My knees are killing me!

We noticed the "Chinese squat" in groups of men during our tour of China in 2005. But it has only been during this stay that we have noticed how broad and popular this position is.

You see people squatting to rest, converse, or read anywhere. Anywhere. It certainly does not look like anything we are use to or could even think about doing. Try it for a minute.

How can they do it? Obviously they have stretched and flexible tendons and ligaments and muscles that westerners have never dreamed of.

It likely relates to the rarity of western type restroom facility. Take our "New Campus" of about 15,000 students with all the housing for them and the faculty. Built from scratch in 2007. Not one single western restroom. Observing that makes the position a little more explainable. But it surely is unusual to our eyes. (Side note - I really wish they had at least one western restroom on the new campus.....).