Expectations

My flight is officially in less than a month now so I thought it might be fun to make a list of things that I am expecting to encounter in China.I have of course done some research but I am sure there will be plenty of surprises along the way and it might be funny to see the difference between what I think China will be like as I sit here on my couch in L.A with my puppy and my fiancé versus what China is actually like when I arrive.

What I Think of China Now

• They will spit...and smoke...a lot
• Dog is found on the menu in most restaurants
• Babies don't wear diapers and can be seen doing their business in the streets
• If you even so much as think something bad about the government they will hunt you down
• Everyday is like a really crowded day at Disneyland...a Disneyland that is covered in a layer of polluted smog
• People are very nice and friendly but they won't understand a word I attempt to say to them and vice versa
• There will be lots of beautiful scenery but also lots of people trying to see the beautiful scenery 
• There is no such thing as personal space.You will be touched everyday,everywhere,in every way
• Anything I attempt to order at a restaurant will be served with a head...and possibly still be moving
• Starbucks will become my refuge and I will go there all the time just to feel something familiar
• Everybody will stare at me with my natural semi-blonde hair and comparatively tan skin and large rear

So that is what I am expecting to find. I know I didn't paint a very optimistic view but at this point I am preparing myself to expect for the worst and hope for the best. I am sure it will be so much more than what I expect and I am excited to spend a year finding out what China is really all about so that when I am preparing to come back to the US I will be able to create a list of all the things I am going to miss about living in China : )