30 Things That Interest Me About China

I've been lucky enough to be in an industry that does business in Asia. Over the last several years, I have gone on many trips to China... and have come to appreciate its unique culture. Whenever I go there, I always experience something completely different. Below are some things I find interesting about China:




1. Automatic urinals flush BEFORE you use them

Enjoying some delicious "bone juice"

2. The dialects in China are based on "tones". Therefore, the same word can mean several different things depending on how you say it.

3. There are MANY different dialects in China (no such thing as simple "Chinese")

4. Coke and McDonald's seem to taste better in China

5. Maids like to turn off air conditioning and open windows when you leave hotel room

6. People prefer to drink HOT water (instead of cold). Apparently, it's supposed to be better for your body

7. Lane dividers (and stop lights) are more of a suggestion

8. Musicians specifically write songs for karaoke purposes

9. Karaoke involves dice, "companions", and drinks

The "7 Star" Lake in Zhao Qing

10. Getting pizza in China is easy, but getting a plain (non-seafood) pizza is not

11. Hong Kong and Macau are parts of China, but not all Chinese people are allowed to travel there freely

12. "Yes" doesn't necessarily mean "Yes" (it means I heard you)

13. Breathing in through teeth means "No"

14. If food is gross or doesn't taste good, it's either "good for body" or "good for man"

Whole fish (including eyes)

15. If you order fish, you're going to get a "whole fish" (eyes are "good for man")

16. "Seafood" means that you're going to see your food alive before you eat it. Chinese people like fresh food!

17. Youtube, Twitter, and Facebook are blocked in China... but Chinese websites featuring copyright videos are not

18. DVDs cost $1 (series like Prison Break & 24 are super popular)

19. Fried rice is served at the end of your meal

20. People do not own ovens (therefore, cookies are a luxury item)

21. Beer is not drunk purely for enjoyment... people either abstain from drinking or drink to get drunk (no middle ground)

Guangzhou sunrise

22. Getting a dark beer is nearly impossible

23. Go-kart racing is the best thing ever

24. The train system is more advanced than in US

25. Mobile phone ringtones are all cheesy pop songs

26. Fruit is served after every meal

27. Hotel rooms are much more spacious than in the US (better service as well)

28. People don't drink very much coffee (obviously)... and most coffee shops open after 9am


29. The average age of a millionaire in China is only 39 (that average is much higher in USA)


30. Many Chinese citizens that live in rural parts of the country are not allowed to work/live in the major cities. 

Chef Ken#1 (me) cooking up fried bananas

Overcoming the "Jet Lag" terrors

Over the years, I've been on many long haul flights to Asia... and have had to suffer through many bouts of jet lag. I don't think there is any way to completely eliminate jet lag, but I've developed a decent system to minimize its effects. Below is a synopsis of my system.

First, it really depends on what time of day you arrive at your destination. I prefer arriving early in the afternoon (as opposed to late at night or early in the morning). My arrival time will effect how I deal with the airplane flight... and how I deal with the first day after arrival.

If arriving early in the afternoon, below are some flight & first day tips:
-Sleep as much as you can during the first half of your flight
**Don't take sleeping pills!!
**If you have trouble sleeping (or are forced to fly coach), have a couple glasses of wine (alcohol is free on international flights)
-Make sure not to sleep too much though... because this will affect how well you're able to sleep through the night upon arrival.
-When you arrive, do anything you can to stay awake until after 10PM
**Again, a glass or two of wine will help

If arriving early in the morning, follow same steps as above with one exception:
-Sleep as much as you can during the duration of your flight

If arriving at night, you will need to make a few adjustments:
-Stay awake for the duration of your flight. Yes, this might suck... but it will suck even more if arrive at your destination and aren't able to get to sleep until 6AM (and then sleep through the day... when you could be out doing stuff). By staying awake for the duration of your flight, you will be exhausted by the time you arrive at your hotel... and will fall right asleep.
**Occasionally, I will wake up around 4am and be wide awake. The key is to just clear your mind and relax.
**Again, a glass or two of wine will help upon arrival.

Now that you have the flight and Day 1 taken care of, you will have to deal with Day 2.
-When you wake up, have a quick snack (apple is good) and go to the gym.
-After the gym, have a full breakfast.
-No matter how good you feel in the morning, you're going to hit the "2PM wall". Do not nap!!.. because that will just screw you up the following day. If you feel exhausted, get up and walk around (preferably outside). Coffee will also help.
-If anyone offers to take you out to dinner, accept the invitation!! This will help keep you awake.
-Do not go to sleep until after 10PM  (11PM is better).
**Repeat these steps in Day 3 and Day 4. 

By day 3, the jetlag effects will start to dissipate... and by day 4, they should be almost gone.

Hope this helps!.. and enjoy your travels.