Five things I love to hate about China

Five things I hate, about China, yet secretly love. I had this idea on the subway ride to work a few days ago. I realized I was a fraud, because all the things I claim to hate, I honestly don't. That or I have greatly adjusted to my new life in China. 

The things are listed in order from most tolerable to least tolerable, five being the most tolerable and one being the most obnoxious.

I've blogged all of my pet peeves about China to date. However, I haven't always been completely honest. Although there are a lot of things I hate here, within the hate is a twisted reason for loving those same things.

5. Traffic!
Even with the car lottery, in a city of 25million+, traffic is inevitable. I hate the traffic and the fact that there is no courtesy driving (i.e. having the right-a-way, turning right on red.). Initially this irked me to no end, but now that I'm practically a Beijinger, I've mastered crossing traffic on foot: Just keep walking! Everyone does it and only an idiot would run over a human. Sure they'll honk, but especially now that it's winter I make vehicles wait for me. I'm obviously not completely careless about crossing the street but if there's a gap, I'm taking it. J-walking isn't punishable here.

4. Pollution.
On a day when pollution is at 600%, and I look out my window and can't see the building across from my apartment it's depressing as all hell. On the plus side, it's the perfect excuse to lay in bed all day and be lazy while receiving no judgments from others because chances are they're doing the same thing.

3. Manners.
Less of a pet peeve now than it is an adjustment. Coughs and sneezes are never covered but more a head turned to the side and bystanders hoping they're not on either side of the germ splatter. Spitting is so common here it's probably more frowned upon not to spit. Spitting has never bothered me because I do it, too. I know it's a filthy habit but I don't really give a shit. I love that I can spit on the street here, and even though I'm a girl, no one gives it a second glance. However, it's disgusting that many people will spit on the trains and inside buildings.

2. Stares.
The stares are another adjustment rather than pet peeve. In Western culture it's rude, regardless of your reason for staring. In China, foreigners of all sexes and ages are stared at like caged zoo animals. There are different types of stares from different types of locals (which I've noted in a previous blog.) Many foreigners despise this and others ignore it. I ignore the stares for the most part, but if it's a child I smile. If I'm having a good day I feel like a celebrity and smile so that's fun, but if I'm cranky I want to give my audience the bird.

1. Pace.
The thing I fear I will never adjust to here is the pace. For anything and everything the pace is an extreme level of SLOW. The only positive I get from this, and I only get it if I'm not in a hurry or if I'm in a good mood, is how relaxed an entire country can be. They're never in a rush. Usually big cities are always a go go go mentality, but in this giant city, in the largest country in the world, everyone lulls.

And this is just about 3 o' clock in the afternoon...