Three months!

 I have been here for three months already. This is what I have learnt so far while living in China:

• Being a foreigner gives everyone the right to stare at you.
• There is no such thing as personal space when you are out in public.
• It’s always busy in the streets no matter what time it is or what day of the week. There are too many people!
• Spitting is normal. I have to stop myself from looking at people in a weird way when I see or hear them spitting.
• You will have conversations with random people in Mandarin despite not speaking or understanding a word.
• People tend to shout or speak very loudly, whether they are angry or not.
• Not being able to use chopsticks is a problem.
• You can meet a person for the first time and you’ll immediately be best friends. You exchange numbers, text each other once and never hear from them again.
• When you’re in any shop, the shop assistants will stalk you the whole time.
• The roads are crazy. I feel scared for my life when I’m just walking in the street.
• Taxi drivers will rip me off.
• The fact I don’t have a boyfriend is considered incomprehensible to everyone. They then precede to suggest that I should get a Chinese boyfriend because (I quote); 'they are very nice, kind and give lots of gifts to their wives AND girlfriends.'
• Apparently, up to 80% of married Chinese men have mistresses.
• Apparently up to 90% of Chinese people cannot swim.
• Everyone looks younger than they actually are.
• Mandarin is just too hard to learn.
• The students I teach are cute but so naughty!
• It’s normal for little kids to pee in the street.
• If you’re a girl, it’s all about being pale and being thin.
• It’s quite normal to wear your pyjamas outside.
• There are continuous traffic jams in and out of the hospital.
• People sing to themselves.
• Pollution makes me ill.
• Teaching is like acting. Even if you have the world’s problems on your shoulders or you’re feeling really ill, always enter the class with the biggest smile and the biggest amount of enthusiasm possible.
• Don’t trust street food. I haven’t been brave enough to try any.

I’m sure I have learnt a lot more than this but I can’t think of them right now!

 I will put them in my next blog post! J