First impressions of China – Observations volume 1.

1. Everything is in Chinese
2. There are a lot of Chinese people 
3. Spitting – or “hawking” as they seem to call it, in the street is OK 
4. Shitting – yes people, shitting.  Literally babies with crotch less trousers – yes BABIES, with CROTCH LESS trousers, being held by their mothers in the street as they pooped out their dinner
5. Dogs – both as pets and as food 
6. Taxis are just as hard to get as in London – and taxi drivers are reluctant to pick up white people (ironic)
7. Staring – being stared at in the street by all manner of people
8. English – there’s not much of it, apart from the lovely little girl who, on the train to Beijing said to me “Hello.  Welcome to China” in near perfect English
9. Modern – not all Hutongs and quaint little villages, but skyscrapers, long streets and up market shopping centres
10. Not being able to cross the road, ever.  Traffic can turn corners even when the light is green
11. Hairstyles – because everyone has black hair, you get all manner of died hair colours – ginger, yellow, red – to differentiate themselves
12. And finally – Chinese is a very, very hard language to speak, and get right.  Asking for the toilet “ceszuo zai nar” has become an epic trial in itself