Will the real China please stand up?

In a country that is changing so quickly, it is difficult to figure out what the real China is. Here are some of the paradoxes I've witnessed (based on my limited stay in a modern, coastal city):

--Chinese people will tell you that they are a developing country, yet they are the ones buying our debt.
--A bus fare costs only 14 cents and most people don't own cars, yet I've seen about 15 different Porsche SUVs in this city.
--Few people can speak English, yet everyone says "bye-bye" as a farewell.
--Street signs like this don't seem too bizarre:


--According to the Chinese government, the Cultural Revolution caused the death of 30 million people, yet Mao is still honored and featured on every RMB note.
--Prostitution and dubious "bath houses" are prevalent, and the "family planning" section is at the front of every drug store and abortions seem almost commonplace, yet you don't see many young couples kissing in public. The Internet is censored for (among other things) sexual content.
--People dress their dogs in little raincoats and booties, yet dog appears on the menu in many restaurants.
--Manicures cost $1.40 and foot massages cost $4. (No paradox there; I just think that fact is awesome.)
--All students (even a med student I was talking to) have to attend mandatory "patriotism" classes, yet when I asked a class of 20 students how many provinces there were in China, not one could answer me. (Answer: 22 or 34 -- no wonder they are confused)
--Mere possession of firearms is subject to the death penalty, yet there are no fines for public spitting or public urination????????

One thing is for sure....China has a lot of people:
--Someone just told me that his "town" is only the ninth largest city in his province. It has "only" 1.9 million people.
--The largest city in the world? Shanghai, China (13.8 million)
--The largest municipal region in the world that you've never heard of? Chongqing, China (33.3 million [the population of Canada])
--...but China will have one fewer American in a week!