They say it takes 6 months to properly settle in to a country and I don't disagree. There are a great many culture shocks in this city, both in the sense of moving to an incredibly densely populated area and living under a totally new set of social rules. On the whole, I would say I have enjoyed the challenges that this country has presented to me. And indeed, there is less that is foreign than one would think. The rather relaxed road rules remind me a lot of Italy, particularly Sicily. The stern-faced waiters are reminiscent of Paris. The stuffed baked bread is a lot like Indian naan. Their photo poses are not that different from those in the U.K. (featured below).
I've spent a lot of time here wondering how long it will take before I feel I need to move on. The world is such an incredibly huge and enormous place that I feel dwarfed by all the possible adventures that await me. Jacques, my boyfriend, is applying to jobs both in China and Japan, but we both want to spend some of our 20s in America before we start a family. There are simply so many options!
Right now, I'm trying to appreciate China while I'm here, as I know it's not forever. It's true, there are days when I miss the beautiful stone facades of European cities or the blue unpolluted sky of the Southern Mediterranean. I miss Britain's straightforwardness, its lack of bureaucracy, and its familiarity, but then China has so much to offer. Here, there is both extreme luxury and delicious cheap food that won't break the bank. There can't be many places in the world that will offer you designer window shopping and then a meal for £1 at a street food stand only a block away.
This photo (pictured left) of a man sweeping with a traditional broom made from a bush outside Burberry in the centre really exemplifies the wealth and cultural gap. There are elements both of Ancient China and the modern, chic and increasingly Westernised country that is China today.