1. Toilets

In case you missed it elsewhere on this page, I think it should be pointed out that the bathrooms at the Forbidden City are rated 4 stars by the Beijing Tourism Administration. On the right is a two star bathroom. Prepare to squat. I've seen the 1 star ones ... grab a shovel, and you can experience 1 star luxury in your backyard.

2. They speak English, and want to know more.

3. A city of bikes no longer

- From bikes to cars. There used to be only a few thousand cars in Beijing c1980. Now, there are millions of them. But not everyone has caught on. Because of this you get a weird combination of bikes and cars making for a terrible traffic situation.

4. Goodbye Hutong, Hello KFC

The place to go for old style China is the Hutong, or communities within narrow streets. But they are quickly disappearing. It's hard to find a good rickshaw ride these days, but easy to get a Big Mac. Who knows if there will be a Hutong left in a few decades.

The mystique of China is almost gone. Everything you can get at home, you can get here. Surprisingly, everything at Chinese Walmart was made ... in China!

5. Losing all concept of the value of money

- In case you missed it ... this is the Mao watch. You can bargain it down to a few bucks, but don't expect it to keep on ticking when you get home. Check out the shopping page to learn how to get a ridiculous ... no wait ... ludicrous bargain in China.

6. DON'T EAT THAT!

Chinese Food? Well, it's not what you think. You won't find chicken and broccoli in the marketplace. Instead, you will find a lot of things with heads -- or, just a lot of heads and beaks in a red bowl. Be careful eating off the street -- here are some fish with flies on them (not refrigerated) and on the bottom right is the slaughter house for poultry. Kids just kind of hang out there. You get what you pay for in China, so go somewhere that looks nice!

6. Where is your diaper?!

-  Many Chinese babies wear "air conditioned pants." You can see everything you don't want to see because of this. Many parents use these pants instead of diapers. I would be lying if I said there weren't puddles on the street.

7. Chhhhhhhhhhhhhh ... Tooooooo!

- There is a spitting problem. On the streets, in the museums, the cabs, and even in the upscale hotels. Nothing like sitting down to a nice meal, and hearing a chef in the back hock a loogy. The Chinese spit as part of some health code ... so I have heard. You can search it out online and find a number of reasons for it. But the truth is, the streets can sometimes sound like a Major League dugout. Before the Olympics in 2008, the government was said to be cracking down on the spitting.

8. To Sum it up ...

I think the best way to sum up China's change is the "Three Big Things." Every generation has something different.

1970s - It was a watch, a bike, and a radio (all which cost most of your yearly wage)

1980s - It was a TV, a phone, and a Washing Machine (if you had any of these, your entire neighborhood would mooch off of you)

2000s - It is a car, a non-government job, and a computer.

Beyond: It is travel. The Chinese received tourist visas to go to the US in 2008. If you see air-conditioned pants on the streets of New York, then look for a Mao watch on a wrist for confirmation.

My final thoughts on China: They will be SERIOUS competition for the US in the future. They are already. The people are intelligent, efficient, welcoming, and work as a team. There isn't a large sense of entitlement or ego. But my advice would be to travel to China before the Forbidden City turns into a food court, and the Great Wall of China becomes the Great Mall of China. Wow, that was actually kind of clever, I just thought of that. That has to be an old joke, I'm going to go look it up.