Christmas in China, The Big Day

Happy New Year everybody!

Before I start talking about our Chinese Christmas, I would first like to say a huge thank you to my lovely family for sending me some pressies to open on the day.  If I ever get tired of receiving presents (especially ones that are filled with delicious chocolate), shoot me.

On Christmas Eve we boarded the bullet train to Beijing for our festive celebrations.  That afternoon we decided to get a bit of sightseeing in and so we visited the Forbidden City, home to Chinese emperors for nearly 500 years.

That night we had a (rather boisterous) meal before heading out to Sanlitun, a popular bar area for expats in Beijing.   On the wall of the bar there was a poignant reminder of what Christmas is really all about.

On Christmas morning we all gathered in our hostel bar for some bucks fizz and a Secret Santa present swap.  I think most people did pretty well with their gifts.  I was certainly very happy with my beautiful crafted chess set (thanks Hayley!).

We then decided to head to a local restaurant for our Christmas lunch.  It was nothing like a Christmas meal at home, but it was pretty delicious.  Duck pancakes always go down well.

After lunch we walked to Tiananmen Square to wish Chairman Mao a Merry Christmas (or a Maoey Christmas. . . puntastic).

We also thought it would be completely appropriate to orchestrate a Christmas "jump of the day" photo.  Somebody somewhere has a photo of all 15 of us jumping, but I don't know who, so below is one with the boys.

Obviously our antics attracted quite a lot of attention from the locals/Chinese tourists.  A policeman even asked if we were posing a threat to China's national security.  Charming.

The rest of the day was spent drinking, eating, playing games and watching Love Actually with a bit of Skype action thrown in too.  It was great to see everyone enjoying themselves at home in Streatham.  I'm already looking forward to next year!

On Boxing Day we got back to the sightseeing, visiting the Lama Temple and then making our way to Houhai, which is a picturesque lake in Beijing.  The water was frozen solid so we all clambered on for a little skate.  In the background you can see an ice hockey game going on.  They were pretty decent!

So that was our Christmas in China.  It was a bit different, but it was great fun.  Next up, we begin our travelling.  First stop is Harbin, where temperatures average -18°C in January.  I'll let you know how that goes.

Culture Shock

During our induction week we were told that moving to a new country, particularly one that has a very different culture (like China), would probably lead to us experiencing Culture Shock.

Culture Shock is "the anxiety, feelings of frustration, alienation and anger that may occur when a person is emplaced in a new culture" (thanks Wikipedia).

Supposedly there are four phases you go through:

1. Honeymoon Phase - Wow, China is so wonderfully different and interesting.  Look how the Chinese drivers constantly use their horns.  Marvellous stuff!
2. Negotiation Phase - Wow, China is so different, it makes me feel anxious.  Why do the drivers make so much noise all the time!?
3. Adjustment Phase - I have a routine and a normal life.  The drivers make a lot of noise because that's normal here.
4. Mastery Phase - I can fully participate in the Chinese lifestyle and culture.  When I cycle around the city I carry a foghorn.

Two weeks ago Sarah and I definitely hit the Negotiation Phase.  Common emotions include frustration, anger and the feeling that locals are being purposefully offensive towards you.  We definitely had a bit of that.

Our students were playing up in class, locals seemed to be spitting and staring more than ever and even the food wasn't tasting so good (I think the canteen staff were having a bad week).  The man who yells outside our window everyday at 8.30am was yelling louder and earlier than usual, cars were cutting us up as we cycled around and it seemed that there was twice as much smog as normal.

But we fought through the frustration and the anger, and we're stronger for it.  So rather than always focusing on why it is difficult or strange to live here, I thought that I would talk about why I like living in China:

1)   People are genuinely interested to meet you because you are a foreigner.  You are almost treated like a celebrity as you not only get constant attention, but also special treatment.  We were invited to the wedding of a teacher at our school (who we had never spoken to before) and were given front row seats and gifts.  He told us afterwards that he was honoured to have had us there!

2)   In China I have a skill that is in great demand.  There are so many job opportunities for English speakers out here.  After job hunting in England, it's a nice change to feel wanted.

3)   No matter where I am or what time of day, I have always felt safe in China.  Obviously crime is an issue here as it is in every other city around the world, but we haven't seen any trouble as yet.

4)   Having a receding hairline is a blessing here as it makes one look older and therefore wiser.  Our mentor, who has a wonderful head of hair, said he was jealous of my 'look'.  Best day ever.

5)   Also hair related, when I get my haircut I am treated with dignity.  At home they get the clippers out and it's all over in five minutes.  It's like they're mowing the lawn.  Here I get my hair washed, head massaged and hair cut with care.  All for just £2.50.

6)   I can walk around wearing whatever I like.  You see all sorts of crazy outfits here.  T-shirts with nonsensical (and sometimes downright inappropriate) English slogans are popular too.

7)   Growing a moustache for Movember hasn't been nearly as much an issue as it was last year.  Back then I thought everyone was staring at me (they weren't), whereas now I know that everyone is staring at me, but not just because of the 'tache.

8)   I can shout ridiculous things in public without consequence.  Nobody will understand me. 

9)   The food is cheap and usually delicious.  You just need to avoid the dishes that include things like chicken heads or feet.  I'm a big fan of the street stalls.

 10)   I can get the latest films in high quality for just £1.  Sorry Hollywood.

So there you go, my Top 10 for living in China.

Oh and any last minute Movember donations are welcome!