We’ve been in China for almost two weeks! And so far, we are loving our new city. I snapped these shots while walking around town this afternoon. Most of these were taken on the street behind our apartment. I wanted to write about the first 10 realizations I had after being here for just over a week!
1. VIEW. The living room in our apartment has an INSANE view of the city. I’m talking skyscrapers, a river, a park- this view is legit. If you’ve been keeping up with my Insta stories then I’m sure you’ve seen how amazing it looks first-hand! I had no idea what to expect when we got here- and let me tell ya- I was not expecting as nice of an apartment as we got.
2. FOOD. The food is unusual but good. I’ve had some weird things and some delicious things. The food is quite different from Pei Wei… not as much meat, lots of starch, but the seasoning is delicious. It’s also cheap! I can get a fresh made meal for $2. It’s going to be hard not to eat out every day!
3. POLLUTION. The pollution isn’t so bad. All this talk of smog… It looks sunny out most days!
4. JK. I thought it wasn’t so bad. At first. But then I started coughing. And I haven’t been able to stop. Time to buy a mask!
5. THEY DON’T EAT DOGS. At least not where I’m at. There’s lots of pet doggies everywhere! About a block away from our apartment is the nicest puppy store I’ve ever seen. They have so many cute pups with about every accessory available that you could ever want for your animal- including puppy strollers. And in front of the puppy store people hang out with their dogs and drink Starbucks (it’s right next door) and everyone plays together and it’s awesome. I WANT ONE!
6. SO. COLD. Like, so cold. My apartment feels like an igloo. We don’t have central heating here in China.. just space heaters.. so whenever I walk into a room I have to turn on the heater… walk back out.. and then in about 20 minutes that room will be suitable to actually go into. Heating is very expensive here else I would just heat the whole house. The floor is cold so I wear at least two pairs of socks whenever I walk around. And the bathrooms don’t have space heaters so they are FREEZING! I do my hair in the living room sometimes. I’m finding ways to work around the constant cold!
7. CHINESE BABIES. I can’t deal. They are so cute. The Chinese people believe that the cold is something you “catch”, like a sickness. So they bundle up their babies until they look like little eskimos and it’s so stinking adorable. I can’t handle it.
8. MODERN… OR ANCIENT? China has so many modern amenities mixed with old things. They have their own version of uber, a food delivery service for any restaurant in the city, maserati’s and BMW’s at every corner, they pay for everything using an app, and they have so many other modern conveniences that are not common in America. Yet, there are people walking around selling homemade candy out of wagons, they deliver packages on rickety scooters, and women sweep the street with literal straw brooms. One moment you feel like you’ve stepped into the future and the next you feel like you’re in the 1500’s. It’s weird!
9. THEY LOVE TO DANCE. The Chinese have dance practice in the park. And then every morning and afternoon they have big dance sessions at the square in the park. I can hear it from my living room and watch it from my balcony. I’ve thought about joining in, but most of them are old and I don’t want to scare them! Chinese people always look so terrified when I approach them…I am like a giant to them and I look so different!
10. NO ONE SPEAKS ENGLISH. Literally nobody. The guy who did my hair today tried to talk to me in English but our conversation went no where because he couldn’t understand a full sentence. Sometimes the Chinese will say “Hello!” and look all proud of themselves. But if I respond, “How are you?!” then they look freaked out. Also, I keep wanting to say “Hola!” but then I remember I’m not in South America. So there will be no getting out of learning this language!
That’s all for now! xx
Have you been somewhere where no one speaks English?! How did you survive?! Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
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It sounds like you enjoyed your trip. I bet the food is good but weird.
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Not quite a trip since I’ll be here for a while haha Yes it was very good!
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I would LOVE to visit China! Which part are you in?
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You should, it’s amazing! I am in the Sichuan province 🙂
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It looks beautiful. Enjoy!
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Thanks! xx
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This is such a great post!
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Thanks!
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Your photos are amazing! 🙂
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Aw thank you!
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Sounds very exciting! I been to China and yes, it was very challenging with the language barrier. I have lived abroad for almost seven years now and learnt that a lot can be solved with spontaneous sign language 😉
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Ah yes thank goodness for sign language!! Where do you live abroad?!
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I live in the Middle East. Spent three years in Qatar and in my fourth year in Dubai.
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Oh wow, very cool! Dubai is on my bucket list for sure.
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Loved your pictures 🙂
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Thank you!
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Such a great post! China sounds awesome, although I’m not sure I could deal with a cold apartment🙈 x
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Haha you get used to it after a while 😂 Thank goodness for thermals!
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These were all really interesting to read. The cold?! I don’t know how you deal with it. I’m so glad you are already finding ways to work with it!
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Yea it’s not fun haha but I’m glad I have warm clothes!
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My boyfriend has a business partner that’s Chinese and he invited us to visit him in China. We’re saving up to buy our first house, but I think our first vacation once we’re at that point will be to China (: I love hearing about your experiences!
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Ah that’s so exciting! It’s a wonderful place to visit- so many sights to see and the food is amazing!
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The culture and heritage just feels like such a refreshing experience!
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Thanks, it is!
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Love all the photos! I would definitely love to visit China one day, it sounds like such an interesting country to explore regardless of the cold :’)
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Yes it’s a wonderful place, even if it is freezing! xx
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Glad you’re having a good time, and seeing the country with an open mind! Was it a huge culture shock for you?
Sichuan is known for their spicy dishes, you should definitely try some if you can handle spicy food!
When I went to China, we visited the Great Wall and could barely see the wall from a distance even though we were ON it, because the smog was so bad!
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It wasn’t too huge of a shock. It’s surprisingly quite similar to America in many aspects. I love their food so far- it does have a good kick to it! And wow- yea the smog can be awful! Sometimes I can’t see the sky scrapers in the distance outside of my window!
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Seems like you have a cute blog here. Enjoy China! I’ve been here for half a year, and it keeps getting better.
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Haha looks like you’re having an exciting time in China!
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I am! Thanks! 🙂
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Having spent most of my summers in China visiting family, I have to say your description of Chinese life is pretty spot on 🙂
Just wait till summertime, if you’re still planning to stay there. It get super hot!
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