Things I am going to Love about China: 5 of 100

The Warm Weather

In light of the horrible winter storms in the Midwest (and the sad collapse of the Hubert Humphrey Metrodome) I would like to include yet another reason why Shekou, China is awesome.

THE WEATHER!

The average temperature of a Shekou winter is 59 - 77 degrees Fahrenheit! Now this doesn't make for a white Christmas but I'm willing to sacrifice that feeling for a few years, in favor of not having to scrape the ice off of the car every morning.

Maybe I'm being a humbug about all this, but last Christmas I almost froze to death for two weeks straight trying to claw my way to Everest Base Camp, so yea, I'm ready for some sunshine.

Things I am going to Love about China: 4 of 100

Chinese Walmart




There are actually very few countries in the world with a Walmart, so needless to say I can't get my 'Mart on here in Kazakhstan.

But things are about to change! Walmart-China offers a variety of items not found in the USofA. Such as alligators, turtles, frogs, pig-faces, ducks, and even anti-bacterial-bikini-underwear for men!

Now I know what some of you are thinking, "Walmart is Evil". But imagine trying to live in a country where you can't buy your TV-Dinner in the same store where you buy your pantyhose. Where you can't buy your new car tires in the same store where you buy your baby crib (Especially when the Tire Store is on the other side of the city of the Baby-Crib Store).
Imagine!

Check out more here!
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/16-products-they-only-sell-at-chinese-walmarts

Thins I am going to Love about China: 3 of 100

The Tall Buildings



Yes that's right. Eleven of the 20-tallest buildings on Earth are in China. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be able to see 5 of these from my the balcony of my apartment.

Now, I've already been to the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building on Earth, in Dubai. And I've been on the top of the Empire State building and the Sears Tower (Before it was renamed Willis Tower after Bruce Willis) and I was in the Twin Towers about a month before those things went down. So being able to see more ridiculously tall buildings is going to be great!

Check out the full list here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_the_world

Things I am going to Love about China: 2 of 100

Chopsticks


Look to your left. Look to your right. If you are sitting between two Chinese people then chances are both of them use Chopsticks instead of forks and knives. Chopsticks were invented in China over 3,000 years ago and has since spread to most of South East Asia. Chopstick Facts:

*About one-third of the people in the world eat with chopsticks on a daily basis.

*In China, 45 billion pairs of chopsticks are used and thrown away annually.
That's 25 million fully grown trees every year.

*Chopstick length varies by country and by gender.
In Japan, chopstick stores will measure the length of your palm to fit your chopsticks perfectly.

* The Chinese call chopsticks "kwaitze" which means "quick ones."
"Chop, Chop" is pigeon-Chinese-English for "Quick".

*Small children often use training chopsticks (like bikes).
By Kindergarten children are usually capable of using the sticks like an adult!

Things I am going to love about China: 1 of 100

Disneyland Hong Kong

There are only 4 cities in the world with a Disneyland and I am going to live within a 45-minute fairy-ride of one of them. Like the Disneyland in California, the Chinese counterpart has Sleeping Beauty's Castle, a Jungle Cruise, and Space Mountain!

Admission is 350 dollars for a day pass. (Luckily that's Hong Kong dollars, so only $45 American!)

Here's to wondering what a Mandarin Donald Duck might sound like... or what a Mandarin Duck might taste like... yum!