Hello Everyone,
Towards the end of 2017, I was given the opportunity to complete a part of my MSc in Suzhou, China!! It was an amazing opportunity and one which I will treasure for years to come. It was my first time visiting Asia but certainly not my last. I was located in Suzhou, also known as ‘Venice of the Orient’. It is surrounded by water and beautiful gardens Below I’ve listed 5 things I wish I knew before I went to China.
- Most things are in Chinese
Now I know this may sound naive, but I did not think that I would struggle in public places such as restaurants, and supermarkets. I’m very much aware that I am in China and I was all up for embracing a new culture, but a part of me could not help but think that everything would have an English translation. Boy was I wrong. Most places I went for food had the menus in Chinese only. Images of different dishes helped me in places translation wasn’t available.
Tip: Learn your favourite foods and common dishes in Mandarin, it will help you in the long run.
- Save your squats for the toilet
This I think was one of the biggest shocks when I was in China. I opened the cubicle and was met with a hole in the floor. I wish someone took a picture of me right at that moment because I was literally frozen and mouth gaping. Luckily on my second day, I discovered a normal toilet and continued to use this during my time there. Don’t fear though, a lot of public places such as shopping malls, hotels and large restaurants have regular toilets.
A bit of humour, as I left the toilets in Tongli Town.
- Every time you cross the road, you risk your life
Crossing the road for me was an unpredictable event. In Suzhou, cars could still turn in whilst pedestrians cross the road. This caused so much confusion and often had me running across the road. As well as numerous near misses. I’m still here though so I must’ve got the hang of it after all!
- Attention will follow me wherever I go
From the moment I landed in China, I had people staring. Personal space was often non-existent and I had pictures taken of me, my hair touched and sometimes small groups of people come and say things to me I did not understand. I heard stories but to experience it for yourself is a different situation altogether.
- Cash is a thing of the past
Phones are integral to life in China. They have everything on their phones. I thought that the UK was bad but most of the young people in Suzhou walked with their head down. Most people did not use cash and instead had ‘Wechat’ to pay. Every shop and restaurant had a QR code which people would scan and then that was it. Even little shops that looked ridiculously outdated. Had I been there for a longer period of time I probably would have taken advantage of connecting my phone to my bank card.
Tip: Visa cards are not widely accepted in establishments, so have plenty of cash or be prepared to withdraw cash.
A beautiful area, where many newlyweds come to take their wedding photos.
See you in my next post!
Koko
xoxo
