Xi’an-igans

A couple of weekends ago, I took a little break to visit one of China’s most popular tourist spots – Xi’an in Shaanxi Province – with some of the great people I made friends with during the Beijing training camp. For anyone not familiar with the name, Xi’an is home to the world famous Terracotta Army and is well known for its history and melting pot of cultures. After some classic Chinese disorganisation concerning exam dates for some of my classes, I was lucky enough to blag a couple of days off from work to spend a long weekend there and discover the amazing food and culture.

Here's a run down of some of the best bits (*Note: very photo heavy post):

Motorbike Taxi

I’d arrived a day earlier than both Daisy and Charlotte, meaning I was relied upon to figure out the way from the airport to the hostel and relay this information to the girls. The directions given by the hostel seemed pretty straight forward so I’d anticipated it wouldn’t take more than just over an hour. But I got pretty lost - so much so that when I arrived in Xi’an it was daytime but by the time I arrived at the hostel, it was dark. After getting dropped off from the airport shuttle bus in some unknown location, I ended up hopping on the back of a motorbike taxi (who knew they were even a thing??), precariously hanging on as my driver darted around the city. The ride was freezing, but it was a pretty funny and memorable way to begin my Xi'an adventure.

Muslim Quarter and Food

I think hanging out in the Muslim Quarter was probably one of my favourite things about Xi'an. Never a dull minute, the streets are lined with food stalls and small restaurants. It's busy pretty much all day, but I recommend a visit at night when it's all lit up and stalls play funky music, shouting over microphones to attract customers. I don't think there is any other way to describe the street food in the Muslim Quarter as anything but amazing. Needless to say, I ate very well during my weekend in Xi'an and could have quite easily haemorrhaged all my money there.

One of my favourite things I had was meat on a stick. It's probably not the most sophisticated sounding delicacy, but there's really no other way to describe it. Chunks of lamb meat are skewered onto sticks that look like tree branches, covered in tasty spices like chilli and cumin and roasted over a charcoal flame right in front of you. And at 10 yuan a stick (£1), they're an absolute steal! 

I was also adamant not to leave Xi'an without having sampled a Chinese meat burger (roujiamo), a delicacy particularly popular in Shaanxi Province. We went to the Muslim Quarter one last time to grab some lunch before Daisy and I were due to head to the airport to go home. One thing I've learnt about buying street food in any country is that you should always buy from stalls with queues because it means the food is clearly the best in the street. We queued for a little while to get our hands on a burger. It was totally worth the wait and the perfect pre-flight meal but admittedly, the wait almost made Daisy late for her flight (oops).  

There's no way I could write this post without including the above picture of us posing with some steamed glutinous rice desserts called Jing Gao. Keen to try pretty much anything and everything on the food street, we satisfied our sweet cravings with these colourful, jam covered rice desserts on sticks. We'd kindly asked the lady on the stall to take a photo of us holding them and she seemed absolutely over the moon with her efforts, handing back my phone with the a massive grin on her face. It's always a bit awkward when you ask a stranger to take photos for you and they stick their thumb over a good portion of the picture... Still a cracking photo though, I think.

Terracotta Warriors

Of course, no trip to Xi'an would be complete without going to see the Terracotta Warriors. I'm so glad that I've been able to tick this off my China bucket list. It was a bit touch and go actually getting to the museum. It's located about an hour long bus drive outside of the city centre but we got a little lost trying to find the right bus station. Eventually we were shepherded onto a bus by ushers who just repeatedly shouted "Terracotta! Terracotta!" at us, clearly seeing from our confused touristy faces that we must be heading that way.

Upon the advice of my friend Andrew, we visited each of the excavated pits in reverse order (from Pit 3 to 1) because this was supposedly the best way to build up the impressiveness of the main site. It was a great piece of advice. Pit 2 is possibly the most visually underwhelming, mainly for the fact that you can't actually see many of the warriors. But thanks to Daisy who was full of fun facts about the warriors, she explained that excavation is still continuing. Many of the warriors are yet to be uncovered as museum owners and archaeologists wait for technology to catch up in order to keep the artefacts as well preserved as possible.

I can't really understate how amazing it is to see the Terracotta Army up close. The sheer size of the pits with all the life size warriors lined up, all uniquely posed in combat positions - it's all massively impressive when you consider that this was created to protect the first emperor of China in the afterlife. All in all, a visit to the Terracotta Warriors is an absolute must if you're in Xi'an.

(And just for funsies, I really like this photo Daisy took of Charlotte and I at the Terracotta Warrior Museum)

Shadow Play at Gao's Grand Courtyard

We had plans to stop by the hot springs area of Huaqing on the way back from the Terracotta Warriors, but after accidentally missing our bus stop, we ended up back in the city centre having to think on our feet about what to do with our evening. Whilst researching things to do in Xi'an, I did come across a suggestion to go and see a shadow play so we headed back to our beloved Muslim Quarter to hunt down Gao's Grand Courtyard. We took a hilarious ride in a rickety tin rickshaw taxi and headed straight into the hustle and bustle of the Muslim Quarter lit up at night.

Gao's Grand Courtyard is easy to miss if you're not looking for it, but again, thanks to Daisy's keen eye, we managed to track it down. Tickets cost about 25RMB for entry and the chance to see a shadow play. For an extra 5RMB, you're also entitled to a short tea ceremony inside the courtyard. Having first disregarding the tea experience as probably a bit of a rip-off experience tacked onto a higher ticket price, I'm was pleasantly surprised by it and actually really glad we paid a little extra.

The courtyard is quite charming. It was well into the evening when we arrived so the whole place had a slightly eerie vibe. You can explore the rooms of a wealthy family. The nice thing about the whole place was the complete contrast the Courtyard had to the buzz of the Muslim Quarter just outside. You can explore each room at your leisure away from crowds of tourists.

The shadow play was a pretty cool experience. Although we didn't really understand what was happening in the storyline, it was still really enjoyable to watch - even if we were laughing when the rest of the room were laughing too.

After the shadow play, we went for our short tea ceremony experience. We were given a sample of a variety of tea; Jasmine, Ginseng and 'Concubine' tea. Our host took the time to explain the differences in taste and was all round, a lovely lady to serve us some teaEach were incredibly tasty and it took a lot for me not to want to buy a pot of leaves for myself at the end. In any case, it was well worth the extra 5RMB I'd say.


City Wall Cycling

I really have to give credit to my friend Andrew for giving us some cracking advice for our trip to Xi'an. When I'd asked him a few days earlier about the must-see and do things for my trip, he told me, "1,000,000,000% - cycle around the city walls".

Naturally, this suggestion made me feel a little nervous. As my family, ex-work colleagues and close friends know, my bike riding abilities are pretty questionable and, although it's not something I'm always keen to admit, I couldn't really ride a bike until just before I came out to China. Even now, I'm pretty shocking on a bike. I'm certainly not a road safe cyclist. But I am incredibly chuffed that despite my lack of confidence in my cycling abilities, we went for a cycle around the city walls on my last day in Xi'an because it turned out to be really great fun. And, cheesy as it sounds, a really liberating experience for me.

(A shaky start from Daisy and I)

(But I did it!)

Thanks to some very supportive and motherly encouragement from Charlotte, cycling around the city walls was made a lot easier and it turned out to be a really nice chilled out way to spend my last morning in Xi'an. The weather could have been a bit nicer, but it was still a nice ride and a good way to see a little more of the city beyond the main tourist attractions. I totally recommend it as a must-do because if even novice cyclists like me can do it and enjoy it, everyone can! 

I can't end this post without saying a little thank you to the lovely ladies who joined me on this weekend getaway. I had a hilarious time catching up with both Charlotte and Daisy - silly touristy photos and all!

So here's to you superest supers! Thanks for making Xi'an one of my China highlights so far.

Until next time!

Fighting FOMO

Without a doubt, one of the things I struggle with whilst I'm here on the other side of the world is that FOMO feeling. For those of you not in the know, FOMO stands for 'Fear Of Missing Out', and it was one of my biggest fears before actually boarding the plane to China.

From time to time, I wonder about what I'd be doing back home if I wasn't here in Tianjin. Things were going pretty well for me before I left. I was doing a job I felt I was really getting good at and more importantly, it was a job that I actually enjoyed! I was spending a lot of time with my friends and family (mostly due to the many leaving parties I threw) and exploring London more and more each week (there's just always something good happening!). Generally, I was really content with my life and where it was all going and although I'd been wanting to experience China for quite some time, it was still a big thing to just get up and leave everything back in the UK.

Now don't get me wrong, I actually enjoy life here in China. I feel very settled and comfortable in Tianjin already and I'm really looking forward to exploring more of this massive country. But, when certain events happen back home, I can't help but really feel a pang of FOMO hit me right in the chest.

Bonfire Night did this to me recently. It's one of my favourite nights of the year because I absolutely love fireworks! I head to the Battersea Park fireworks display almost every year. I love waiting to see what theme they'll go with for the display. I love the smell of smoke that lingers in the air when everyone heads home. Fireworks just make me inexplicably happy, so it's been a bit sad for me to think about how that's all going on whilst I'm in a completely different time zone.

The only consolation I had was being able to teach my students about the Bonfire Night back story. I'm particularly proud of the lesson I ran last week. I loved being able to introduce complex new words like conspiracy, and telling them about some of the more gruesome aspects of the gunpowder plot. It was great to see their reactions to the brutal punishment of being hung, drawn and quartered. It's things like being able to talk about traditions I love from back home, like Bonfire Night, and getting my students really engaged that pulls me back from that FOMO feeling.

FOMO had no plans to just leave things there though. My daily scroll through social media decided to throw the annual John Lewis Christmas advert my way, reminding me that Christmas is around the corner and that this will be the first time ever I've spent it away from my family.

(The cover of  Oasis' 'Half the World Away' never felt more apt)

I keep in touch with my family relatively regularly. It doesn't fuss me so much any more when my siblings meet for dinners and outings without me. I'm not too bothered at the thought of my Dad's amazing cooking at big family gatherings any more either because there's a wealth of amazing food to be had in Tianjin. But one of the things that gets me is that there is pretty much no such thing as celebrating Christmas here in China. In fact, the kids are still at school on Christmas day. Maybe I could ward off FOMO if there was some kind of Christmas tradition I could join in oni, but the complete lack of it will certainly make things feel strange for me come the end of December.

I don't want to dwell on it though. One thing I have to remind myself is that FOMO is only temporary and that it will only make you feel bad if you let it get to you. Likewise, I think the only other way to get over it is to play dirty - fight FOMO with FOMO. I have every intention of doing this in the next few weeks as I'm heading for some weekend trips to Xi'an and Qingdao. Hopefully nothing goes wrong and I'll have a great time exploring more of China. I'll be sure to do an update on my travels, and who knows, maybe next time you'll feel FOMO on your next read?

Until then!

Laowai label

In the Chinese language, to refer to a foreigner Chinese people use the term ‘laowai’(老外). This was a term I became quickly familiar with upon arriving in Tianjin. Merely walking around Tianjin with my fellow foreign teacher friends, it was the most noticeable words we picked up on as we passed through crowds of Chinese locals.

According to the definition given by my trusty Pleco app (which has so far saved me in many translation situations), ‘laowai’ refers to a foreigner, especially a non-Asian person. This is perhaps where one of my main struggles in China begins. By definition, I am most certainly a foreigner but, also being Asian means I blur the lines of what a ‘laowai’ traditionally refers to. The conflict between this clash of identities was something I tried to mentally prepare for before coming to China, but the reality of how to deal with it has been different.

Before even boarding my plane to China, I had my first experience of someone assuming I spoke Mandarin because I look Asian. It was the first of many times I would encounter this awkward situation. I continually bewilder Tianjin locals by my inability to communicate in a way that is expected of me because of the way I look. I have to admit, it is both amusing and frustrating.

Take for example my first few lessons of teaching when I introduced myself for the first time. I walked into classroom and was met with rows of confused faces. The majority of my students’ jaws hit the ground when I began speaking in fluent English with a British accent. I often had to pre-empt their questions – “I’m confusing, right? ...Because I look Chinese, but speak fluent English? … Well, yes, my parents are Chinese … but no, I do not speak Mandarin”. Some students had outright told me that I was not what they were expecting from their new foreign language teacher. In fact, they were expecting a blonde (sorry to disappoint, kids!). Situations like this were amusing to me, but then there’s the other side of the coin.

Growing up in multi-cultural society like London, the fact that I look Chinese has never really been something that has been a defining feature for me. But the concept of someone who looks Chinese/ Asian but cannot speak the language is not something that is easy to grasp for Chinese people.

Of course, this presents a major challenge for me here. Locals will insist on speaking to me (or rather at me) in Chinese, despite the fact that I have told them in broken Mandarin that I come from England and that I can only speak English. When I visit places with my western looking friends, locals beeline for me to play translator and unfortunately are met with my awkward laugh as I’m left with no choice but to apologetically shrug and run away.

It has been a struggle and a challenge that I found particularly difficult to deal with when I first arrived. I had to use hand gestures to get across my meaning but luckily, I have also discovered that I know far more Cantonese (the dialect my family speak in but is of no use to me here in Northern China) than I gave myself credit for. I should think I’ll be pretty great at charades when I return to the UK and/ or hopefully will have picked up Mandarin well enough for conversation.

I suppose the good thing about being forced into situations where I must (attempt to) communicate in Chinese because it is what is expected from my appearance is that I have stronger motivation to pick up Mandarin as quickly as possible. The few Chinese lessons I took as a teenager have already proved a good enough basis for me to identify what meat is included in a meal when reading a restaurant menu. Things can only get better from here.

I imagine this constant internal conflict I deal with, being both a ‘laowai’ but non-western looking girl, will be a common theme discussed in this blog. It makes me wonder how others feel when dealing with the same kind of problem. Any Britsh Born Chinese people or (BBC)s out there feel my pain? 

Anyway, I doubt the clash of identities I feel will actually go away whilst I'm here but in any case, the struggle I felt when I first got here has eased up a little. Now that I'm actually taking a few Mandarin classes, I feel more positive about being able to overcome the issue of the laowai label. It just goes to show, language really is the cornerstone of culture and can be the make or break factor as to whether you can integrate into a new one. 

Shanghai Part 2: The Hai Life

Although I was only in Shanghai 5 days, I've already decided that I will most definitely be heading back for another trip at some point. I only have great things to say about the city! But, it was so big that I feel as though I merely scratched the surface of what it had to offer. 

One of my absolute highlights was my last full day in Shanghai, where we lived what I like to call 'the hai life'.

My day began with a lovely little gift given to me by a girl called Donna who was staying in my hostel dorm room. Sometimes Chinese people get a bit of a reputation as being stand-offish or rude but for the most part, I can say that they don't adhere to this stereotype. Case in point would be the girls I met in my dorm room. Once we got to understanding that I couldn't actually speak Chinese, we exchanged attempted conversation in broken Chinese and English. Despite knowing we couldn't really communicate, Donna and her friend (who didn't have an English name), were determined to get my WeChat details before we all departed from Shanghai. On my last morning in the hostel, Donna approached my bunk just as I woke up to tell me that she'd been to a local snack shop and bought me some treats to share with my friends. It was the best way to wake up!

 (Donna, what a babe!)

Having ticked off experiencing some culture off my Shanghai to do list, the only thing left to do was see Shanghai from above. I was determined to head up at least one of the crazy tall skyscrapers. I wasn't particularly fussed about which one, it just had to be one of them.

 (Spoilt for choice with the Shanghai Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center and Jin Mao Tower)

After a bit of um-ing and ah-ing, we decided we were happy to pay the pricey entrance fee to get up to the observation deck of the Oriental Pearl Tower. However, when we were hit with the news that the queue to get in was two hours long, we were suddenly less keen.

Some of us had read that there was a bar as part of the Grand Hyatt Hotel which was at the top of Jin Mao Tower. It seemed like a good deal to try get to the bar and bypass any kind of entrance fee. I'd actually done a very similar thing when I was in Tokyo in the summer. So for anyone looking to see big cities from a height, I recommend hunting down your closest Hyatt chain hotel and heading to the bar for a great view and a drink.

The interior of Jin Mao Tower was absolutely insane. You could look directly down the centre of the tower from 87 floors up. I'm not really that afraid of heights but even I had to admit that looking down made me quite nervous. See here for the full effect. 

 

We had to go through a bit of a maze to get to Cloud 9 bar on the top floor. There was a minimum spend at the bar and the cocktails were pricey but I still contend that it was completely worth it. We got there just before sunset so it was pretty amazing to watch the sun go down on Shanghai and see all the city lights come up one by one. With a strong long island ice tea in my hand and some great company, it was a great way to spend my final evening in Shanghai!

(Oriental Pearl Tower light show)

I had an early flight back to Tianjin to catch the following morning, but it didn't stop me partying just one more time with everyone and staying up until silly o'clock. That night, we headed to Kartel rooftop bar which was pretty nice from what I remember. They had a free flow beer wristband deal which was, in hindsight, perhaps not the best decision I could have made considering my early flight. In the end, I headed to the airport with Tom running on just an hours sleep and getting on the plane genuinely felt like a hallucination. Needless to say, I got some well earned rest when I got back to Tianjin, ready to start my 6 back-to-back lessons day of teaching the following day. Still, I had absolutely no regrets - I had a blast!

Day trip to Hangzhou

I didn't know much about Hangzhou before going, but apparently, it's well known in China as home to some of the country's most beautiful women. I was excited to get out of the hustle and bustle of Shanghai for a day and visit some of the beautiful scenes I’d seen plastered all over Google during my research of things to do there.
The previous day, we'd spent about an hour collecting the train tickets to save time collecting them on the morning. This was definitely a good decision to make. Upon arrival, the station was overwhelmingly huge and filled with herds of people (see above). Annoyingly, I'd accidently booked a standing ticket. But, I was grateful that the journey was relatively short though - only an hour and a half away from Shanghai.

(Brollies out)

(A 'view' of the West Lake) 

We were a little disappointed by Hangzhou because the weather was so awful. Everything was covered in mist including one of Hangzhou's most well known attractions - the West Lake. We arrived and couldn't see much at all. I had to hand it to Chinese tourists though. Despite the awful weather and the fact you couldn't see anything, there were still lots of tourists around.

We didn't let the rain dampen our spirits though. Determined to make the best out of a bad situation, Charlotte, Sam and Elijah thought it'd be amusing to go to one of those costume photography places. For 40RMB (about £4), you were able to choose from a wardrobe of traditional Chinese dress and have your photo taken and printed as a souvenir. It was really hilarious to see Charlotte dressed up as a pink princess, whilst Elijah and Sam went for the Chinese warrior look complete with sword and staff.

(Blue Steel, eat your heart out!)

(Historically accurate footwear from the boys)

I found it even more hilarious when crowds of Chinese tourists began to encircle them during the photo shoot, taking photos of their own. Charlotte, Sam and Elijah because tourist attractions themselves!

Hangzhou is also famous for it's many historical buildings. Later, we ventured towards the Qinghefang Old Street to visit some of the nearby museums. The street was a good place to kill some time. There were lots of souvenir stalls and places to try out some of the local snacks. It took a little circling around before we actually tracked down the Hangzhou Chinese Medical Museum, a place full of interesting smells. We also took a trip to the Drum Tower, and I made friends with one of the guards at the entrance...

(Drum Tower) 

 (Making friends in Hangzhou)

After this, we took a random turn and headed uphill. We did a little climbing and came across a few temples which has a good view point of Hangzhou from the top. It was still misty so looking at the view required a little imagination to really take in the beautiful views.

Although we didn't really do a great deal, we did actually have a nice day out. This was clearly the case when as we waited for our trains back to Hangzhou and Elijah got more than comfortable with the floor. Our little trip really tuckered him out... 

All in all, I think I've already decided that I'll have to visit Hangzhou again when the weather is a little less unpredictable so I can really appreciate how beautiful the place can be. Until then Hangzhou!

Shanghai Part 1: Shanghai Shenanigans

At the beginning of October, we were given a week off from work to celebrate Golden Week. We were warned by former ELAs that plane or train tickets could sell out pretty quickly because every man and his dog travels during national holidays. Luckily, the people I had made friends with during training camp were on the ball with booking flights and hostels in advance before things sold out or got too expensive.

I was looking forward to a little break from teaching and to seeing all my friends to catch up and let off a little steam. In search of recommendations of must see things, I told a few of my students that I would be headed to Shanghai.

“Teacher, it’ll be very busy! Busier than Beijing!” they warned. And they were not wrong.

Perhaps I was lulled into a false sense of security when I got to Tianjin airport. I was pleasantly surprised at how empty the airport was. Although this was technically my first experience of it, I think I can safely say that travelling during any national holiday in China is crazy. Herds of people pile themselves onto subway carriages. People queue in front of tourist attractions for hours.

Of course, we adopted the ‘when on holiday’ mentality and found ourselves doing just those things…

(The Bund)

First things first, no trip to Shanghai would have been complete without a visit to the Bund and a cheeky photo in front of Shanghai’s iconic skyline. The trouble was the thousands of tourists with the same idea, making a photo without the corner of some random person’s head sneaking its way in nearly impossible. This was about as close as I got:

(Still clearly loving life though)

One of my favourite parts of our city break was the visit to the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Centre. Located in the basement of what looks like a block of housing flats, it is a place easy to overlook. But if you’re a bit of a history buff or are just looking for a way to get a snapshot of how influential Mao was though, the propaganda museum is a must see.

(Room B-OC, President Apartment, 868 Huashan Lu)

The museum took me right back to my GCSE history days. It reminded me of when you were given a propaganda poster and asked to analyse the imagery for meaning, relating it to contemporary historical events. I can’t say I have any background in Chinese history, but it’s something I’m looking to discover more about whilst I’m here for the year. The original propaganda posters were really striking. It was intriguing to see how the styles changed over the years, as well as how the Chinese perceived huge historical events in the western world like the 1960s social movements in America. It's not really an aspect you really consider when you think about China, so well worth checking it out if you're into history. 

(Taking sneaky photos of some of the posters)

Continuing our exploration of the cultural aspects Shanghai had to offer, one night we ended up at a bar called JZ Club playing live jazz. It was great to see some live music! The main composer (the pianist of the ensemble) was a bit of an oddball. Between each song, he'd attempt to charm the audience by explaining his creative influences when it came to composing. Strangely enough, he admitted that one jaunty number was inspired by a Christian prayer. So there you have it folks, Christian jazz is apparently a thing!

The lead saxophonist also looked suspiciously like Ai Wei Wei, or even a long lost son of his. Was Ai Weiwei really in the UK promoting his latest exhibit at the Royal Academy? We had a sneaking suspicion that this was not the case. Clearly, he moonlighted as an underground jazz saxophonist...

(Ai Weiwei taking centre stage at JZ Club)

I was also really pleased to see some art in Shanghai too. As many of my friends know, one of my favourite things to do is to visit art galleries – the Saatchi Gallery being one of my favourite places ever. We took a taxi to the m50 Art District on Moganshan Road and explored the many warehouse spaces there.

The work on show ranged from some pretty abstract pieces, the kind that you step back and wonder if it really is 'art'. Others were right up my street in terms of the type of art I like looking at. Some of my favourites, below.

(Continuous Movement collection by Song Xi) 

(#Selfie as part of the Noir Blanc exhibition at the Island6 Studio, home of the Liudao Art Collective)

For a 5 day city break, we managed to fit in a fair bit of cultural sightseeing. I can't help but feel like I merely scratched the surface though and I can imagine I'll definitely head back to Shanghai again at some point to explore even more.

Tianjin: First Impressions

Although it's already been over two months since I moved to China, my first impressions of Tianjin were pretty spot on and my opinions of this city have changed very little since my full first weekend here.

The morning we all departed from Beijing, I was incredibly glad that the train journey was only 40 minutes long. It meant that I would arrive in Tianjin by lunch time and have some time to adjust. I could even fit in some time to unpack - no more living out of a suitcase!

I was met at the train station by my 'mentor' Irwin, quickly ushered into a car and driven to the school I would be teaching and living at for the next year. I had a fair bit of contact with Irwin via email so it was nice to finally put a name to the face. One thing that he told me the first time we met was that Tianjin was well known for being a very "liveable city", and so far, I've found Irwin's words to ring true.

Unlike Beijing, Tianjin is far less intense as a city. It has a good city buzz without being overwhelming. One of the things that was most noticeable on the drive to the school was that there was less traffic, and a little less horn honking. Although this sounds like a minor issue, being driven around in China seriously feels like a life-threatening experience, but more on that another time.

One of the most distinctive things about Tianjin is its strange blend of Europeaness and Chineseness. During my first full weekend, I was determined not to let any form of homesickness get to me. The only way to ward it off was to keep myself busy, so I met up with Tom to explore Tianjin's Italian Style Town.

Truth be told, the place didn't seem very Italian, but it certainly had a European vibe. The streets are lined with European restaurants with  a range of cuisines - French, German and Italian, you name it. You can even buy Venetian masks in some of the souvenir shops. Essentially, places like the Italian Style Town exemplify the feeling of east meets west I feel in Tianjin. It feels quite trippy sometimes to think you're walking around in a European city, but knowing you're in China.

Tom and I walked along the river too. Tianjin all lit up at night is truly beautiful. There was something really comforting in it and I remember thinking in my tired, overwhelmed and borderline homesick state that living here would be A-okay.

In some ways, Tianjin kind of reminds me of London. The Haihe River runs through the middle of the city, much like the River Thames. There are lots of bridges, each with their own character and style. There's even the Tianjin Eye (Tianjin's version of the London eye) not too far from my school. 

The photo above is the view I get from the bridge I have to cross to get to my closest subway station. I'm always quite bowled over by how pretty it looks on a clear day or at sunset.

I try to make an effort to explore new areas of the city and try new places to eat. Sometimes it feels as though I've already exhausted the best that Tianjin has to offer, but every so often, I find myself pleasantly surprised. The one thing I need to keep in mind whilst I'm here is that Tianjin is a pretty big city and I hope that as I get better at speaking Chinese, I'll be able to make the most of what this city has to offer. 

More on my adventures in Tianjin so far to come!