first impression of china

ok, so i should probably share my first impressions of mainland china. you know how they say first impressions last a lifetime or something like that? anyway .... we were on the bus to our hotel or theme park or something like that and we were driving along the main drag and passed a bus stop where a man was holding his butt-nekkid kid in a sort of squat position, bouncing him up and down ... the kids knees were up by his ears and the rest of him was just hanging out for the rest of the world to see. we were like "what the .....?" and "jason" was just like "he's just trying to get his kid to go poop." we were like "uh, on the sidewalk?" and he's like "uh .... yea" ... in a tone that was like "where else do you expect him to go."

not too long later i saw a guy peeing on the side of the road ... at least he was doing it into a bush ... and then there's the spitting. everyone spits, everywhere and often. oh, and my friend stephanie warned me about this, but they don't use kleenex/tissue here for blowing noses .... they just blow it all out and let it land where it lands. snot rockets abound. there's no covering of mouths when coughing or sneezing either. oh, and no napkins are given at restaurants either. we always have to ask them, which is an ordeal unto itself..... the last time i tried asking for them i was given a plaid wool blanket. but when we do get them, they are in the form of kleenex. i came prepared and brought some huggies wet wipes with me, and let's just say they are gold.