Culture shock?

I'm realizing that we see things much differently than the Chinese people do. Instead of seeing the cup half empty, or the cup half full, they throw the cup out all together and take apart the faucet as well. Just when I think we are on the same page, I realize not only are we not on the same page, we are reading completely different books.
Let's see, we have "The bathroom scene"
Western toilets are considered unsanitary because if your bottom touches something and someone else's bottom touches it, that would be gross.
So, to overcome this, they choose to go with other options. Option 1) using a functioning flushable squatty potty...which leads to at times human waste on the floor and on your shoes (things tend to splash). These stalls could be with or without doors, or they could also have half doors that are easily seen over (very creative). I should add that the privacy standard is a little lower or maybe even non existent to what I am accustomed to...(still working through that.)
Option 2) Having a padlocked room that is seemingly without any sort of working plumbing, with not only squatty potties, but all different sizes and shapes of buckets used the same as the squatty potty would be used... and no ventilation. This renders a very wet and slippery floor and a smell that smacks you in the face like -70 degree winds coming at you full force as you walk out of a warm building. Eden and I were able to experience this option. Thankfully she didn't slip and I didn't pass out.
Option 3) Doing your business outside in the open...which surprisingly to me seems to be the MOST sanitary at this point. I actually find myself considering this option.
I now realize that there is a lot to think about when trying to overcome the issue of bare bottoms not touching the same toilet seat or urine getting on the toilet. It is funny that the western option is not sanitary to them and all their options seem quite unsanitary to me. I guess, when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
"Wow, I never would have thought about that being a job"
A couple of examples:
-A parking garage floor mopper. The parking garage floor is being mopped, with a mop and bucket, so you need to find a different place to park.
-Walking Street sweeper. The street gets dirt on it, so people sweep it with a broom (no dust pan though...maybe it would be considered a dirt mover?)
The ironic thing to me is that to my knowledge they haven't created a bathroom cleaner position. It seems they are concerned with things being clean, they just aren't the same things I would necessarily be concerned about being clean.

-Construction work: I just haven't quite figured out their methodology. Behind our house is a cement slab fenced off for a playground, without the playground equipment. One day I see people busy jackhammering the cement. I think "Oh yeah! they are putting in the playground equipment." I come home later in the day and see that those men worked so hard getting the ENTIRE area jackhammered and crushed and the cement removed. The next day I leave and come home to see that the entire area has been recemented...and no playground equipment installed. I wonder if they had to recement because the grading wasn't quite right, but then I remember that I don't think they are particularly concerned with grading (our bathroom shower has a drain, but the water leaks all onto the bathroom floor and into the bedroom). So here we are with a freshly cemented play area, and still no play equipment.
(Side note: If there is a shortage of cement, you might want to look in China...they like making things out of cement here.)

I am trying to take off my American glasses and put on my Chinese ones, (oh but the way we do things is so much better).


I remember a verse that God gave me when I lived in Ecuador
Psalm 139:14 "I am fearfully and wonderfully made" Once again I find myself going back to that verse. I claim that verse for His creation here in China. "They are fearfully and wonderfully made. " The rest of that verse says "Your works are wonderful, I know that full well."
They may do things differently here, but they are His creation and His works are wonderful. I will look for and I will see the "wonderful" God has made here in China.