Our Brains have Changed

We have now passed the 6 week mark of living here, well, Joe passed it before we got here, so at least we are now all in the same state. Joe attended a seminar during his orientation that discussed the fact that living in a different culture has will actually make an irreversible change in one's brain and it happens around the 6 week mark. Therefore, we are officially different from when we arrived here and we will never be the same... This is not to say, however, that we have lost our minds, although I'm sure the notion has entered some of yours when we decided to leave Canada for 2 years. ;)

Some things that let me know my brain has indeed changed are:

• We now say "ni hao" to everyone we greet, even if they initially greet us with "hello."
• We cross the street very cautiously as pedestrians have no right of way, and traffic lights may or may not be obeyed, plus sidewalks are not exclusive to those walking... anything with 2 or 4  wheels that fits is fair game.
• Even with the craziness on the streets, it is actually quite a "safe" place, in that there is very little street crime so I feel OK walking alone in the dark.
• Riding on bikes without helmets, packed up as much as possible is the way to travel for 80% of the population here, ourselves included.
• The "smell" is no longer evident to me and foods don't taste as strange.
• When we order water at a restaurant we expect it to be warm or borderline hot; apparently there is a superstition that if one drinks too much cold water their body won't be able to accept warmth in the winter...so we have learned to order "bing shui" - ice water.
• We think drinking yogurt through a straw (just like a juice box) is such a great idea.
• We are fluent in understanding RMB - Chinese currency.
• We can count to 10 on one hand as the Chinese do.
• When we see a poodle or other small dog running around it is no longer a surprise to see it wearing clothes. That's right - jeans, hoodies, sweats, you name it.
•  Our apartment has 2 bedrooms and the sleeping arrangement is such that Autumn and Lachlan share not only a room but also a bed. Upon learning this, Autumn was very disgruntled... But the other night when Lachlan had a bad dream and came to my bed, she woke up a few hours later and came to see where he was. When she found him with me, she cried out in distress, "but I can't sleep alone." :)
• Before I left Canada, Joe and I had a conversation in which he told me we could go to the McDonalds that is not too far from our place, with which (and some of you might know this about me) I passionately disagreed. Well, one night when we were out the Golden Arches beckoned and we responded with no qualms from my end. 

These tell me for sure our brains have changed and yet I wonder if we have not lost a part of them to the sweet chaos that is our life in China.

Written by Brenda

P.S. Unfortunately, I am having trouble getting photos up, I will try to have this working by my next entry :)