The 13 "wonders" of The Peoples Republic of China

1. We wonder why all men pull up their shirts and show their belly, and sometimes, if you are extremely lucky, even their moobs (man boobs) too.
   
   Thoughts: We believe it is some cultural sign to show your belly, thus showing you are feeling well, or being "happy"... that or it is some sign of "power" where you by showing your belly state that you are "well off".
   
2. We wonder why the truck that cleans the streets at night in Chengdu plays a song similar to that of the "Hemglass - truck" in Sweden (only with a chinese flavour).
   
   Thoughts: There are no thoughts, this is still a mystery. Any and all thoughts on this are welcome additions to this unrivaled mystery.
   
3. We wonder why, when you walk on a sidewalk (which is for walking, correct?), and you meet a moped going in the other direction and heading straight at you, they seem confused on how to proceed and invariably head straight toward you instead of ducking to the side.
   
   Thoughts: Could be that it is just us, whities, that should realize that we, on part of us being white, should get out of the way.
   
4. We wonder why so many people are doing jobs that normally takes one person to do, for instance,
   - every local bus has one driver and one person who runs around taking money from everyone, despite there being a drop point for money by the driver. Apparently the driver can not collect the money for the bus. Sometimes, like in Beijing, there are even two people running around collecting money, even though the bus is almost empty.
   - There are people at every stop light waving red flags directing car traffic and when the pedestrians are allowed to cross the street. That would be ok, if it wasnt for the fact that there are well functioning traffic lights. Even better ones than in Sweden.
   - When you enter into a store, there are at least two people greeting you (and thats their only job)
   
   Thoughts: Unemployment statistics. There was a note in a chinese newspaper that unemployment had fallen drastically recently. This, we believe, is due to Wonder no 4.
   
5. We wonder why there are vacuum packed packages of marinated bird feet lying around everywhere in stores.
   
   Thoughts: Probably because they are considered yummy and really delicious. We wont try them to find out if its true tho.
   
6. We wonder why there is no bread to be found anywhere except really, really disgusting bread that tastes like sweetened hot dog bread with a lump of red guck the size of a babys fist inside of it.
   
   Thoughts: We've so far seen no chinese person eat bread. Maybe it is considered a luxury, or maybe they just dont like it?
   
7. We wonder what it is they are eating or breathing in that makes it necessary to noisily spit absolutely everwhere, and publically pick your nose with your entire fist stuck up there. And they are not ashamed to do it in the super market, the buses, restaurants, airplane, you name it. Nowhere.
   
   Thoughts: Could it be the vacuum packed marinated bird feet? Or, perhaps, the lack of bread in their diet? We also believe the insane pollution could be part of the problem. Sometimes you cant even see a kilometer ahead on an open plain.
   
8. We wonder why a book store called "Foreign books" only carries chinese books.
   
   Thoughts: Because even written chinese is foreign to them? No. Maybe there we're no chinese books in that store, but instead korean, japanese and cantonese books. We would have no idea how to tell them apart, really.
   
9. We wonder the procedure they use to clean, since they do not appear to use any cleaning chemicals because you have to use flip flops in the shower in order not to get warts.
   
   Thoughts: All that is used is a dirty towel. We believe it is used for everything. Regardless, we've managed to get a hold of 6 pairs of free hotel flip flops for our Tibet trip. Doesnt hurt being prepared now does it.
   
10. We wonder why there are so many public toilets all over China, and why they are always full.
    
    Thoughts: Do people not have toilets at home?
    
11. We wonder why all babies in China have their "groinal area" of their pants cut open.
    
    Thoughts: Diapers are perhaps too expensive, and besides, when a baby has to go, it really has to go, so it is a lot easier to just hold "it" a couple of feet above ground and let "it" do its needs in the open.
    
12. We wonder how the pandas managed to survive at all. This is what we've been told; the panda has a breeding period of one week each year, and is extremely picky on who it chooses to procreate with. They are solitary animals that spends most of their time alone, so during this "breeding week" they have a hard time finding each other. They also eat nothing but bamboo, and because of their thick fur it is hard for them to adapt to warm weather, yet it lives in bamboo forests (sort of tropical) in China.
    
    Thoughts: Also, an unknown mystery. When, or perhaps if, the panda goes extinct, dont go blaming humans on that.
    
13. We wonder what this means; Who did daffle furniture enterprises to pullulate.
    
    Thoughts: No.