Vagabond Ventures

To continue with my personal tips on being in northeast China,
6.  Shopping centres ~ they have specialized shopping centres everywhere! Furniture centres, clothing, shoes ~ it’s fascinating. And there is even one for tea!!! There are lots of general ones that have everything but sometimes its fun to go to the specialized ones!
7.  Squatting ~ okay this is one that surprised me. I had no idea about the squatting “toilets”. I cannot get used to that. But whats been more eye opening are the parents letting their children go to the bathroom anywhere. Parking lots, on the grass…anywhere. They squat and they go. Be prepared.
8. Bathroom etiquette ~ more on this. Carry tissue, and hand sanitizer. There is rarely toilet paper. Never hot water. Rarely soap. And rarely paper towels to dry your hands. It is very disconcerting. So again be prepared! Starbucks, KFC and Pizza Hut are exceptions to this.
9. Restaurants ~ when you go to a restaurant here, they bring you a menu and stand there until you order. It does no good to ask for a few minutes. They wait. Its stressful!! On the plus side, the bigger restaurants will usually have English menus. So if you know what you want when you go in, it is a good thing.
10.  Public transportation ~ most buses I have been on are crowded, loud and people are pushy. More pushy than I ever experienced in Canada. It does not matter if you are “first” in line. They will push you out of the way. I have learned to push back. They don’t care if you do ~ it is just the way they all are! They expect it I think!
Stay tuned for more tips and observations!!