Blurred Lines

Living in China is great...usually, although there are always a few things that will frustrate even the most stalwart of souls. There are a few things that never cease to amaze me when it comes to China. 

The first is the forwardness of the girls here. 

Usually the first thing you will hear coming out of a girl'

ahhh, the classic "misspelled flirtation" technique.
The poor grammar is subtle. Overall a good effort.

s mouth is "I'm so shy," or "I'm a shy girl." The next thing you hear is "You are so handsome, can I have your phone number?" 

Now, I'm a pretty nice guy, so of course I say yes each and every time. Which means I am now WeChat friends with 30 or more girls who I couldn't pick out in a lineup if my life was on the line. 

I really need to find a way to just say no without being rude, but I guess that wouldn't make for any good stories. 

The second thing is the strange ideas of health that people have here. 

Overall, they are very concerned with everyone's health except their own. Take, for example the very nice man who tells me that I shouldn't eat street food because it isn't healthy. After berating me over my food choices, he turns to me with perfect charity and offers me a cigarette. 

Then there is my personal favorite. The Chinese love of the outdoors, or at least letting the outdoors indoors. 

Pictured: Healthy, Fresh air. If compared to a
carton a day smoking habit.

A closed door is a rare find in this country, and the windows have been left open so long that they probably form a vital part of the structural integrity of the buildings they inhabit. People get up early in the morning to jog and practice tai chi and breathe deeply of the fresh air. 

Then you try to close a window, or a door. Instantly they begin scolding you. "Don't you know fresh air is healthy?" 

And no, that haze surrounding those buildings is not fog. Comparatively, the air in that picture isn't all that bad. It's when you can't actually see the tops of the skyscrapers that you should probably stop breathing with your lungs. 

Now, don't take any of this the wrong way. I love the Chinese people. They are very genuine, helpful people. It's just a bit strange going from a culture where we tiptoe around and try not to offend anyone, to a culture where that's a bit of an afterthought. If the thought occurs at all. 

They will generally go out of their way to help you. I've even had students buy me lunch because I forgot to bring money with me. When I try to pay them back they reply "It is my honor to pay for you." 

Well, until next time.