How you know a Chinese summer has arrived.....

**Split pants. These never go away but when they wear the big snowsuits you don't see little butts and private parts as often.

**Short shorts / skirts.  Back home some of these outfits would be considered trashy - here it's the fashion.

**Ugly Chinese bellies. In the summer Chinese men think this will keep them cool. They come in all shapes, sizes, and ages.  I've heard the bigger the belly the better....shows they have money. I'd prefer if they kept their shirts down.

**Little girls with short hair. This one gets me every time if they're not wearing a dress. Luckily they don't seem to care if you call their girl a boy.

**冰峰 is back and it's cold.  This is a local Xi'an drink.  It's cheap and tastes just like orange soda.  Normally I hate orange soda but this isn't too sweet and when you come into a hot restaurant from the hot outside, nothing tastes better.

**Truckloads of watermelons.  I'm not exaggerating.  There are truckloads of watermelons everywhere.  There's a guy that sits out side my apartment and sells them.  They're sweet and cheap.

**Foreigners!  I miss people that don't look Chinese. There are lots of traveling foreigners around now and sometimes I catch myself staring at them and reaching for my camera. 

**Umbrellas - in the sun, in the shade, in the rain, on the bus (sun comes in the windows).  Is there ever a time NOT to use one??  Personally I hate carrying an umbrella, even in the rain, so you won't see me with one of these 'fashionable' accessories.

And finally I know it's summer because it's HOT....everywhere. This summer I will be fighting the heat with only a fan.  I have no air-conditioning in my new 21st floor apartment.  So far it's manageable.  However, I remember the summer being unbearable around the end of August, beginning of September of last year.   Something to look forward to!

Traffic light chaos

There are many intersections that look like this all the time so I don't think this is that bad, but this is what happens when a traffic light goes out.  It made me think of America and how organized we are when the lights aren't working. Everyone knows what to do and takes turns.  It's so calm!  In China everyone just goes and it causes a jam in the middle.  I realized as I was crossing this intersection when the traffic light was working that it's really not that much different.  This is one of the things I dislike about China - the lack of traffic rules.  Pedestrians have no right of way.  Motorbikes act like pedestrians, cars, buses, or whatever is most convenient for them.  All forms of transportation just do whatever they want and no one cares. When crossing the street there are buses, bikes, motorbikes, and cars going in all different directions so you always have to be careful.  To top it off they are unbelievably bad drivers. 

An IV drip for trees?

It doesn't matter what you're sick with the Chinese think all medicines should be administered through an IV.  Sometimes you go back every day for about 3 days to get it.    I was shocked when I went to the hospital and that wasn't the first thing they prescribed for me.  They did say if I wasn't better after I took the pills then I should come back for an IV. Despite still being sick, I didn't go back.

I've been here for 15 months and I still see things that surprise me on a daily basis.  Near my apartment there is a street with lots of newly planted trees.  They are being held up by branches and given an IV for nourishment!