A few months ago one of the editors of the PEOPLETALK made an important decision – she said goodbye to us, Packed in a suitcase a dog, the boyfriend… and moved to China. Thought come back, but Nastya is back not in a hurry. Found it, may we go there?
I always wanted to travel, but the decision to move to China was spontaneous. In this New year, I met my love, and he is on the threshold said to me: “in a month I leave for work in China, at least three years, will go with me?”
So, without thinking twice, taking with him a 15-pound shepherd, I slammed the door and flew to Shanghai. It’s not Paradise where I wanted to go. Indonesia, Thailand, America, Yes, but… Then he seemed a Communist country isolated from the outside world.
Six months later, and I not only loved the life here, but also lured here for his best friend. And perhaps what I’m about to say will cause many to think about moving to China. But first, the cons.
Will have to get used to
No language in China is very difficult. Most Chinese even don’t know English.
“Nothing to keep” – is the motto of all the Chinese. Standing, waiting for the train, and then behind someone relish spitting in the trash is the Chinese getting rid of dirty Chi.
At the table with the Chinese unprepared the Europeans too easy. Of the favorite dishes is the frozen gelatinous pig’s blood, beef stomach, chicken feet and fermented eggs. According to the rules of Chinese etiquette all the scraps and bones spit either on the table or on the floor.
Often in the luxury restaurants you can see the scene resembling a fight in the Verkhovna Rada, the Chinese shouting and drag each other by the lapels. But Chinese businessmen are showing respect and trying to force each other to sit at the head table.
The Chinese do not know how to swim and afraid of water, the majority does not drink milk and don’t eat bread, but when my dog go to other side of the street, hiding children, and refuse to go with us to the Elevator. Recognize that the birth of the Chinese for a year, mother told the children that they were born from the armpit, and for the second child of civil servants fired from their jobs, and gradually ceases to amaze.
White man in China
In China, by definition, you’re a supermodel. People with blue eyes are considered a sort of deity. The Chinese literally bury you in suggestions about advertising and filming are willing to pay 1000 yuan per hour, from which the degree of self-esteem grows up.
Work with the tutor I found for the first week, my WeChat (a popular Asian instant messenger) literally torn from the proposals. Surprisingly, in Europe and America, people suffer from unemployment, and here the Chinese are willing to pay foreigners millions of dollars for English lessons. A simple teacher in a hour you will receive 200-300 yuan (1700-2600 RUB). When unstressed the chart (five to seven hours a day) in a month comes out to about 20 000-30 000 yuan (178-260 RUB thousand) (this is earnings much higher than local).
As it turned out, the journalist-the foreigner is also not difficult to find a job here. There are many English-language platforms for text pay from 500-1000 yuan (4500-9000 RUB). Foreign photographer gets from 3500 to 8000 yuan (31-71 RUB thousand) per shot.
Not to mention that the standard of living here is much higher. The mark-up on foreign brands and products is 40%. But over time, the transition to local cheap food and shopping just go to Europe.
I love Shanghai
To start life from scratch was very difficult. I missed my friends loved the cafes, the places where I had my mad youth. In almost complete isolation, I spent three months: learn some Chinese, read a bunch of books and made many useful insights. And then it turned out that to find friends in Shanghai is easy.
On Friday my new Chinese friends call me, not in a club, a karaoke bar, they also love virtual reality glasses and slot machines. And restaurants for them – the usual thing. The Chinese are workaholics, in the year they are on vacation for five days, so they prefer not to waste time on cooking, and dine at restaurants or order food at home or at work.
Even the Chinese have taught me the sport. Every morning on the streets the old people doing Chinese qigong, and in the evening all go out and dance to the music is performing to the beat movement.
China is a completely different world, which opened my eyes to my own life. And if you don’t have enough thrills or think you know about everything, be sure to go here. Believe me, there is something to admire.
