Top 10 tips for newcomers

8. Don't take it personally.

Lots of Westerners (me included) are shocked when they get an elbow in their face without an apology or see toddlers pointing at them and yelling "waiguoren ("foreigner!"). It can also be very uncomfortable when a Chinese person you hardly know starts asking you personal questions, such as how much money you make or if you're married (not to mention the very direct comments about your appearance). The Chinese people are not trying to be rude. Apparently these things are acceptable in their culture. So don't take it personally. Just smile, take it in stride, and make a note of it in your "Funny things that happened to me in China" journal.

A foreigner, holding a nunchakus, a Chinese traditional weapon, poses like Bruce Lee in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.[IC/Photo]