near a major city (and this is likely to be the case, given that there are an astounding 91 metropolitan areas in China with a population exceeding one million), you’re going to be pushed, smothered, and have people in your face constantly. The best way to deal with this is to prepare yourself mentally before you come—it’s going to happen, so no use in getting upset about it.

First, if you happen to be waiting in a queue to get in anywhere—be it airport check-in, a market, the subway or anywhere else—you probably will be sandwiched between two strangers so tightly you can’t breathe. In the case of the subway, you may find yourself not even having to exert any of your own energy to get up the stairs—simply let the mass wave of inertia surrounding you whisk you away.

Second, just as you will face crowds, people in those crowds will try to cut in front of you. Whether they employ the direct strategy (i.e. elbowing you in the side and never turning their head while they take your place in line) or the subtle (waiting for the moment you look at your iPhone’s playlist to slide in front of you), it’s going to happen. Get used to it.

That’s not to say there isn’t anything you can do to make dealing with a crowds a little more manageable—you just may not be so comfortable with it if you’re from a place where manners in public actually exist. You’ll save yourself mounds of frustration, and perhaps even earn a little respect from those behind you, if you get comfortable with the idea of throwing your body mass into the person in front of you. If you have the right mindset, it’s actually kind of fun after awhile, and it will make sure you’re doing your part to keep the crowd funneling its way forward.

Crowds at Shanghai’s venerable Yuyuan Garden

A scene from Beijing’s busy subway

Nothing is cuter than a baby’s butt, right? I’m not sure that I’d agree with that statement, but in China, it has become a popular trend to show them off.

See, it is not uncommon here to see babies essentially being potty trained out in public, on the street…anywhere that’s convenient! To make it easy, the pants now are basically designed without a butt! Perhaps you’ve seen crotchless panties for a special woman—something to spice up a romantic evening. Well, these are essentially the same thing, but for babies, and to facilitate them doing their business!

A common sights on China’s streets these days

On a recent visit to Shanghai, I was at a hypermarket and saw a Mother holding her baby while the Father was playing with him on the escalator. The baby suddenly started peeing—half into the edge of his pants, a few sprinkles onto the escalator—no worries. The parents exchanged a quick glance, proud of their little one….and then put the baby back into his trolley (which was a shared-use trolley for the hypermarket) as though nothing had happened. Mind you, the baby’s bare behind, and still-trickling-with-pee front side were touching the seat…but again, nothing to worry about. Just hope you don’t choose that trolley next!

Get used to this sight!

This is one of the more memorable surprising things I’ve seen in China, but spend enough time here and nothing along these lines will surprise you after awhile.

Some good advice to bring in the New Year…

When you’re in China, especially if it is for business, you are likely to find yourself in a Chinese drinking session. These six tips below should help you understand what you got yourself into, and how to get yourself out of it. If you just happen to be drinking with a few Chinese people, the below won’t apply–this is for the hardcore Chinese Chinese drinking sessions that often accompany business outings, and some other social types of gatherings. Study up!

1.  Learn the Lingo:  Toasts are common in China. No matter what you’re drinking (which is likely to be a kind of Chinese rice liquor called baijiu), you’ll have toasts–known as ganbei–and you’d better comply for fear of being distrusted (or laughed at). In case you’re wondering, the word ganbei translates to “drying the cup.”
2. Take the Lead:  If you really want to score some points with your Chinese counterparts, don’t just accept their toasts–toast them back as well. This applies especially well to those who may be above you on the totem pole. This art of “respectfully suggesting a drink” is known as jing jiu.
3. Use Two Hands:  If you ever played baseball, your coach surely hounded you to catch the ball with two hands. That rule is surprisingly versatile, as in China it is considered respectful and polite to take your drink with two hands (one on the bottom propping the cup), and then slightly tipping the cup towards your colleague upon finish to show that you’ve emptied your glass.
4. Say Cheers!:  As in most places, it is common in China to knock glasses together while offering your cheers. When you do this, you should make sure your glass is lower than theirs, particularly if they outrank you. If you are about equal, you may find it funny when both of your glasses lower basically to the height of the table. If the group is large, it is common to tap your glass on the tabletop.
5. Hold Your Own:  There is nothing wrong with getting drunk, even during business dinners. It’s actually expected, as by being completely sober upon your departure, your hosts may feel as though they failed in showing you a good time. If you’re an obvious foreigner, they will probably think you can drink more. Given that the Chinese are big on handling their liquor, as a badge of honor of sorts, you’ll probably be stuck having to down whatever you’re handed. There is a funny term in China–jiudan–that translates roughly to drink courage. Make sure you train up on yours, and hopefully your ability to hold your liquor will carry you through. You may need an exceptionally strong brand of jiudan if you aren’t used to the Chinese liquors, which can be very strong and bitter. 
6. Know How to Say When:  There are a few tips if you aren’t really on top of your game to help you save face. First, when it comes to saying cheers, you may not have to toast everyone individually. It is common to toast two or three people at a time, which will save you a few shots of liquor. Also, if you actually clink glasses with someone, it is understood that you will down your drink immediately, like a “bottoms up” decree. If you’d rather drink more slowly, you can try your skill at touching the other person’s glass with the back of your finger (as long as they are not a senior to you), which is a signal that you would like to slow down a bit. It may not work, but worth a shot. Next, drinking and driving is to be avoided. If you’re driving, you may be able to use that as an excuse to slow down your consumption. If you’re female, that may be a good enough excuse as well–woman are not subject to the same drinking pressure that men typically are, particularly in a business setting. I have seen instances of people just declaring that they don’t drink, which may be looked at suspiciously but ultimately accepted. If you’re going to do this, though, make sure you aren’t caught with a beer! But as drinkers around the world know, the safest way to maintain your control is to fill your belly–with food! Food in China, especially at banquets, is abundant and fatty. Use that to your advantage–the more you eat, the more jiudan you’ll miraculously discover.

No stopping, 24 hours in Hong Kong…

My ID:  3:28pm, Monday, 29 December 2008:  Beijing Capital International Airport           

Dragonair flight KA908 from Hong Kong

I had been to Hong Kong before, so my Initial Descent into China wasn’t completely foreign to me. But  yet while Hong Kong has a very international, Western feel, I expected Beijing to be much different. I remember being nervous upon walking to the immigration queue. In hindsight, the only reason was because of the Chinese government’s strict reputation and the hassle I had to go through to obtain my one-year, multiple-entry visa from the USA.

Minutes after arriving in Beijing, I realized that this country was serious about its modernization plan (the airport was immaculate), and that everything I had heard about the Olympics earlier in the year—from the facilities to the technology—was accurate. It was also a much more diverse city than I expected, with expats living here from all around the world. This was an example of how many preconceptions I had gathered, now I had to let them go to enjoy this place to the fullest.

I loved this sign from May’s Bun Carnival…a unique experience!