I moved to China in 2003 with my wife. 12 years later I moved out of China with my wife and 2 Children. I learned a lot about China while living there and think before you move there you have a lot to consider about yourself and how you live your life.
1. China has developed in such a way that it is alien to most foreign people and takes some time to get used to. Some go and live in the expat part of town and make primarily expat friends and do their best to stay inside their own circles while living there. This can be beneficial but also can cause stress due to the fact you miss out on learning about the culture and instead sit behind your cultural walls you have self imposed upon yourself and create your own idea of what China is and what Chinese people are like.
2. Chinese language is difficult to learn if you resist it. Most people who live in China and try and avoid the language really do not learn much about the culture itself but sit aside and make judgements based on their home culture experiences. This is a very flawed model and perception and creates negative stereotypes which get spread through western countries due to a lack of true understanding. Instead of finding ways to fit within the culture people judge and blame the culture. Chinese language is one of the foundations of the culture itself. Understanding it can expand your world and experiences and allow you to meet more people outside the limited world of the expat experience. It also allows you to travel within China and experience things beyond the primary tourist locations.
3. Chinese food can be less expensive than your typical foreign meal, and very tasty if you have an open mind. Chinese people make some amazing dishes using every part of the animal which people from the west are not used to and have a negative stereotype towards simply because it is not commonly used in the foods back within their own cultures. Chicken feet and heads are a good example, in America we do not usually see them in the market so we have no association with them until we arrive in China. Then suddenly it becomes good or bad based on your experience with them. Prior to coming to China it never entered into your head to eat either one since chickens in the west are typically sold without either of them.
4. Chinese people have culturally developed in a manner without religion or a foundational belief system like Christianity or Catholicism or insert religion here. History of China has also turned their population against itself at times which leads to a very interesting society. People in general only care about you if they are related to you as in family or friends. So as a foreigner it can be stressful given you are taught to treat others as you have been treated or any number of platitudes which refer to having respect for your fellow man. China does not have that lesson in their overall education.
5. Chinese education is focused on the test model. All Chinese students have to study for a test called the Gaokao which determines which school you can get into for your college education. This causes the entire system to be focused on the test vs the quality of the information or the students knowledge and well roundedness.
6. Chinese parenting takes helicopter parenting to an extreme. The one child policy has created families which have 4 grandparents 2 parents all focused on 1 Child. This is having a detrimental effect on their children. Their children are being taught to be dependent on their parents and grandparents rather than their parents teaching them how to be functional and responsible for themselves. Some college students still have their parents or grandparents coming to the college to provide food and laundry and cleaning services so the student can focus on their studies. Unfortunately this means later in life if the parent dies or becomes ill the child must suddenly learn a variety of new skills which the parent prevented the child from learning.
China can be a great experience or a hell on earth for those who choose to live there or get sent there for work. It is up to the individual to either adapt and understand or stand aside and judge which only causes stress for the individual.
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