Summer Palace and things I consider distinctly Chinese

Well, nothing especially exciting has happened since last week. I went to the Summer Palace yesterday with a teacher and a few students. It is one the outskirts of the city, which meant an hour and a half bus ride, however, I finally got to see Beijing's "mountains" that people always talk about. Maybe if there wasn't so much smog, they would be visible from the city. Anyway, the palace was originally built in the 1700's, but was ransacked during the Anglo-French invasion, and then rebuilt in the late 1800's. It is where the Empress Dowager (mother of the emperor) lived, and I guess the emperor would visit sometimes. There is a large lake there, which is entirely man-made, and the dirt dug out of the lake (Kunming Lake) was used to make "longevity hill". Some other building names: Hall of Benevolence and Longevity, Cloud-Dispelling Hall, Temple of Buddhist Virtue, Sea of Wisdom Temple, Tower of Buddhist Incense, Tower of Lake and Mountain Views, etc. There is also a boat built in the water that doesn't move, meant to signify stability of the county (I think-sometimes I'm not sure when everything is in Chinese). Also, according to a guy we met on the bus and then acted as our tour guide, the Summer Palace has the longest corridor in China. (I'm doubtful- it didn't seem that long.)

Also, since I've been here for more than two months, I think I've pretty much gotten used to life here. But, I decided to make a list of typically Chinese things that I don't really notice anymore, but are different from America. (I realize some of these are generalizations.)

-bicycles: many, many more people ride bicycles here, and not just pedal-it-yourself bikes, but regular bikes with a motor attached so you don't have to pedal. Also, people often have one or two people riding on the same bike. Many people's jobs are to collect trash or recyclables, so they usually have bikes with obscenely large loads on the back. People selling food on the street always have their cart attached to a bike so they can quickly pedal away if the police come.
-tea jars: almost everyone owns a tea jar, and carries it with them everywhere (much like some Americans and their water bottles). Except most Chinese use loose leaf tea instead of tea bags.
-stairs: Most stairs that I have encountered in china are either too small or too big. And most are too small. Maybe it's because Chinese people are generally shorter than Americans, but they still seem awkwardly small.
-loud music: lots of stores have a stereo or loudspeaker set up outside their entrance, which plays very loud Chinese pop or American music. Or, they have recordings very loudly advertising their products.
-packaging: many products have, in my opinion, much too much packaging. When you buy a package of crackers, the crackers are then further divided in to groups of three and individually packaged. A container of cookies has the outside wrapping, then the plastic tray and then finally each cookie is again individually wrapped again. The reason is always "for freshness". No wonder China is buried in trash.
-food, in general: I think Chinese people are willing to eat many more parts of any given animal than Americans are willing to eat. At Wal-Mart, the meat section is quite a sight. For example, chicken feet can be found in every supermarket and convenience store, and I'm told children especially like them. Most fish and shrimp are served with the heads and eyeballs still attached. My host family likes to eat duck heads and sea cucumbers....I could go on, but I won't. -crossing the street: Chinese drivers do not stop for pedestrians. Do not. This means crossing the street oftentimes is darting in front of moving traffic and hoping to not get smooshed. because it is difficult to cross both lanes at once, many people will just stand in the middle of the road until the next lane clears. Also, taxi drivers are quite reckless drivers.
-pollution: Pollution everywhere. Always. I've noticed duct accumulates much more rapidly than in the US. Most days it's fine, but once in a while it doesn't feel healthy to breathe outside.
-spitting: Everyone spits everywhere. On the street/sidewalk especially, but also in the subway station, on the subway itself, in some not so fancy restaurants. I've come to laothe the sound people make just before they are going to spit. It's also especially disgusting when it's below freezing and the spit freezes on the sidewalk. blehhh.
-smoking: lots of people smoke, and despite most restaurant's signs saying "smoking is prohibited" they still smoke inside and the waiters/waitresses don't care. This results in me smelling like an ashtray after eating at most restaurants.
-cell phones: I think cell phones are a big status symbol in China; the fancier the better.
-clothing: Especially women's clothing is anything but simple. The more bows, buttons, glittery things, etc., the better. Lots of the clothing even my teachers wear seems like stuff pre-teen American girls would like. Also, many people wear clothing with meaningless English brands or phrases.