The word China brings different things to different people’s minds–the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, crowded streets, perhaps a Chinese restaurant and chopsticks. Or maybe rice paddies. What do the Chinese grow? Rice! What do the Chinese eat? Rice! What is the icon that is all over China? Rice Paddies! So flying into this new country, face glued to the plane’s window, snapping photos, I saw this famous emblem through the mist. I knew I was in China.

After the airport rigmarole, we went to a Chinese restaurant (with our brother-in-law speaking the language) and once more we knew that this was China, with no forks even if you asked, and a pot of tea for all.

In the taxi it was definitely China. Where else would you drive on the wrong side of the road to get past a traffic jam, with cars coming towards us. (This happened more than once during our stay.)

In the bus we knew it was the Chook of Asia (if Italy is a boot, then China is shaped like a running chicken.) People argued in loud, harsh, Mandarin tones above our heads about seating arrangements and luggage.
And it had to be China when our brother-in-law parked us in (what Australians would consider) the middle of a road lane while he waved a taxi, and then dragged us across a minimum of six lane intersection (the busiest intersection in Nanning) all on our very first day in this weird and wonderful land.

Our First Day in China