Finding Myself In China & Expanding from Western Ideologies
- Vanessa Gomez
- Oct 26, 2017
- 3 min read
Dean Jarley often talks about the importance of getting out of one’s comfort zone and how doing so can help one get to the “one.” This year I had the incredible opportunity to live, study, and work in China for eight months. I learned about the Chinese way of life, their hukou system, how invaluable English is, the importance of family, the Chinese business culture, and gained a new perspective of Americans and the American culture.
My eight-month journey started in Hong Kong. Hong Kong’s blend of Chinese-Western culture and its juxtaposing scenic and city view almost made me forget I was in Asia. I went hiking for the first time and even mustered up the nerve to jump off a waterfall cliff (craziest thing I’ve ever done!) Hong Kong has quickly become one of my favorite cities.
After spending a week in Hong Kong and Macau, I headed to my study abroad destination: Shanghai. The week I arrived just so happen to coincide with Chinese New Year. People headed home via the metro, cars, and even on bikes because for many this is the only time in the year where they have a break to see their family Chinese New Year 2017
In Shanghai, I took 3 business classes, a Chinese-Mandarin class, and I volunteered with a non-for-profit organization. The non-for-profit organization focused on improving the education and general welfare of migrant children in China. Having a migrant status is what gives students a serious disadvantage, and so I decided to help this cause by teaching migrant students English.
Living abroad these last few months has been a privilege not many people get to experience. I’ve seen countless amounts of amazing scenery in China, and let me tell you, pictures don’t do it justice. The sites are breathtakingly beautiful and physically being there is an irreplaceable experience; you feel the history, a range of emotions, and even if just for a minute, you feel at peace.
With that said, China also took a lot out of me. I’ve never been able to fall asleep as easily as I did in China. I felt physically and mentally drained and to be honest, I liked it. Everyday I woke up eager to embrace the environment around me and I did my best to ‘put myself out there.’ This mentality ultimately influenced my decision to extend my stay. In fact, after the end of my program and a visit from my family, I took a one-way flight to Beijing. I ended up spending the summer taking Chinese classes and interning at the American Chamber of Commerce.
Moreover, living abroad can be frustrating and embarrassing at times, but I won’t trade the experience for anything. The opportunity to look at life through someone else’s perspective is life changing because it allows one to look at the world differently. The ability to understand, or at the very least, accept that are different ways of looking at things goes a long way. For example, unlike the United States, a personal car is inconvenient in China. Instead, I familiarized myself with the metro commute, rode on Mobike and Ofo bicycles, and enjoyed the accessibility of high-speed trains. I mastered the “Asian squat” while squatting over unfamiliar toilet-like holes in the ground and I made a habit of carrying tissues everywhere I went. A/C was a luxury not many places had so I became accustomed to that. But by far the biggest challenge of living in China was the communication. While some Chinese people knew English, it wasn’t enough. Much of my time in China was figuring out what people told me in Mandarin and trying to express something in my limited Mandarin.
Amidst the challenges I managed to befriend several students, professionals, and professors. I practiced Chinese with as many people as I could, including cashiers, bus drivers, ticket agents, and waitresses. I tried a variety of Chinese dishes, participated in several language exchanges, and I attended many social events with locals. I am happy to say I have amazing friends to go back to.
Life is the greatest learning experience. What one does (and doesn’t do) with their life thus becomes the limitation. Going straight home after classes, not involving oneself with the local community, living vicariously through social media or someone else’s life are examples of such limitations. The world is huge; explore it, get lost, talk to people, make mistakes, learn, have fun and most importantly, don’t limit yourself. ⚡️🔛
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