I’ve devised a little Q and A with myself to describe China so far.
Favourite thing so far: The people in Xining are very friendly, its been interesting to learn the language, and the places we have visited are incredible (Great Wall, Tiennamen Square, Forbidden City, Ta’er Monestary…), but possibly the food tops it all… wow, I never knew Chinese food could be so good!
Least Favourite thing so far: Squat toilets… need I say more?
Thing I’ve had to adapt to the most: Fetching hot water for the day from a building every morning, not showering when I feel like it, squat toilets, unable to drink from the tap even though it is so much colder than the hot water we drink, reading Chinese on the computer and trying to figure out which button says “Post” and which says something completely different.
I never knew it was like that here: Rice for breakfast, eggs for lunch and dinner… Lots of Muslims in Xining, and its pretty hot here too despite being at such a high elevation.
Thats all I can think of to ask myself right now, but if you have any other questions, fire away!
What I’m bringing home with me so far: (physical items) – lots of chopsticks – I like eating with them way more than knives and forks, a sweet dress I picked up in Beijing, other souvineers I haven’t bought yet. (not physical items) – a new appreciation for the Chinese language and culture, a few words and phrases in Chinese, new friends.