Things that become normal #4

Full Camouflage Gear

Our teammate, Andy, bundles up to head outside everyday much like everyone else in Harbin only he wears full camouflage gear. Coming from the southern USA this is the only warm gear he owns. Good thing he hasn't tried to hide from us or we may not be able to find him. Then again, he would probably stand out against the white snow!

Things that become normal #3

Putting on layers before heading outside for anything.

Every time we want to go outside, we start the process early. It takes time to get all the clothes on. Since our apartment is heater, we often wear shorts and t-shirts inside. Thus the long process of putting on "outside clothes." These outfits include 2 pairs of long johns, pants (flannel lined if extra cold outside), undershirts, t-shirts, sweater, and a jacket. Not to mention the gloves, hats, and scarves. Hopefully sometime this nest term we'll get a video posted of layering up Kanyon to head outside.

Things that become normal #2

After a semester of giving Kanyon a bath, the giant orange bath tub becomes normal. We don't flinch even once when we take the shower head off the wall to fill up the tub. We don't flinch when we unplug the tub and let the water drain all over the bathroom floor. (Remember bathrooms in China are a combo toilet, shower, sink, all-in-one.) The tub does have some normalcy in that there are bath toys stuck to the wall keeping him entertained.

What's Normal? #2

Much like the Tonka truck demonstration of the previous post, the driving in China is something that becomes normal after some time in the country.

Normal #2: Driving cars like bicycles

We read a recent magazine article that said the reason the driving in China is like it is stems from the fact that China moved quickly from bicycles to cars and many people drive their car like they would a bicycle. This involves changing lanes quickly, narrowly missing other cars, lanes as merely guidelines, and others. The motorcycles here in China often are treated like bikes or even pedestrians. Often times motorcycles ignore the street lights or even drive on sidewalks honking at pedestrians walking where they belong because obviously a motorcycle has the right-of-way on the sidewalk too.

But you do get used to the cars, motorcycles, bikes, pedestrians, horse drawn carts, buses, taxies, trucks, and all other means of transportation on the road. In "China Road" by Rob Gifford, the means of transportation is compared to a food chain with the pedestrians on the bottom rising all the way to the top of the heap with the driver of a 2009 BMW 5 series or Land Rover.

What's Normal?

When we first arrived in China three years ago, many things were a little odd or strange to us then. But now these have become normal to us probably because we've gotten used to them or see them everyday. Often times we come to like and appreciate these new "normal" things but some will always be odd even if they are "normal." Over the next couple of months we'll explore what's "normal" here in China.

Normal #1: Tang



While there is Coca-cola, Sprite, 7-up, Pepsi, and just about any fruit drink you could ever want, we prefer Tang. There is almost always a jug of chilled Tang in our frig waiting for guests or for meal time. If you ever come over, we'll poor you a glass.