Here are some pictures of the differences you’ll find in our part of the world. They are in no particular order:
1. The container next to every toilet. Guess what this is for?
Thankfully, our apartment has western toilets. Most businesses and homes have a squat pot. Here is an unusually clean one at a Kentucky Fried Chicken.
And just for fun, here is a picture of our second toilet. Notice how interestingly the owner decorated it!
2. You’ve seen this picture before, but the ubiquitous water cooler is a reminder that you’re in a different country and can’t drink the tap water. When the bottled water runs out (usually after a week), Mark must call the water supplier and ask for another bottle…in Chinese!
3. Our oven on top of our microwave. Most Chinese do not use ovens (they use woks), so built-in ovens are rare. We recently bought this little one, but as with most of our appliances, we have trouble figuring out how to use all the features because the instructions are written in Chinese characters. That is why our microwave still doesn’t show the time.
4. Bags, bags, bags! It’s expected that you’ll bring your own bag to the stores, but we keep forgetting, and end up having to buy new ones. Hopefully, we’ll learn soon!
5. Napkins! This is a small difference, but it’s noticeable. There are many packages at the stores, but hardly any are provided at restaurants. You usually bring your own. It’s easy for me to keep a spare package in my pocketbook, but when Mark eats out with a student, he’s oftentimes napkinless.
Is the container next to the toilet for the toilet paper? Or something else…?? Hmmm…. I love reading your blog! Lifting you up to our father daily.
Are you taking any language lessons?
It is interesting that they want you to bring your own bags to the grocery store. It’s almost like the “green” initiative in the States-unfortunately not sure if it is for the same reasons!
The “bring your own bag” concept has been around a very long time in other countries but slow to catch on in the U.S.
The KFC and ‘western’ toilet picture reminded me of the story of some plant workers who had never used a ‘western’ toilet so they decided the proper method was to stand on the toilet lid instead of sitting – ultimately someone fell off and was hurt. Moral of the story – print some instructions.
I think the second, decorated toilet is so cute!! The colorful little animal is the “Life of the Potty”!!!
You guys are doing great!! Looks like you are really adapting and getting more comfortable!
Regina, at this point, our language lessons are “real time.” I’ve eaten lunch with students for four of the past five days, during which I usually get them to teach me something new in Chinese (90% of which I promptly forget).
As for your “Life of the Potty” comment, I’m wondering if you could hear our collective chuckle from so far away…
Jennifer, yes – responsible people in China do not flush their toilet paper. In addition to keeping the plumbing clear, it helps keep the city landscaping paper-free (since they use “HFM” to fertilize the shrubbery).
Glad to see that the you guys are adjusting well. The family misses you guys terribly, we love keeping up with on this blog. Thinking of you often.
Esther likes the potty decore.
Most guys use their sleeve anyways, right.
How’s the oatmeal supply holding out?
It looks like you could make good use of the camper’s cooking facilities if you had them.
And don’t forget the bags.
Wish we were there!
Janet, sometimes our experiences here remind us of our camping trips – always trying to figure out how to make the wilderness a bit more like home! Now that we’re in our own apartment, we can cook minute oats on the stove and add local walnuts and brown sugar – mmmm!