I first came to China in 2013 through an opportunity with the British Council to study. It was a 3 week program around Easter time where students would study Chinese in Nanjing University to learn the language and experience the culture. I had never been outside Europe, I had never much had an interest in China further than a take away from the local, but I was feeling a bit “Y.O.L.O” I wasn’t happy in my current university course and I thought something new and a different experience might help give me a shake, so I applied and was lucky to get it.
I was nervous, I knew no-one, but thankfully, when I arrived at the airport to get my flight, I found a lot of others northern Irish students where there going on the same flight! I over heard a girl checking in and plucked up the courage to ask, we soon found several others and stuck together. We flew Dublin to Amsterdam, Shanghai to Nanjing. I had never been on a flight longer than 3 hours before, I was exhausted. We arrived late, picked up by the organisers in a mini bus and dropped of at the University “hotel” we were paired up and put in a shared bedroom with a bathroom (common for Foreign student dorms in China, for Chinese however it’s shared bunks with 6 in a room usually and shared bathrooms per floor) I soon became best friends with my roommate, Rosie from Nottingham. We had classes and lots of different activities planned, even a trip to Shanghai! China was not what I expected, I had perceived it as a sort of 3rd world country, more behind than us, with the stereotypical bad teeth, wearing Rice field hats and terrible English impression. But it was far from that, the people were friendly, transportation was cheap fast and conventional, the people friendly and active (the older generation up from early in the morning practise Tai Chi, doing square dancing, playing poker and music in the parks) they was so much more life and excitement here. Modern skyscrapers, busy streets, cities that never sleep and yet still a huge reverence for culture and tradition. I was hooked. I knew I wanted to return.
The next year, I received another email from the British council, offering a year scholarship to study in China. I applied and also convinced Rosie my old roommate from Nanjing to apply also as she had just graduated. We both got in. Her to Wuhan and me to Shanghai, I chose a fashion university, though I didn’t get into a fashion course (my major was in fashion design) but into Chinese. I shared a room with a Korean girl. It was scary at first, but I made friends, I studied hard, tried new things and travelled. Although Chinese was difficult I enjoyed the challenge, getting excited when I started recognising characters when I was out. After a year I knew I had to stay on, I wasn’t finished yet. I worked part time and did an internship in different fashion houses until eventually I got a full tie job in an accessory design company, designing for clients such as Primark, emojination and Walmart. I then was offered a position in a fashion company, where I even had the opportunity to design my own collection.
HESHUN ANCIENT TOWN (NEAR MYANMAR)
It wasn’t always easy though, cultural issues, language barriers made things difficult, but eventually as my Chinese progressed and time passed things became much easier. I even had tough times in work, it’s common to have to work overtime and not get paid in China, there’s not many holiday either, requirements and pressure is high. In my fashion company I even experienced a sort of Racism, our new boss didn’t seem to like foreigners and eventually pushed me and my co-worker out, the company later failed as well, his direction was poor, no longer were we designing but instead copying. So I wasn’t too sad to leave.
Cultural issues, language barriers and high-pressured work environments really does make things difficult at times, but it's much easier now I can speak Chinese progressed and time passed. One of the most common problems I still have to deal with it diet differences , I'm vegetarian and have been since a young teenager, this is not so uncommon at home, but in China it’s hard for them to understand or accept this, they would often try to coax me to eat, “just try it” “It’s fish, what do you mean you can’t eat fish, it’s not a meat (no but it's still an animal)” or ordering a dish, having clearly stated I don’t eat meat, but still getting meat in it, eventually Iearnt how to read the names of more dishes and became familiar with non meat specialities too, I found the best way to avoid the awkward topic was but telling them it was for religious reasons, like some Buddhists this they could accept as most would have an old auntie or friend who followed this custom. Things are much easier now with tranlators and waimai 外卖 where you can order online and get it delivered, many of which are english apps. Another thing that I found utterly buzzard was that they would want photos of, or with me, because I’m a blonde white foreigner, I often felt like a zoo animal, I would never want a picture of a random person I didn’t know, the concept was so strange for me, and of course, children loudly saying foreigner and pointing at you when they see you, something that would never happen in the west. thankfully, especially in Shanghai it’s not so common now, but it still happens in other provinces where foreigners are scarce. Work wise, for me the most difficult concept was the over time. Most of which is unpaid, nor is there ever so much as a thank you. For public holidays one must make up the time one day of the weekend before and after, not much of a holiday when you have to work to make it up, for example, in May it was the workers holiday, 5 days, 1-5th may, 2 of which fell over the weekend (so they don’t count) and then you have to work another two the weekend before and after, so really you just get one day of holiday, not far at all in my opinion! But that’s just how things are here.
I decide to continued with my language skills and study, while doing some teaching which I had also done with the British Council for a scheme in Thailand in 2013. I enjoyed helping others and it also helped progress my language skills as well. I have now set up my own creative company and I’m studying towards sitting the HSK exam, I plan to go into translation, and hope to study a masters.
China has giving me lots of amazing experiences and opportunities, it’s great for making business contacts and setting up a good network, someone always knows someone who can help or get you what you need. I have travelled a lot and found a passion for photography, relishing the scenery, experiences and different cultures inside China and outside. I have a love of language, I appreciate study and the Chinese for the hard work and diligence they have for it. Its a place of fast development and modernisation, ahead of everyone, everything develops at super speed, newer better faster, life is more convenient, so much can be done from your phone, dinner, shopping, tickets, taxi’s, much easier now for foreigners too. The rest of the world is lagging behind. There’s much to learn from China. Language and culture is very different from the West, especially for building relationships, I hope with my language skills and aspirations to study to be a translator I can help develop the relationships and ties we have with China and work together towards a better future for us all.
Why Shanghai you ask? I've been to so maybe places why also stay live and work there? Well in my opinion Shanghai really is the most convenient city in China for foreigners I think, so modern, more international, its easy to find people from your own country, we have a Northern Ireland group base here for example, would never have expected that! I have travelled most of China while I have been here, photographing and blogging about it and other countries I’ve visited nearby and it is by far the best for work and study, in particular Shanghai, which is great for innovation, cultural assimilation, business, design and education, though it’s the most competitive and fast moving, therefore pressure is a lot higher for everyone, but I still think it’s worth it. In a blink of an eye 7 years have past it, and I’m still here enjoying it and the amazing life experiences it gives me. it's changed so much in many ways, always growing.
some of the changes I've witnessed
-less spitting (during my first year a guy spat and it landed on my friends open toe sandle)
-less rubbish on the streets and instead a focus on recycling (stank in the summer heat)
-less money more online phone payments and use of a phone for a metro card or door key card
-less people peeing on the street, in particular parents letting there kids go anywhere
-less "waiguoren" shouting and picture taking
-more metro lines
-more park likes areas and flowers
-a huge decrease to the point of extinction of the "rickshaw" 3 wheel car bikes and lifts, along with motorbike lifts, and roadside stalls - hard to find now
-kids split pants, for kids to go to the toilet anywhere at anytime conveniently (once a mum lifted her child over a bin in a shopping mall in my first year to go....)
_no smoking indoors, bars restaurants etc( though u get the sneaky ones who smoke in the stairs or bathrooms)
_more activities and markets
