China praising-

I talk trash about China all the time and its true that I like studying Chinese and traveling the country more than living here, but I have to give credit where credit is due.

One of my favorite things about China (and this could be because I'm a waiguoren- foreigner) is that I can wear and be however I want and I won't be judged.

Wear:

Wearing the same pair of pants 5 days in a row?

No problem! I have my weekly garments: a white overshirt and leggings…or a black shirt and leggings…or my white linen shirt with jean shorts. Basically, I wear one outfit each week and its perfectly acceptable…and in fact, everyone else in my office does the same thing!

Haven’t done laundry in FOREVER and all you have left are PJs?

That’s ok! Wearing mesh shorts, sleeping shirts, and even junky t-shirts is totally normal! I often take walks around town in my sleeping shorts and tanks. No one looks twice…and actually I fit right in with all the rest of people in their pjs.

Matching with your boyfriend!?

COOL! Matching is hot!! They even have stores that sell matching man and woman t’s. Jeff and I bought our set and spent an entire day wearing our ridiculous shirts…the best part, we didn’t even care! We even forgot that we were wearing them. Nobody looked twice and we saw many other lucky couples that were dressed identically. Can you imagine Jeff and I trying to do that in New York? Ha! We’d be arrested for public disturbance.

Afraid your outfit is out of season or just isn’t right?

Don’t fret, everything is in style here! Most fashion looks like couture meshed with 80’s that just underwent a nuclear explosion. What does that mean? I don’t even know, but neither does anyone else…people wear orange stripes with purple leopard print leggings with ruffles (oh man, ruffles everywhere) and its ok. I hardly look twice when I put clothing on. As long as its on my body, its golden.

Manners:

I’m not sure if you all know, but mummy dearest put my sister and I in etiquette school..Silver Spoons I think it was called. We learned how to eat, sit, and be extremely proper at the dinning table. China is exactly the opposite. In fact, I was outraged at the table conduct, but now, I appreciate their general lax rules. (Just don’t stick your chopsticks in a bowl of rice and leave them there).

Feel like eating EVERYTHING on your plate (in western ettiquite, you always leave a little something)?

Good! That’s considered a compliment in China. If you leave something, it means you didn’t like the food.

Eat something you didn’t like or found a bone in your food?

Spit it out on the table! If you don’t like something or you chew on a bone, its completely normal to put it on the table. I don’t think I need to explain that you can’t do that in any other place without being seen as having dreadful manners.

Want to stick your fingers in your plate?

Go for it! No judgment passed.

Want to eat someone else’s dish?

Well, you can’t put your chopsticks or spoon in someone else’s dish, but all Chinese food is typically family style…so snacking on a dish you didn’t order is expected.

Can’t get the food at the bottom of your bowl?

Pick up the bowl, hold it to your mouth and shove the food in!

Elbows on the table?

Naturally! Where else would they be?

I’m usually extremely rigid when it comes to manners and etiquette…but in China I can relax a lot. It doesn’t matter how I eat, it’s all the same and no one thinks any different of you.

Singing in public?

They want you to sing louder! They love it! Normally you be considered crazy or just plain nutty, but walking around humming is fantastic! Singing is a huge part of the culture and so when you bust out into song, you’ll get encouraging smiles and nods (even me and I suck-thanks mom and dad-its all your fault I have no musical talent).

China in the end, is one of the most down to earth places I have ever been to. Its relaxed atmosphere lets me be however I want without fear or self-consciousness. New York is one of the one of the harshest places to live in the world, so I guess I should enjoy this social freedom while I’ve got it!