Things have been moving so fast recently. We”re nearing the end of our contract (just one month left) and everything is one big rush. It’’s going to be pretty sad leaving our school but, to be honest, I think we”re both ready to leave China.

These feelings were, for me at least, compounded yesterday afternoon when we witnessed a mother helping her child urinate on the floor of the (packed) bus we were traveling in. Did anyone say anything? No. Did anyone except Yuki and I even glance? No. Did anyone else seem to notice the smell as the urine trickled the length of the bus? Of course not. I think someone needs to tell all these economists that talk endlessly about China leading the world into the 21st century that, in a rich city just outside of Shanghai, the Chinese middle-classes still think it’’s ”A-Ok” to piss on the floor of a bus.

Disgusting habits aside, I also think it will also be nice to return to a world where people can resist the urge to shout ”lao-wai” (foreigner) whenever they see a white person, and have the ability to comprehend that a Chinese person born in England may not inherently know how to speak Mandarin.

Don”t get me wrong, most Chinese people, once they get over the whole ”Oh my god you”re not Chinese” complex, seem to be really friendly and welcoming (far more pleasant than most English people), but it’’s hard to just pass of all their behavior as ”cultural difference” - some things are just plain wrong or disgusting.

Oh, by the way, check out our X”ian pictures.

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