1 month spent studying in Hangzhou, China

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China is like nothing I have ever experienced before. It hasn’t taken me long to realise that anything and everything goes in China. The lack of transport system leads to total chaos but strangely it seems to be an organised chaos. I have not yet seen any road accidents although there have been many close calls. Although their road system is completely hectic and lacks control, their train system is surprising impressive. In fact I would go as far as to say that it is better than what we have in the UK. Their trains and service are far more efficient and they seem to have taken lessons from the Japanese in their use of hi-tech infrastructure and interior design. A train journey in China is definitely worth taking and they are incredibly cheap. In fact so far everything is very cheap apart from some clothing which is about the same as home and some electronic items which are actually dearer, also some clubs and bars can be just as expensive as home, but apart from that money in China seems to go quite far.

The Chinese people like to travel rather quickly from a-b, whether it be walking, biking or by car, however they also seem to have an extremely peaceful manner, it’s rare to see them shouting or acting in a rowdy manner, even the dogs don’t bark at each other.

The people of China are very welcoming and seem to enjoy having us around. They like to take many pictures of us and we get a lot of attention as for many of them have never set foot out of China, let alone to the West we are therefore the closest thing they associate with celebrities.

Having been in China for 3 weeks now it is clear to see that it is a country which is slowly opening up to the West, however they seem to be adopting traits from America. They’re food is very sugary and sweet with a lot of additives; a few of their local bars are very American like. Here McDonalds offers a home delivery service. The Universities campuses are huge and all have a lake. They also have everything to accommodate the students so there is little need to head out making it in some ways feel like its very own town. They even have their own campus hairdressers and phone shops.

Having spoken to some Chinese students, their university experience is very different to ours. Going out at night partying and getting drunk doesn’t seem popular here; instead they all have said that they like to study during their free time. I have discovered that getting a good education and then going straight into a job is very important to them and they carry the attitude that travelling and visiting other countries can wait until they retire. I guess this is why many of them have never left China before, some haven’t even left Zhejiang province before. For me a 21 year old western girl who is about to graduate, I find this rather odd.

As the campus is so big they have all the accommodation located here too, however you don’t see many students rolling out of bed just before a lesson is about to start or strolling in late as you do back home as punctuality seems to be another trait that they value.

Having had a cultural lecture in Chinese Folk Customs and learning about The Chinese Zodiac and Festivals it is easy to see how their identities have been formed. I have found this very insightful as we are all born affected by our cultural heritage, which helps establish our personalities and self being. The Chinese Philosophies are very intriguing and I enjoyed hearing and learning about them. They can also be linked to some of the stories, books and films we see, hear and read about in the West.

Not only does the Chinese Mandarin language consist of 4 tones and no alphabet. But in China they also have 3 different types of ways of counting the years. It is clear that China likes to have a variety and be different making it hard for Westerners to follow but also allowing us to learn from them.

One noticeable thing while eating out in China is that food is meant for sharing. You are given one menu at each table and are expected to order for the whole table. Therefore ordering multiple dishes gets a reaction from the staff as unlike in the UK where you order for yourself what you want, and then the next person may want the same thing and order it too, ordering the same dish can prove difficult as the Chinese expect you to share. So when eating out its best to either share with the people sitting next to you or order something different to them as this will make it slightly less difficult than it already is (given the communication barrier) to order a meal. Don’t be afraid to pick something at random off the menu either, you never know you may just like it. Sometimes its best not to know or read what’s in the dish until you have actually tried it as you are less likely to be put off and it all adds to the experience.

I mentioned earlier that everything and anything goes in China so be prepared to see the likes of dog, turtle, duck tongue and other animals on the menu. Also don’t be surprised to see spiders, scorpions and other bugs fried and on sticks. The more adventurous of you may even want to give these a try as they can be found on pretty much every food market stall, just make sure you pack Imodium in your luggage otherwise you may find your bravery may turn into the pain of your trip.

A lot of the UK students who are vegetarian are finding the Chinese menu’s rather challenging as there is very little choice for veggie dishes and even some of them sometimes consist of meat or are cooked in meat fat. The Chinese don’t really understand the meaning of being a vegetarian as they are more than happy to kill and cook any meaty animal as long as it is not human and serve it on a dish. However, as a last resort veggies can always turn to Western restaurants and even chocolate and general junk food to help satisfy their hunger.

In China the food is based around a lot of carbohydrates. In the North the people prefer to eat flour based foods such as noodles and dumplings, where as in the South they prefer rice based foods. All meals are eat with chopsticks, so it is best to get practising your chopsticks skills beforehand as the only place you are likely to get a knife and fork is in the Western Restaurants, but then again don’t assume places like Pizza Hut to be the exact replica of back home. In China the Pizza Hut menu consists of 3 pages of the menu being pizzas and the rest rice, salads and other Chinese cultural foods.

Another major cultural shock may be the toilets. Although some places may have westernised toilets most places have what we call ‘squat’ toilets. At first they don’t sound too pleasant but as time goes on you get used to them. However, always make sure you carry toilet tissue with you as some places don’t provide it and don’t let the smell put you off sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures and some squat toilets are a lot worse than others so if after the first experience you find yourself saying ‘never again’ always be sure to give it at least one more go. I think the most important thing is to be open minded and realise that it is not the same as home, so be prepared to indulge into the Chinese culture and accept that their lifestyle is different to ours and it will make for a better experience.

While in China definitely try a variety of teas. Even if you don’t usually drink tea it is worth giving them a little taste and tea makes for great gifts for people back home. So be sure to purchase some before you leave. Always buy bottled water and never drink the tap water not even for brushing your teeth, as the tap water has not been purified and on a whole China is highly polluted even more so in the Summer period. Yes Facebook and YouTube are banned in China along with other social networking sites, however if you really can’t live without them, make friends with a Chinese student who has the proxy to get round it, but really if your only in China for a short-stay it’s not really worth it, just email and Skype the world instead.

Pretty much everywhere you go in China is very picturesque. It is like something you see in films somehow simply taking photos doesn’t quite do it justice. Everything from the mountains to the lakes, parks, streets and buildings really makes you feel like you are in China and now-where else. Everything is very well maintained and the Chinese people work very hard to ensure the streets, roads and buildings are kept very clean and that the bushes and flower beds are trimmed and look beautiful. However a word of warning, the air pollution in China is high so if you have sensitive eyes make sure pack Optrex in your luggage as it is hard to find when out there. Also wearing sunglasses helps.

If you ever get the chance and are flying in or out from Shanghai PVG airport and are leaving from or travelling into the centre of Shanghai (Finance District) then take the Maglev. The Maglev gets you to and from the airport in 8minutes. At the cost of only 50yuan (thats about £5), it travels faster than a Formula one car and to my knowledge it is the fastest train in the world, so it’s definitely an experience worth having.

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