It was a Monday morning when Big Brother decided to shut down all access to the uncensored internet. There was no Skype, Google applications, Facebook, Instagram, etc. Unfortunately, it was the same day I had scheduled a long overdue conversation with my mom. The 13 hour time difference and our busy schedules had put off our weekly conversations by two weeks.
Living in a censored country, I should have known it was bound to happen one day. I was just hoping it wouldn’t happen that day. As I tried frantically to login into my VPN, I was met with defeat and news of the situation from WeChat. I was so angry I busted into tears.
I should have known to expect the unexpected. You learn that very quickly when living in China. It is one of the many little quirks you learn to accept. Such as, the occasional over packed buses that leave you practically in the bus drivers lap. There are times when you come into work and the office smells like Durian fruit. There are times where there is no sign about the big holes in the middle of the street. The most reoccurring one, when you go into the bathroom and realize soap or toilet paper are non-existent. Sometimes these things are very frustrating, but these are times when I have to just laugh, it’s China.
The thought of teaching English in China after graduation never crossed my mind until I heard about three of my Spelman Sisters who did it. I obsessively read each of their blogs and could see their growth through every post about life in Shenzhen. I knew I wanted to do something completely different before I entered Grad school or the work force. I knew nothing about China outside of my State Department virtual internship and required reading in my International Studies classes. China was an opportunity for growth, to step out of my comfort zone, the ability to learn a third language, and to travel places I only read about.
What were your initial thoughts on moving there?
My first initial thoughts were what did I just get myself into? I knew that everything in China would be extremely different from my life in America. I was not prepared for exactly how different it would be. My senses would be overwhelmed with things I was completely unaccustomed to. My ignorance led me to believe that there would be no modern amenities such as, running water, electricity, and my apartment building would only have communal bathrooms with squat toilets. While that is the case for some cities in China, it is not mine. I feared the government listening to my phone conversations and communism as a whole. I packed all of my essentials for fear of China not having anything I needed. Such as, lotion, natural hair products, toothpaste, clothes, etc. I expected the best but overly prepared for the worst.
How did you adjust to the culture?
Honestly, after six months, I am still adjusting. It was difficult in the beginning because I spent so much time harping on the cultural differences instead of accepting the new culture I lived in. It took a really long time to move past my culture shock. Some of the things that really helped me to adjust in the beginning were reaching out to other brown people throughout China. I found WeChat groups and Facebook groups, and other individuals along the way. There is a big African-Diasporic community here in Dalian as well throughout China. Reaching out to them, as well as my black co-workers really helped me a lot. I am so thankful for their words of encouragement, advice, and support. I also started getting involved in different activities. I joined a gym, lead an english corner, take Chinese classes, joined a book club, spend more time with my Chinese co-workers, and go out to different events in the city. Getting involved has led me to meet some great people, and made adjusting a lot easier.
Have you learned anything really cool?
I’ve learned how to make Tangyuan (special Chinese dumpling) and to speak survival Chinese. I am beyond proud that I can speak the little Chinese that I can. I didn’t know any Chinese before I came. Six months later and I am writing characters and can barter at the street markets.
What's the biggest lesson you've learned so far?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned so far is that I need to be patient with myself. I expected myself to move to China and just jump into having this amazing life here. That was not the case at all. The adjustment period was longer than my initial expectation. There were times I had to be okay with not wanting to leave my house, when I was angry about work and cried, or was severely homesick. When you make big changes in your life you need to allow yourself time to adjust. For some people this could be a day, for others, years. I had to learn take a deep breath, slow down, and remember that how I was feeling was only temporary. When I learned to be patient with myself, I learned to have more patience for the people around me.
Where can people read or see more of your travels?
You can find me on misadventuresofbreebree.weebly.com
Snapchat/twitter/Instagram:Haybreebree