10 Things I Didn't Know Before I Moved To China

1. Just how little the things are that can make me happy. A friend gave me Velveeta cheese last night, and I was thrilled. (And I'm still talking about it today.) This might also just mean I have very low food standards.

2. All of China uses same time zone, Beijing Time. (Imagine if the U.S. were on Eastern Time across the country, that's what it's like here.) I live in the Western part of the country, so the sun sets and rises very early. I miss evening sunshine. And morning darkness!

3. There are around 50 minority populations in China.  Before I came here, I was only aware of one: Tibetans. Often they have special laws and their own homelands. The attempt to integrate minority populations sometimes causes tension.

4. I am more patient than I gave myself credit for. But also less intelligent.

5. Chinese Muslim food exists. And, it is very good.

6. We walk like we drive. Learning to drive teaches us spatial relations and how to maneuver so that others can pass by unscathed. Lots of people here *cough* have never driven a car.

7. All television shows here are automatically close-captioned with Chinese characters so they can be broadcast to either Mandarin or Cantonese speaking audiences. (Mandarin and Cantonese use the same written language.)

8. Sometimes what appears to be a genuine friend, isn't.  (Maybe I knew this before; but here, I've faced the very harsh reality of it.)

9. South Korean popular culture is big here. This is a video for Rain, a popular S. Korean pop star. He's referred to as the Korean Justin Timberlake. (Song starts @ about minute 2. He sings in Korean and English.) Korean guys overall are popular with my female students, they are the hotties.

10. Just how deeply the freedom to make personal decisions has influenced my ability to think for and take care of myself.

BONUS: Making lists is very Western; the Chinese think in circular, overlapping patterns, not linear.