What caught your attention the most during your visit to China?

I will speak about some details in particular that caught my attention. I feel like issues like modernity and technology are very obvious. From the first day you step out of the airport, you realise how wrong you were about China. The skyscrapers, the taxis, the people, Qr codes everywhere, big signs… it kind of rubs you prejudices in your face. But details are not as blatant. You start picking them up after a while living there. I was a student in University of Nottingham Ningbo, so I got to interact and observe chinese students in their everyday life, as well as other locals. So these answer will focus about these little things instead of a long list detailing cuisine, technology and everything else. Because probably, most answers will have already dealt with that

One thing that I found really hilarious is that chinese man during the summer wear crop t-shirts. I don’t understand the reason but they usually walk around with their bellies out when temperatures are higher. I saw one man doing so and thought it was a one time thing. He probably was too hot. But then I kept seeing bellies out up and down the street.

Another thing that fascinated me is chinese locals ( Someone in the comment section told me it was in all Asia as well!) habilty to squat. I saw my chinese friend squating in the school cafeteria once for more than 20 minutes and asked if she was alright. Her reply was that she was just simply comfortable. I think it can be due to their bathrooms. As chinese usually use letrines instead of how they used to call it “european bathrooms”. But some people’s hability to stand squatting is simply amazing. In Shanghai, I saw a cooker squatting in the corner of a handrail and smoking peacefully. Us, foregneirs, tried to squat the same way they do and some couldn’t even do it! I am in the group of people that can almost reach the floor with the butt, so in that sense, I can resemble chinese locals a bit more

Another thing that I found completely fascinating is chinese fashion. I am not talking about fake brands (there are a lot), I am talking about their style. When it comes to older generations, it’s not so much but younger people walk around dressed to impress. I used to go to class and be fascinated by people’s looks. From different colours of hair every week to clothes items that I have never seen in my life before. As someone who appreciates fashion, I traveled to Japan and Korea and I still believe I have seen more stylish people in China than those two together.