Asianifications

Most days, I feel very different from most people here and stick out like a sore thumb. I'm very aware of my "American"-ness, my "other"-ness, my tallness, my left-handedness (new writing teacher drew attention to it yet again today), my ginger-ness, whatever you'd like to call it. But sometimes I laugh when I notice ways in which I've become more "Asianified" since I've been here (going on a year now...crazy)!

1. I like hot water.
You say, "Yeah, I like hot water too...it's great for showers, and boiling spaghetti." No, I mean I like drinking hot water. I really don't mind when they give it to me at restaurants and massage places. Not when it's hot outside, no, that's torture. But in the winter? YES PLEASE. And in the summer, room temperature without ice is just fine!

I teased another American lady this past winter when she said she loved sitting with a big mug of hot water in her hands and sipping it to warm up...and then 2 days later I found myself doing the same thing. Sometimes you just don't want any more caffeine for the day, or you realize you're cold AND dehydrated...so drinking hot water is the perfect solution!

2. My squatting proficiency is growing.
Don't worry, there's nothing gross about what I'm about to say. I have notoriously short Achilles tendons, even for an American. I remember when my growth spurt happened and my heels started hurting because my tendons hadn't stretched as fast as I had grown, and I had to do these special stretches everyday. I would have never had that problem if I'd grown up over here! I've noticed that little by little, my heels are able to get closer to the floor, making it much easier to balance on a squatty potty. Will they ever touch the floor, like so many people's effortlessly do? Possibly not, but I'm making progress!

3. I have actually used a parasol a couple of times.
Not too often, but some! Not because I care too much about keeping my skin "bai bai de" (trust me, that takes absolutely no effort), but because sometimes when that sun is beating down, a parasol just makes sense! (Note: my "parasol" is actually my umbrella...but it does the trick).

4. I drive like a local.
I don't honk as much as some, that's true. But I have noticed my electric bike driving is pretty assertive, and also that I pretty much never use my rear view mirrors. You say, "Becky, that's dangerous!" Over here, not really. Actually, it's safer to constantly keep your eye in front of you and to the sides and trust people behind you to adjust accordingly. People here pretty much just look in front of them, and you are expected to watch what's in front of you and honk if you're about to crash in to somebody who's in your way. They then are expected to listen to your honk and move, and if they don't move then you keep honking, and that's the way it goes. Unfortunately, this even goes for cars backing out of spaces. They often don't look behind them and just expect the oncoming electric bike traffic to stop. And stop we do, because we know somebody has to be looking.

5. I am constantly discovering new uses for chopsticks.
Seriously, who knew they could be so useful? With chopsticks, you don't need spatulas, tongs, stirring spoons, real locks on public bathroom doors, or even real plumbing equipment (kind of a joke on that last one, although friends have told me that plumbers have literally fixed their toilets with chopsticks before. And I have most definitely seen a chopstick stuck through a public toilet lock). I use chopsticks to whip my scrambled eggs, stir my coffee, flip my bacon...The uses are limitless!

6. I like tea more than coffee.
Hahahaaaaa, just kidding! I really had you there for a second, didn't I?

Although I do love both.

Probably too much.

Really enjoying that imported Starbucks Autumn Blend right now.

7. I don't accept compliments.
I was never that good at accepting compliments in the States, and people would often get on to me for it...but luckily that means I fit in well here! Here, it's more polite to disagree if someone compliments you than to say "Thank you." So if someone gives me a compliment, I usually wave my hand dismissively and say, "Oh no, I'm not good" or something along those lines.

Now, if I ever have a child and raise her over here, I will NEVER culturally adjust to saying, "Oh no, my daughter's so ugly!" or "Oh no, she's actually very stupid!" ...but that's another thing entirely. :-D

8. I make weird comments.
A couple months ago, some American friends visited and ordered dog at a restaurant so they could experience some special "local cuisine."

When I heard about this, my objection was not to the fact that they were eating dog (and donkey, by the way). Here's what I actually said:

"They're eating dog? But it's summer!"

(Note: only people who have been to this area will get that one. Dog meat is supposed to warm you up and therefore is traditionally eaten in the winter. My objection was the same one a local person would make!)

9. I most definitely had my first dream in Chinese a couple nights ago.
Although, during the whole dream I felt like I was struggling to make people understand me, and I kept having to repeat myself. Still, that counts, right?! :-D

Interestingly, this is not the first time I've noticed myself making cultural adjustments. After moving to Texas, I still remember when my "I" sound started to come out more like "ah", the moment I started liking Dr. Pepper, hearing "like white on rice" for the first time, the first time I ate brisket (and dove, and quail, and other delicious things), and the moment I began to like Mexican food other than quesadillas. I guess it's kinda true what they say about Texas being a whole other country. :) So maybe this wonderful place over here isn't so different after all!