Uniquely 中国

I often find that culture resides in the little things just as much as the big. I always enjoy making a list of these discoveries to make comparisons.

One thing that has never ceased to amaze me is how common sense is based entirely on culture. What is perfectly sound logic in one culture is a sieve full of holes in another.

Here are my observations of things Uniquely Chinese, Wendy has kindly agreed to help with this page…

• Reagan Kayte, in China the surname goes first, followed by the given name. Middle names are not given in China.
• Women here do not take the last name of their husband after marriage. Once they get married they continue to use their family name first unless they are directly referred to as Mrs. —-. In all other cases they retain their own family name. Children take their father’s surname as in the States.
• In some parts of China, before marriage the Bride and Groom to be, each present 8 characters to  a Fortune Teller to foretell whether or not their characters match well. The characters are derived from the exact time of their birth, time, day, month and year. If the characters match well the marriage is believed to go smoothly and thus sanctioned by the parents. If the match is unlucky the marriage is often forbidden to take place.
• The American Peace sign means V for Victory here. According to the Chinese that is what Americans mean when they give the peace sign.
• There is no drinking or smoking age in China. My students were shocked that such things were regulated in the States.
• But on the flip side, they were horrified that our legal marring age is 18. In china a girl must be 22 to be married and a boy 23! I think they are on to something with that!
• ONLY in China can you leave your car running at a red-light to take a leek in the bushes and jump back in the car before the light turns. (This is not a joke, I witnessed this today. This was a main road in the suburbs not the country!)
• Chinese use of adjectives is just interesting. My students both boys and girls use such flowery speech with they write. Here is an example   “Chinese television station will show magnificent sumptuous dinner of visual sense” – describing New Years program.
• ONLY in China is it perfectly acceptable for an 8 year old boy to run around a crowded city plaza with nothing on except a small shirt which bearly reaches his naval. Yes, fully exposing himself for EVERYONE to see.