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Life in China: Observations #3

Vitamins/supplements are necessary Especially Calcium and Vit D. Dairy isn't really that big of a thing here (milk boba tea does not count!!), and with cheese being a mythical creature Calcium and vit D are quite useful.

The city never sleeps The big cities at least are always loud and active.

Sugary drinks Sugar is everywhere. From milk-tea to coffee, everything is pretty sweet. Even some of the bread is sweet as I discovered when eating a sandwich.

Interesting flavours Cucumber-flavoured crisps to cheese-flavoured coffee. Whatever flavour combination you deem too outlandish to be true, chances are its real.

Face masks People wear masks for a few main reasons; Fashion, against the cold, against illness and against the air pollution

The aforementioned air pollution It's a thing everywhere. The AQI index thing does not play about. The cold months are the worst, so you'll see people wearing masks very often.

Taobao I mentioned Taobao previously, but seriously. You can buy anything on Taobao. Literally. Clothes, makeup, household items, vitamins. I even saw some people selling rabbits. And other animals, but you get my point.

The New Year isn't that much of a thing here. It's celebrated but not to the extent that the Lunar New Year is celebrated from what I've heard.

The transport/travel system is pretty well connected. Getting around China has little difficulties. The only issue is getting out or into China especially if you're from a european country that doesn't have that many international flights.

Life in China #10

Today we had our end-of-semester closing ceremony & took some cute photos together!

It's only been 4.5 ish months of studying, and yet I'll miss my classmates and the unforgettable time we had together ❣️

This is the end of this chapter, but I'm excited to see what the Spring semester brings us💐.

J Verbs in Chinese

A quick guide to some common J verbs in Chinese!

Jab - 刺戳 - cìchuō

Jeopardize - 危害 - wéihài

Jog - 慢跑 - mànpǎo

Join - 参加 - Cānjiā

Joke - 开玩笑 -Kāi wánxiào

Jolt - 震动 - Zhèndòng

Jot - 记下 - Jìxià

Journey - 去旅行 - Qùl ǚxíng

Judge - 判断 - Pànduàn

Juggle - 玩杂耍 - Wánzáshuǎ

Jumble - 弄乱 - Nòngluàn

Jump - 跳 - Tiào

Justify - 证明 - Zhèngmíng

Life in China : The Zoo 🐯🐠🦩•°•°•°•°°~

K- verbs in Chinese My quick guide to some common K-verbs in Chinese!

Keep - 保留 - Bǎoliú Kick - 去踢 - Qùtī ​Kid - 开玩笑 - Kāiwánxiào Kidnap - 绑架 - Bǎngjià K!ll - 杀 - Shā Kindle - 点燃 - Diǎnrán Kiss - 吻 - Wěn Know - 知道 - Zhīdào Knead - 揉捏 - Róuniē Kneel -下跪 - Xiàguì Knit - 编织 - Biānzhī Knock - 敲 - Qiāo Knot - 打结 - Dǎjié Kowtow - 磕头 - Kētóu

The right mindset for an exchange year abroad

There's no singular correct mindset or way of thinking when it comes to planning and preparing for a year abroad. However, there are some aspects that can make life a little easier so here's what you should consider doing.

Accepting being an obvious foreigner If you're doing a year in a country such as China, then be prepared to be the odd person. Yes, chances are you will get stared at. You may hear "waiguoren"!, especially if you got travelling outside of the more international areas. Yes, you will sometimes feel like an outsider, like you'll never fully integrate. And that's ok. A reality that I had to accept is that whilst I may be welcome to stay here, I will remain an obvious visitor here.

Trying new things An obvious one, but don't just stay in your dorm watching tv-shows all the time. Get out and explore the city. Even if you decide to talk a stroll in the local park, that also counts. Obviously there wil be days when you need to recharge and spend some time by yourself, but going out and leaving your bubble can be the greatest kindness that you show yourself.

Break out of your shell Similar to point #2, but this one can be tricky. Trying new things e.g. trying a new dish at your school canteen vs going to a local restaurant by yourself are a tad different. This one takes time, and even the most outgoing person can struggle with this in a foreign place. Baby steps are the way to go here. If you feel anxious about going to the restaurant, try a cafe in a student/university area first. You can order your drink and if you feel comfortable enough, you can find a spot there and do some reading/studying. In time, you'll feel confident enough to try other places that you may have previously found intimidating. Breaking out of your shell takes time, so don't push yourself too much.

The local customs will endure long after you have left My professors back at my home uni always said "the local way trumps your way", and they were proven right time after time. Certain things are done a certain way, and whether you like it or not they will continue. The best thing to do, is to research in advance and try to adapt to them. Who knows, maybe in time they'll grow on you (aka me almost forgetting how to use a fork after using chopsticks for so long).

It's usually curiosity, not malice Sometimes you will get stared at, or you may be asked odd questions that in your culture would seem bizzare or perhaps a tad offensive e.g. how much do you/your parents earn? are you married? do you have children? Usually it's asked out of curiosity, rather than to cause offense or malice so try to keep that in mind.

Overcome the feeling of temporariness This is an odd one, but the fact that I'm here in China only for a while sometimes gets to me. Like why bother decorating my dorm room if I'll leave in the end? Why buy an extra blanket if I'll have to donate it if it doesn't fit into my suitcase? Forget this mentality. Yes, you're here for only a year, or maybe even half a year. But. This doesn't mean that you should neglect yourself and your living space. If its affordable and if it'll make your life much more easier and comfortable, then get that thing! If you don't have space in your suitcase, then either ship it back home, sell it, give it to a friend or donate it.

Don't forget about your life back home Keep in touch with your friends and family. You don't necessarily need to call them everyday, but do sent a message every once in a while. A simple "good morning!" text can be enough to reassure your parent(s) that everything's ok. Make sure to keep in touch with your home uni academic advisors, and to make sure that you're meeting all the necessary requirements. Mark the application deadline for those summer internships in your calendar, and don't forget to send your auntie that happy birthday message. You have your current life, but please don't neglect your relationships with your loved ones back at home.

L- Verbs in Chinese

A quick guide of some common L-verbs!

Land - 登陆 - dēnglù Last - 持续 - chíxù Laugh - 笑 - xiào Launch - 推出 - tuīchū Lead - 领导 - lǐngdǎo Learn - 学习 - xuéxí Leave - 离开 - líkāi Lend - 借 - jiè Lift - 举起 - jǔqǐ ​Light - 点亮 - diǎnliàng Like - 喜欢 - xǐhuān Limit - 限制 - xiànzhì Link - 连接 - liánjiē Listen - 听 - tīng Live (in/at a place) - 住在 - zhùzài Locate - 定位 - dìngwèi Lock - 锁 - suǒ Long - 渴望 - kěwàng Look - 看 - kàn Lose - 失去 - shīqù Love - 爱 - ài Lower - 降低 - jiàngdī

M- Verbs in Chinese

My quick guide of some common M-verbs!

Maintain - 保持 - bǎochí

Marry - 结婚 - jiéhūn

Marry* - 嫁 - jià

*This is a different verb used for when women get married due to the historical context, but 结婚 is more commonly used now regardless of gender.

Mark - 标记 - biāojì

Manage - 管理 - guǎnlǐ

Make - 制作 - zhìzuò

Match - 匹配 - pǐpèi

Matchmake - 相亲 - xiāngqīn

Measure - 测量 - cèliáng

Meet - 见面 - jiànmiàn

Mention - 提及 - tíjí

Miss - 错过 - cuòguò

Modify - 修改 - xiūgǎi

Monitor - 监视 - jiānshì

Move - 运动 - yùndòng

Move (houses) - 搬家 - bānjiā

Pondering whether or not to re-take the HSK4 exam (without the speaking this time) since I failed to meet the passing mark by around 10 points last time and I refuse to believe that the past few months of studying wouldn't be able to give me that boost.

So we got our class schedules today and it turns out that I'm in the same class as I was last semester, probably because I requested to stay in the same level in the survey that was sent out without actually thinking everything through.

To be fair, this survey was before I got my exam results back and honestly I think did pretty well for someone who was initially placed 2 levels below because I didn't do too great on my placement test (although I evidently redeemed myself on my swap out test).

This upcoming week we're allowed to try out other levels before either staying or doing the swap test to go to a higher level, which I might do if the next level is manageable.

I feel like the main issue is that despite being really out of my depth in the beginning, this level ended up being challenging enough, but what if the next level is too difficult and this level is too easy? I don't want to waste this semester, but I also want to thrive rather than try to survive and constantly be stressed out about studying.

I guess the upcoming week shall reveal its secrets so there's not that much sense in obsessing over it. I for one will try to make the most of the remaining days before classes start.

Have a good weekend everyone!

N- Verbs in Chinese

A quick cheat-sheet of chinese verbs begnning with N!

Narrate - 叙述 - xùshù

Navigate - 导航 - dǎoháng

Need - 需要 - xūyào

Neglect - 忽视 - hūshì

Negotiate - 谈判 - tánpàn

Nominate - 提名 - tímíng

Normalize - 正常化 - zhèngchánghuà

Notice - 注意 - zhùyì

Notify - 通知 - tōngzhī

Nourish - 滋养 - zīyǎng

Nurse - 护理 - hùlǐ

Nurture - 培养 - péiyǎng

What textbooks do you use for learning Chinese?

I noticed that my current textbooks at my exchange uni in China are noticeably different from the textbook used back at my home uni, and now I'm interested in knowing whether the content varies drastically overall.

I'm curious to see what are some of the other textbooks that used for learning Chinese and how effective you would consider them to be, so please feel free to share your thoughts!

The V for Ü trick

I only recently discovered that you can type in v to get the letter ü when typing in the pinyin for chinese characters.

Life in China Observations #4

It's been a while since I last did this, so let's go again!

Identity is complicated The question "where are you from" can be just as complicated as it is simple. For many people, their country of birth is where they're from, which is usually the case here. However, if you happen to be born in country A to parents from cultures B and C, immigrated and became a citizen of country D and now attend university in country E and are now on an exchange program in China, the question "where are you from" is not that easily answered. From what some of my friends told me, where you're from is actually the place where your dad was born in even though you may have been born in a different city which is a pretty interesting concept known as the "ancestral home" - 祖籍 (zǔjí) or 籍贯 (jígùan).

You have to make the first step I may have mentioned this in a previous post, but people are constantly doing something and unless you specifically and intentionally reach out and work on your friendship, you may end up drifting apart. Maybe this is a specific thing, but back home I could go a few weeks without really reaching out to my friends and then someone would suggest grabbing lunch together and it would be like no time had passed at all since we last saw each other. Here? Quite different.

Beauty and pop trends There are all sorts of weird and wonderful trends that you can come across in China. From using bread as a study tactic to decorating your workplace with banana plants, I feel like the more I assimilate here, the bigger the reverse culture shock will be when I go back home, and not just for me. dr.candiselin covers some of these trends on Instagram (not a promo post!), and I recommend checking out her content, it's quite brilliant.

Taobao You can buy anything on taobao. Literally. I saw someone selling a house there. I was previously a little shocked to see animals such as cats and bunnies being sold, but after seeing houses and cars being sold I honestly don't know what else is there to surprise me with.

Prepare in advance (foodwise) for the lunar new year During those 8-12ish days during the holdiays a lot of stores were closed. The convenience store outside my campus was open thank God, because otherwise I would have been living on instant porridge and instant soup which was my main food source 2 weeks prior due to being ill and there is only so much instant oatmeal that you can eat before slightly losing it.

Being ill is a nightmare And I mean the mandatory-bed-rest-no-going-out-for-at-least-5-days ill kind. You need to go to the hospital or a clinic to get a note to give to your school otherwise the day's you're absent will be counted, and once they reach a specific percentage you won't be allowed to take the exam (which can seriously mess with your grades, even more if you're there as an exchange student).

The weather can change at the blink of an eye I remember back in December the weather was in the negative digits and then suddenly the next day it was around 20 celcius?? The very next day it went to 3-4, and even now in March it's very all over the place. The weather forecast is not that useful because I'll leave the dorms wearing my coat in the morning only to return carrying my coat, jumper, long-sleeved shirt and wearing only my t-shirt.

More affordable beauty products I saw some products go for around $80 online?? And here on Taobao they cost under $10? I'm assuming it's the shipping costs that drive up the price so drastically, and now I'm pondering whether it would be cheaper to order online or to travel to China every couple of years just to stock up on beauty products.

The 然's

突然，虽然，忽然. and the other 然's can often get mixed up, so here's a quick explanation of some of the most common ones!

突然 (Túrán): This means suddenly or unexpectedly

居然 (Jūrán): This kind of means suddenly, but more in the sense of "surprisingly" or to suggest disbelief at something that happened.

忽然 (Hūrán): This also means suddenly or unexpectedly, but it has a more stronger connotation.

既然 (Jìrán): This is a conjunction meaning "since" or "now that"

既然the weather is great, let's go out!

既然 you aren't busy, let's go watch a movie.

不然 (Bùrán): This means "otherwise" or "or else";

You should study, 不然 you won't do well on the exam.

虽然 (Suīrán): This means although or even though.

虽然 I'm not good at singing, I still like to go to the karaoke.

当然 (Dāngrán): 当然 means certainly or definitely and can be used as a reply:

Can you help me with A? 当然!

自然 (Zìrán): This can mean nature or naturally.

China's 自然 is very beautiful.

She speaks Chinese 得很自然.

仍然 (Réngrán): This can mean "still" or "yet".

I仍然 haven't read that book.

依然 (Yīrán): Similar to 仍然, this also means still" or "yet" but it's usually used in more formal and literary works, whereas 仍然 is more often used in spoken language.

果然 (Guǒrán): 果然 can be used to mean "indeed" or "as expected"

This movie is 果然 interesting.

竟然 (Jìngrán): This is an adverb used to suggest surprise or something unexpected.

He竟然forgot her birthday.

显然 (Xiǎnrán): This means "clearly" or "obviously".

This soup 显然 hot.

偶然 (Ǒurán): This means "accidentally" or "by chance".

We 偶然 met at the same cafe.

How many other 然's do you know about? Drop a comment!

O- Verbs in Chinese

Here are some of the most commonly used O-verbs in Chinese!

Obey - 服从 (Fúcóng)

Object - 反对 (Fǎnduì)

Observe - 观察 (Guānchá)

Obtain - 获得 (Huòdé)

Occur - 发生 (Fāshēng)

Offer - 提供 (Tígōng)

Open - 打开 (Dǎkāi)

Optimize - 优化 (Yōuhuà)

Order - 命令 (Mìnglìng)

Order (at a restaurant) 点 (Diǎn)

Organize - 组织 (Zǔzhī)

Originate - 起源 (Qǐyuán）

Overcome - 克服 (Kèfú)

Overflow - 溢出 (Yìchū)

Overhaul - 检修 (Jiǎnxiū)

Overheat - 过热 (Guòrè)

Overlook - 忽视 (Hūshì)

Oversee - 监督 (Jiāndū）

Overthrow - 推翻 (Tuīfān)

Owe - 欠 (Qiàn)

Own - 拥有 (Yōngyǒu)

Outline - 概述 (Gàishù)

Yangs (扬) vs Changs (场) vs Tangs (汤)

These can get confusing, so here are some of the most common words that use this radical 昜 explained.

场 (chǎng)

A measure word for sports or leisure activities e.g. 一场足球比赛

A large place such as an open space, a field or a venue e.g. 会场 (a conference hall)

畅 (chàng)

An adjective meaning smooth or at ease or free from worry

A surname

玚 (cháng)

An old word (rarely used nowadays) meaning jade used in sacrificial ceremonies.

肠 (cháng)

Intestines or sausages

汤 (tāng)

Soup

Hot or boiling water

A surname

杨 (yáng)

A willow but it's more close to it's scientific name poplar in meaning

A surname

扬 (yáng)

To raise something e.g. 扬手

To toss or throw something up

A surname

炀 (yáng)

A literary term for smelting or melting something

旸 (yáng)

Sunshine or a rising sun

飏 (yáng)

To soar, fly or float

疡 (yáng)

A medical term for sores or an ulcer

钖 (yáng)

An ornament on a horse's head stall (oddly specific)

Update: I will be taking the HSK4 exam in September at my home university, as I can do HSK and HSKK separately or not do the HSKK at all, which is not an option at my exchange uni here.

Considering my past attempt, I think leaving the HSKK part alone for the foreseeable future is for the best, as my nervous system is unlikely to withstand another computer on-campus speaking exam.

Pondering whether or not to re-take the HSK4 exam (without the speaking this time) since I failed to meet the passing mark by around 10 points last time and I refuse to believe that the past few months of studying wouldn't be able to give me that boost.

The totally normal feeling of buying an iced tea on a humid dizzy day from my chinese university's family mart whilst they have an old 2010s BigBang song (blue i think?) blaring in the background, instantly transporting me 9 years back to warm summer evenings listening to exactly the same music drinking a similar tea.

P-Verbs in Chinese

Most commonly used verbs starting with P in Chinese!

Participate - 参加 - cānjiā

Perform - 表演 - biǎoyǎn

Persuade - 劝说 - quànshuō

Plan - 计划 - jìhuà

Play - 玩 - wán

Point out - 指出 - zhǐchū

Prepare - 准备 - zhǔnbèi

Present - 展示 - zhǎnshì

Prevent - 防止 - fángzhǐ

Produce - 生产 - shēngchǎn

Promise - 承诺 - chéngnuò

Protect - 保护 - bǎohù

Provide - 提供 - tígōng

Publish - 发布 - fābù

Pull - 拉 - lā

Push - 推 - tuī

Put down - 放下 - fàngxià

Pay - 付款 - fùkuǎn

Practice - 练习 - liànxí