Everyday CHINA #1 - Through the Eyes of a Foreigner

Hello Steemians!

For the past few months I have been living in China with my girlfriend and I thought I would share some of the experiences and culture changes that I have been dealing with. I am a Canadian and have spent the majority of my life living there and while I have traveled the world quite a lot, it is quite different to actually live in another country. I will use these posts to talk about my struggles and some of the major cultural differences I have experienced here and show some pictures that I have taken of daily life for most people in Zhuhai, China.

There are many places in Asia that foreigners can live quite easily without learning the local language but China is not one of them, much like Korea and Japan, the economy is not dependent on tourism and as such most of the locals have very little need for a second language. I can speak enough Mandarin to get by in stores and restaurants but I am essentially illiterate and that causes me a lot of problems when it comes to menus and storefront signs because I have no idea what these places offer.

I am more focused on communicating than I am on reading and writing but that leaves me at a bit of a disadvantage when I am out alone and trying to figure out where to go and what to buy. That being said, the local people are always very helpful when they see I am confused but I lack the skill to articulate myself well and I always end up feeling foolish when I try to explain my thoughts. It is quite a humbling feeling when I have for so long considered myself to be a skilled traveler and I cannot even ask where something is in a grocery store. But I am persevering and learning more every day and hope to be more comfortable and confident in my daily routines while living in the country.

We took a trip to Guangzhou and had a walk down Beijing st to look at all the beautiful new years lanterns

The one thing that always gets me in China is the sheer volume of people everywhere you go

A closer look at the lanterns

My beautiful girlfriend surrounded by flowers and lanterns

Back in Zhuhai, this is the view from our apartment and you can see the famous copy-paste apartment buildings. This was so crazy outside Shanghai where you could see upwards of 20 completely identical buildings all in a neat little grid, but hey if it works, it works

While walking around the neighborhood I got a shot of this man burning a bit of garbage while his son laughed and screamed

One of the things I love about southern China is the trees that line the streets, they all are covered in beautiful vines

A shot of a row of car mechanics based in the bottom of apartment buildings

A woman at the local market selling steamed breads and steamed corn, I love all the steamed food in China

The local market we sometimes shop at in our neighborhood

A sea of ride share bikes by the bus stop. You can unlock these bikes with your phone and ride them anywhere in the city for 1RMB per month, it is an awesome service but there are just so many of them that they can clutter the sidewalks sometimes.

All the little orange trees are used to celebrate Chinese New Year, I am looking forward to experiencing it in China! I have taken part in Taiwan and Canada but this will be my first time in China.

Loads of red packets for sale at a local shop. People buy these for new years and give them to their kids, single friends and employees filled with a little bit of money

A beautiful sunset over the river in Zhuhai

So far I really enjoy living in China, there are a few things that I struggle with but I enjoy the culture and most of all I love the food! I will make more posts like this with more shots of around the city and in some of my favorite restaurants. Thanks for reading!