Why????

We've lived in China for almost 2 years now. And for 2 years I've been wondering why. Not why do we live in China, just WHY? For example, why, when I am cruising down the road at 60 kph, does a huge construction truck deem it acceptable to pull out in front of me, causing me to slam on my brakes, skid, to a stop and then WAIT while he pulls out at about 5 kph? 5 mph is pretty darn slow, but 5 kph is even slower! You may think I am exaggerating, but I'm not. Why oh why, is it ok for dump trucks to be filled so far above capacity that as they are driving, huge (I mean Cooper sized) chunks of clay are falling off left and right? Why is that ok and why don't they get pulled over and fined? Why do the student drivers (all student drivers are in specially marked cars with black and white checkered siding) drive on 6 lane highways where the speed limit is 80 kph when they are so bad at driving that the instructor is actually leaning across the car steering for them? Why, why, why? Why is it equally acceptable to run into me with your grocery cart, cut me off as I'm reaching for a carton of milk, push me out of line to have my produce weighed? Why is it not a problem to spit on the floor of the grocery store, or to have 3 grocery store employees gossipping so fervently that I actually have to run over their toes with my cart to get them to move out of the aisle they are blocking? For that matter, why is it ok for a grocery store employee to refuse to answer my inquiry because she doesn't work on the chips aisle, she works on the dried fish aisle? Why, I ask, why....

Why is it not a health code violation to sell and transport meat in the below displayed fashion?

Gross, right? I live in a country where you may both wear pajamas and slippers and spit anywhere you please.

To continue on my why ranting, why do I have to endure an absolute torrent of "Aren't you cold, aren't your children cold? You're not wearing enough clothing!!!" ie, "You're a bad mom!" from the very same  people whose 6 month olds are out in 30 degree weather wearing a million layers of clothing and split bottom pants with their bare tushies exposed to the elements! Who is the bad parent here?

Why did I pass a man who stood on a sidewalk, which was bordered on one side by the street and the other side bordered with grass and a river, and he chose to urinate on the sidewalk rather than on the grass. Why? Why didn't he go home to urinate, and if that was too much trouble, why didn't he turn a mere 90 degrees and urinate on the grass where no one would have to walk in it or risk their split bottom pant wearing babies walking through it?

Why did our neighborhood guards (to begin with, why do I even need neighborhood guards to guard my oh so not secure front gate, since they are sleeping on duty about 50% of the time) think that it would be better to have me read a notice written in chinese characters than to tell me what it says? They know I speak Chinese because I talk to them all the time! I DO NOT read characters. You have to know  some insane amount, like 2000+ characters to be able to read a newspaper.

Why is my 4 year old having nightmares about getting his toes run over by an electric scooter? He's now afraid to cross the street for fear that some idiot scooter driver will not pay attention and will run over his feet. I would chalk it up to a small child's vivid imagination, except for the fact that it's a very real possibility!

Why did the lawn mowing men even bother to come mow my lawn? I watched them systematically mow around the toys and garden hose, rather then pick them up and move them. I'm not kidding, they mowed AROUND the toy trucks in the yard. WHAT THE HECK? My friend watched the apartment complex hired cleaning lady dust around his laptop, which was sitting on the table.

Why is it ok for police to sleep in their cars or watch people run red lights, while they are sitting at the very same red light? No tickets, no nothing. Of course, they are the worst ones about running red lights. Why is it common to find workers sleeping on the sidewalk at various times of the day? Littered about, three or four of them asleep making it difficult to navigate the sidewalk?

Speaking of littering, why is it normal to see someone throw their trash out of their windows as they are driving? Cigarette packages, coke cans, empty juice boxes.... why?

Why did I watch a woman run to catch the bus, to successfully reach the bus and just as she stepped forward to the door, the bus driver actually closed the doors in her face and drove off? She stood there, open mouthed and then shrugged her shoulders and walked back to the bus stop to wait for the next bus. Why? Wouldn't you be yelling and mad as all get out? Wouldn't you write down the bus # and call and report it?

Why do they not enforce any sort of transportation safety codes in China? Here's a truck, whose owner has used all sorts of random parts to build tall sides to enable a larger cargo capacity:

It's a little difficult to tell, but all those multi colored panels are different pieces of metal, or grating or whatever he could find.

This is a close up of the random pieces of scrap metal he used as braces for the random sheets of metal he used to increase the height of his truck siding.

Why do I have to pay for parking at my friend's apartment complex? If I want to drop by for a visit, I have to pay to park my car! Why??? The same goes for restaurants, some grocery stores, and all malls.

Why, when I paid $125 for my iPhone screen to be fixed (I dropped it!) didn't they also replace the $.25 black cover on the bottom that was cracked in two? 

Why, when it's 30 degrees outside do they not only NOT turn on the heat in restaurants and grocery stores and fitness clubs, but then open ALL the doors to the outside, and welcome in the cold... then walk around all day in floor length snow suite type coats? If you're cold, SHUT THE DOOR!!!!

Why, in a city of 18 million, and growing, do they clean the sewers by hand? (Yes, that pole is hand made from bamboo and fish net).

I guess I could go on forever and ever with whys. I live in a crazy country! I really love many, many things about China, but somedays I wonder if the positive outweighs the negative. I mean really, did you really just URINATE on the sidewalk next to me? Really, really???

I keep waiting to fall in love with the Chinese people, and it just hasn't happened yet. What's that John Mayer song "Waiting on the World to Change"? In the words of Dory the fish, I'm gonna "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..." 

I think I'm going to have a diet coke now. Whew, I'm stressed! :)