some stuff you d probably never knew about
China:

1. Babies-Toddlers are treated almost like royalty.
(thanks to a la one-child policy)
and they all look so darn rosy-cheeks cute- its unbelivable.

2. The streets are the scariest.
green light or not, motorists
have full right to curve round bends and streets in Shanghai
horning is mandatory to gently remind pedestrians to get out of the way
unless you wanna foot his/her hospital bills.

3. Taxis have a plastic cover to protect the cabbie, seperating him from
onboard passengers. (quite laudable, Spore should too)

4. you know the saying, if every China natioinal were to spit on you,
you d drown?
its lucky i can swim.

(a little exaggerated, but spitting is a bad habit-
still not stomped out proper)

5. Bargaining. its one of the biggest mental pyschological games
you can play in the wonder shopping lanes of China.
eg. i got a wallet from 180 yuan (opening price) to 30 yuan!
but its hard work, really.
tip: better to get the shopkeeper to like you than put down
the price by comparing it to cheap fake trash.

6. Smoking. 2 out of 3 people i estimate, smoke.

7. China has really improved from the past.
the restaurants i ve been to have koi in mini riverlets
with small bridges too to walk over them- and you pay about
as much compared to high-class foodcourt dishes!
Subway is also twice as cheap (admittedly, the subs were on offer)
i went to toilets where i didnt want to leave.
(Hyatt Hotel, Hangzhou)
ps. sadly i didnt stay there =X

8. The biggest bookstore in Shanghai is a full SEVEN storeys large.
okayy cant think of much else now

oh! and the people can be very...feisty.
or, independent.
all myths about demure, quiet Shanghai women are kinda blown away
when you see how well-dressed and sophisticated they dress.
and they will fight!
with loud voices and all, men and women.
something i admire actually, the ability not to be cowed,
and to fight back for what you believe in.

the example i saw was not very good though, it was a lady tout
trying to give illegal tour services. (not a official tour guide)
she and the police park rangers were fighting so loudly
she was forcibly chased out by at least 2-3 of them.

even then, she was still yelling.