On the positive side...
Aug. 30th, 2007 07:11 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
indigo_rose99Steelgoh's response to a recent post has reminded me that there are good sides to every trip. What are mine?
* I got to see that silly sign that talks about "You and me together must aforest the bodyguard." or something like that. *snort/laugh*
* I found out that Chinese people who actually read English fluently usually don't bother. So several times I pointed out English translations that they should take the time to enjoy. In my hotel room in Xiamen there was this little card describing what the hotel though we should not do. It was intended as a Don't Be Stupid card, with the list including things like smoking in bed, fighting, abusing the fire extinguishers... But the English was so bad that I was laughing hysterically as I read it out to T.
* I did a bit of Christmas shopping. Nothing big or flashy, but it is a decent start.
* At the mall near my hotel in Shenzhen, I discovered that there are other floors. The escalators are a bit hard for non-Chinese-readers to find. And I discovered that there is a floor for me! The clothes were actually quite lovely, the jewelry wearable. It had some name like "Mature Woman" or something, but it was nice to know that there is a category for me. Of course, the clothes were still in tiny Asian sizes, so there was no point in trying them on. But the idea was very comforting.
* I learned the odd fact that cheese is not a staple of Chinese diet. Children do not grow up eating it, so many Chinese adults dislike it. It is an acquired taste during adulthood. And three of the adults I discussed it with stated a preferences for the stinky green cheese that I intensely dislike! They said that the milder cheeses were difficult to differentiate and not so interesting.
* I learned that no matter the hotel, they will provide an extra sheet when I ask. If I leave the sheet on the bed, they will remove it every day. So remember to hide it, or get used to calling housekeeping every evening and asking for a new one. Though the fourth time I asked, they didn't ask for spelling or a dictionary definition... Perhaps I am doing my duty in teaching them English?
* I have learned that many hotels are quite stubborn about providing an electric fan when asked. They claim that they do not stock them for guests and these fans are very difficult to acquire. I've seen them for sale on the street (not the first night of my arrival, or I would have bought one for myself!). "If there anything we can do to make your stay more pleasant, please let us know!" wasn't actually meant to be taken seriously. *blink*
* Hotels skip strangely numbered floors. Some hotels skip the 4th. Some skip the 13th. One had a 4th floor, but skipped the 13th and 14th floors. One skipped 4, 5, 6 and 7, but had everything else up to 28.
* Convenience stores in China sometimes have Japanese fast food -- onigiri! Quick, easy, and can be stored in my hotel booze frig. Yum.
* I got to see that silly sign that talks about "You and me together must aforest the bodyguard." or something like that. *snort/laugh*
* I found out that Chinese people who actually read English fluently usually don't bother. So several times I pointed out English translations that they should take the time to enjoy. In my hotel room in Xiamen there was this little card describing what the hotel though we should not do. It was intended as a Don't Be Stupid card, with the list including things like smoking in bed, fighting, abusing the fire extinguishers... But the English was so bad that I was laughing hysterically as I read it out to T.
* I did a bit of Christmas shopping. Nothing big or flashy, but it is a decent start.
* At the mall near my hotel in Shenzhen, I discovered that there are other floors. The escalators are a bit hard for non-Chinese-readers to find. And I discovered that there is a floor for me! The clothes were actually quite lovely, the jewelry wearable. It had some name like "Mature Woman" or something, but it was nice to know that there is a category for me. Of course, the clothes were still in tiny Asian sizes, so there was no point in trying them on. But the idea was very comforting.
* I learned the odd fact that cheese is not a staple of Chinese diet. Children do not grow up eating it, so many Chinese adults dislike it. It is an acquired taste during adulthood. And three of the adults I discussed it with stated a preferences for the stinky green cheese that I intensely dislike! They said that the milder cheeses were difficult to differentiate and not so interesting.
* I learned that no matter the hotel, they will provide an extra sheet when I ask. If I leave the sheet on the bed, they will remove it every day. So remember to hide it, or get used to calling housekeeping every evening and asking for a new one. Though the fourth time I asked, they didn't ask for spelling or a dictionary definition... Perhaps I am doing my duty in teaching them English?
* I have learned that many hotels are quite stubborn about providing an electric fan when asked. They claim that they do not stock them for guests and these fans are very difficult to acquire. I've seen them for sale on the street (not the first night of my arrival, or I would have bought one for myself!). "If there anything we can do to make your stay more pleasant, please let us know!" wasn't actually meant to be taken seriously. *blink*
* Hotels skip strangely numbered floors. Some hotels skip the 4th. Some skip the 13th. One had a 4th floor, but skipped the 13th and 14th floors. One skipped 4, 5, 6 and 7, but had everything else up to 28.
* Convenience stores in China sometimes have Japanese fast food -- onigiri! Quick, easy, and can be stored in my hotel booze frig. Yum.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no cheese--most Asians are lactose intolerant
Date: 2007-08-30 12:44 am (UTC)