As my first year in China comes to a close I wanted to share with you some of the ridiculousness that has become everyday life for those of us living here.  I’m sorry if most of these don’t make sense.  Many of them would not have meant anything to me before I lived here.  (Then again–the blog isn’t only for you! 😉 ) Some of them are funny by themselves, but some are funny just because they are so true!  I cannot claim the whole list as my own.

You know you’ve been in China too long when…

…you think that a $7 shirt is a rip off. (or you find yourself bargaining over 75 cents)

…you think that walking backwards in the park listening to a transistor radio (or clapping your hands) is good exercise. 

…you consider it a challenge to see if you can get on the subway before anyone gets off. (Or the elevator. Or anywhere, really.)

…you find western toilets uncomfortable. 

…you honk your horn at people because they are in your way as you drive down the sidewalk. 🙂 (What? Don’t you?)

…you have no sense of traffic rules.  (I wonder how I’ll drive in the states…)

…you start cutting off large vehicles on your bicycle. (Buses come to mind….)

…forks feel funny. (Hehehe)

…you can’t say a number without using the appropriate hand sign. 🙂 (I love this one because I do it and don’t think about it!)

…you stop at the top or bottom of an escalator (or stairs) to plan your day. (People also do this when exiting the subway scanning ‘booth.’)

…you have an uncontrollable urge to follow people carrying small flags!

…you think that pushing the elevator button over and over again will make it go faster. (It does. I’ve tried.)

…you prefer hot water in the summer. (winter, for sure, but not summer yet)

…you’ll only wear your good high heels to climb the mountain.  (This one is my observation.)

…a fashionable outfit includes heels with ankle-high nylons, shorts with suspenders and any version of Hello, Kitty T-shirt, a purse you can fit into, a glove on one hand, a sunbrella, and your cellphone.  (Don’t worry, I don’t dress this way.)

…all white people look the same to you. 🙂  (Never thought I would actually believe that one!)

Sometimes you laugh, sometimes you roll your eyes, and sometimes you just smile.  Still never a dull moment. 🙂