The people you will meet in China are some of the kindest and most sincere people you will ever come across - fact. There's much to be said about how easy it is to settle into a place with such a foreign culture when the vast majority of people are welcoming and willing to help. Sure, it's not easy when the language barrier is such a big factor that can isolate you, but most people are very patient and friendly, willing to look past the fact that you can't communicate in the same words. At least, in my experience, it's true.Some of the fondest memories of China I have so far are of the friendships I made in hostel dorm rooms when I was travelling. Fleeting as they may have been, they certainly left a lasting impression on me. I remember it coming as a lovely surprise when I woke up one morning in Shanghai with a fellow dorm mate patiently waiting for me to wake up so she could hand deliver some biscuits and sweet treats from a local bakery she bought for me and my friends. We exchanged WeChat contacts and although we never actually spoke again apart from the odd comment on my pictures, it was the first time I'd experienced such a selfless act of friendliness in China.
Later on when I went to Xiamen, Fujian Province, I met yet more locals who undoubtedly made my time there even better. Sam, Haroon and I became good friends with two girls manning a waffle stall in Zeng Cuo An food market. We became particularly friendly with a girl called Dracula (yes, what a name!) who I bonded with because she was originally from Tianjin. The following day, she offered to show us around a little more, taking Sam and I for a little trip to the park and out to lunch at 'Grandma's House' (外婆家 - one of my favourite Chinese restaurant chains). It's easy to be sceptical of people who want your contact details almost as soon as they meet you. Certainly, if the same thing happened to me in London, I'd be massively guarded but living in China has definitely made me more trusting of people's good intentions. If you don't engage with the people, you'll miss out on opportunities to experience the culture and lifestyle in China beyond your expat bubble.
Haroon, Sam, Me, Nicki and Dracula - Xiamen, April 2016
It's not just the locals that make China though, it's the expat and traveller community too. The group of British Council English Language Assistants that I went out to China with are genuinely a bunch of people who I have come to call good friends. We were all there for each other when we needed to rant about a crap day of teaching. We travelled together. They've shared a big part of my life and understand exactly what I mean when I make a China reference (without getting annoyed that I might be mentioning it too much in conversation).
A young, clueless bunch of English Language Assistants in Beijing
Fellow travellers I came across have also become good friends. I had the pleasure of meeting up again with Poppy who I travelled to Dali with during Spring Festival very recently. We caught up over many cups of tea, sharing more travelling stories together and appreciate the funny sides. Poppy mentioned that she told one particular story to her friends about a typical Chinese tourist she came across in Portugal who she had somehow become a personal photographer for during a hike. The trouble was that to her friends, it was just a story about her taking photos of a stranger, but to us, it was hilarious simply because we knew that it was just "soo China" and I could completely visualise exactly what happened as she told the story because I'd experienced similar things too.
Me and Poppy hanging out in trees by Erhai Lake, Dali
Having other people in the same boat as you, who understand the strange and wonderful context of China only consolidates your experience. It's not the easiest of countries to crack but the people there and the people you meet certainly make it worth it.
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