BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND, IT’S  CHINA CULTURE SHOCK! 

Part of the reason I was interested in moving to China in the first place was to explore a culture completely different from my own. I wanted to experience “culture shock” and challenge myself. I’ve been living in China for over two years now, and I’m still constantly experiencing things that shock me, or just don’t make sense. Here is a collection of my crazy stories and cultural insights as I explore this mystifying nation.

While preemptively snooping on the results of my Reader Survey, I was surprised to find that a lot of you love my China Culture Shock series. Since so many of you wanted the return of my ridiculous China stories, who am I to deny you?

Also, if you haven’t taken my Reader Survey yet, be sure to do it NOW! The survey consists of 15 multiple choice questions that will help me better understand what you want to see on the blog. It should take about 5 minutes of your time, so whether you’ve been reading my blog for three weeks or three years, be sure to make your voice heard. Help me help you!

The epic Chinese Fire Drill

As many of you know, last year I worked as an English teacher at a high school in “the middle of nowhere” China. One day I was in the office getting some work done, when I was informed that we would have a fire drill.

“Do I have to go?” I asked. “Or can I just go back to my apartment during that time?”

I didn’t see the point in standing outside for an hour while all the students lined up. I’d been in enough fire drills in my life, I didn’t need to experience another one.

When the alarms went off, I gathered my things and threw them in my bag. I meant to head back to my on-campus apartment, but when I stepped outside I was in shock!

The students were running to the field. And by running, I mean sprinting.

What? How is this safe? What if one student slips on the way down the hard, tile steps on the way down from his 6th floor classroom? What if someone gets trampled??

Why were these teens running? Well, it wasn’t just the blaring alarm. The school had set off smoke bombs all over campus. You heard me. SMOKE BOMBS. With red smoke. It was like the whole school was actually on fire.

Screw going back to my apartment. I had to see this!

Just your average fire drill

I followed the running students to the field, where we all gathered. No one was lining up by class. No teachers were taking attendance. Way to be safe China. Once we were all on the field (not that the school would know), we had the chance to witness a firetruck set out a fire on a BBQ with its fire hose.

So basically fire drills are now fire safety entertainment shows.

After the fire truck exhibition, I was about to head back when the administrators started passing out fire extinguishers to students. WHAT??? That’s right. About twenty students with fire extinguishers. The administration then lit another bonfire in the BBQ. It was definitely a small enough fire to be put out by one fire extinguisher, so the fact that there were twenty somewhat frightened me.

The students crowded around the bonfire, with the twenty chosen ones standing in a semi-circle. We waited as there was a quick demonstration on how to use the fire extinguisher. One girl accidentally set her’s off, and everyone screamed and giggled.

Then we were ready. ONE… TWO…. THREE….. GO! All of the students descended on the innocent BBQ with their extinguishers. The smoke from the extinguishers completely enveloped the crowd as we all ran for our lives away from the BBQ, coughing and laughing.

Smoke galore

Was this Chinese fire drill really as ridiculous as it sounds? You be the judge. I have a video!

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