Throughout our lives we are told how important first impressions are, that we can only make one, that a good first impression can be the difference between success and failure. First impressions shape our view of another individual, a place, a company a restaurant and in our increasingly globalised world, a country.
I’m in the rather peculiar situation where I have the opportunity to have 2 first impressions of China. The first as a tourist in 2008 and the second in 2011 upon moving my life to the other side of the world. Coming to a country to live and work will naturally give a very different first impression than if you were to come to that same country as a tourist.
My first impression of China came in Hong Kong from the man who would be our tour guide for the next month. After meeting him and the rest of our group in our hotel he proceeded to go over what the next month would entail, what we would see, cultural do’s and don’ts. He finished his talk by describing the 3 S’s; Smoking, Spitting and Shoving. He explained that in China it is not illegal to smoke indoors, that spitting is rather common and lastly that there are a lot of people in China, as a result pushing and shoving is also pretty common. To some this may seem like quite a negative first impression, but it really was not the case. We departed Hong Kong that evening and the next morning we were in Guilin being herded onto a bus heading towards Yangshuo, a mecca for tourists in southern China. My first few hours in mainland China encountered us with the three S’s described to us the previous day. However, since these were things that had been expected it wasn’t a surprise, it wasn’t a distraction and most importantly it wasn’t a source of frustration. This allowed me to enjoy all other wonderful sights, smells and experiences that were going on around me. I have read plenty of travel blogs and listened to plenty of expats complain about these three things. Whilst at times someone smoking in a restaurant or the pushing and shoving on the subway can be frustrating. I can’t help wonder that if people were aware of these things before they came maybe they would be less focused on them on more focused on the positive things surrounding them.
China is huge, no surprises there. From some of the most modern skylines on earth to the Forbidden City, the great wall, terracotta army. The thing that really struck me when I first arrived here was the fact that everything here is done on a grand scale. It was something that really struck me in 2008. It’s hard not to be overawed by the sheer size and scale of many things in China.
After returning from my travels in 2008 I knew that I wanted to return to China to live and work at some point in the future. In August 2011 I touched down in Beijing to begin a new life in the middle kingdom. I’d already experienced the 3 S’s from my previous trip, so there was no surprises to be had there. However like I said moving to China to live will give you a very different first impression than if you were to come here as a tourist. You encounter things that you would never need to as a tourist. The working visa system, trips to the bank, renting an apartment, buying basic household supplies, the language barrier. These things can leave you feeling overwhelmed, however this was not the case for myself as I had studied Chinese for 2 years before moving to China, so the language barrier was not as much of an obstacle as it is for many. I had done a huge amount of research and my company gave a lot of information about living in China. So I knew about paying 3 months at a time for rent, I knew about the many bureaucratic processes that exist here. Knowing this information made me focus on the stuff you should be focusing on when you move to a new country, the people, the food, the culture, the sights and all things that go into making your new life a reality.
There is one thing that really struck me when I first came to China in 2008 and when I moved to Beijing in 2011; how friendly people are. Initially people appear a little standoffish, but once a conversation starts, this disappears. People will help you if you are lost, and if they cant speak English, most will help you find someone who can. Expect people to ask for a photo with you, expect people, especially in more rural parts of China, to stare occasionally. Many people here are interested to hear what you think of their country and will ask what dishes you have eaten, what cities you have been to, what place was your favourite.
China is an assault on the senses. Spectacular scenery, huge ancient temples and palaces, the great wall, the terracotta warriors this list of things to see goes on and on. In China you can walk down a street and be enchanted by the smell whatever fantastic food is being cooked nearby and within a few steps this can disappear to be replaced with a smell so bad it’s almost indescribable. Cities in China are not quiet, finding a quiet space in Beijing is something that should be treasured and kept as one’s own personal secret. The food, oh god the food. You will have some of the best meals of your life in China, that I guarantee. However there are a few dishes will leave you feeling less mesmerised; pig brains anyone? China is the most populated country on earth, there are people everywhere, personal space is not something that exists here. All of this things combined to give myself and many others a fascinating, overwhelming, frustrating, confusing, but ultimately rewarding first impression of China.
