Disappointment after first trip to China

[Lu]

Not quite what I mean though. Loving a place you choose to live in is not the same as integrating in/adapting to that place. Immigrants in Europe not integrating is an issue; expats in China who complain but don't go home is a different issue. You can go and compare the two, but then you also need to take into account the reasons for coming to the country, socio-economic background, attitude of the local people, and other factors. And many of the European immigrants are actually quite a bit better integrated than your average expat: they can usually get around quite well in the local language, hold a local passport, send their children to a local school... Whether they love the country they're in is another matter, but it is often more difficult for them to leave than it is for a complaining 老外.

[AaronUK]

Feel like we are approaching a topic better suited for a different forum here haha

[Nnedi Ugo]

 

On 12/28/2017 at 12:03 AM, Kherith said:

5. I eat street food every day, I have never ever been ill even once in more than one year in China because of the food. When I went to Morrocco I lost 8 kilos in 3 weeks, went to several doctors and even spent a night at the hospital because I couldnt even drink a sip of water anymore.

 

Everyone reacts to food differently. This varies from person to person. 

[Kherith]

On 23/03/2018 at 11:03 AM, Nnedi Ugo said:

Everyone reacts to food differently. This varies from person to person

Exactly, so you should tell this to the author who is assuming that people going to China will all be sick. I was just giving my personal experience as an experience to show him he cant speak for everyone

[LuDaibola]

On 12/21/2017 at 12:33 AM, eion_padraig said:

Maybe your next trip could be to Taiwan. 

 

What eion said!  This makes more sense to me than giving up on Mandarin altogether since it sounds as if you have a sincere interest in Chinese culture.  Your post reminded me of what, I am told, my 5-year-old brother said when we stepped off the boat in Taiwan in 1955 and were surrounded by a gaggle of little children, "But, Mommy, they all have runny noses."  Many of the things you list are the way I remember Taiwan in the 1950's and early 60's except that toilets were often optional...at least in small villages such as the one I first lived in...just squat over the binjo ditch and do your business.  However, though I haven't been back in 52 years, my strong impression from watching tourist and expat vlogs and reading posts on forumosa is that, although you can still find squat toilets in rural areas, the country has modernized so completely that, should you visit, you'd experience far less discomfort, yet still be able to enjoy much of what Chinese culture has to offer (after all, Chiang Kai Shek made off with quite some treasures)..