I've been living in China for nearly 3 months now, and hands-down it is one of the most interesting countries in the world. With twists and turns round every corner. As a student studying abroad this world is completely new to me and here are some of the things I've learnt.
1. Foreign people are basically like celebrities. If you go to a tourist attraction you will for sure be asked for a photo with people. You will be pointed at as people shout '外国人‘ and chuckle. Children will stop and stare at you blankly. And to tell you the truth, it takes a lot of time to get used to!
2. Foreign food will never taste quite as nice as home. I've tried everything, burgers, burritos, sandwiches and more, but it's just not the same. Especially the cheese. God I miss cheese.
3. Tourist attractions are so much better on weekdays; an obvious one, but an important one.
4. Chinese food is not the same as it is in the uk. I don't think I've had any spring rolls or even 1 portion of chow mien since being here. But EVERYTHING is so much better in china, the authentic flavours and the variety means you never get bored. Although to be honest I don't even know what I'm eating half the time!
5. The weather is so unpredictable, in the time I've been here its gone from 35 degrees to -5, and right now i am freeeeezing (at least this gives me and excuse to go shopping!)
6. You're probably gunna get hit by a bike at least once. There are so many motorbikes in Beijing and they seem to never obey traffic lights, or any road laws in that case. So you have to be extra careful when crossing the road because they come round the corner at the speed of lightening. You don't want to pay for hospital bills so be careful!
7. Baozi will save your life, especially pork ones. Hungover? eat Baozi, Ill? Eat Baozi. Poor? Good job Baozi is cheap. It's cheap, tasty and fills your stomach, what else do you want?
8. Never trust the alcohol in clubs (especially if it's free!) Speaking from experience, it'll give you a hangover from hell and you won't want to eat for at least 4 days.
9. Although you'll look stupid; wear a mask! The pollution is so dangerous, especially if it's over 100, and although they're uncomfortable and other people don't wear them, a mask will help you so much. The amount of coughs and illnesses from the pollution is crazy, why would you risk getting ill when you can just wear a stupid piece of cloth for less than an hour?
10. TAOBAO IS LOVE TAOBAO IS LIFE. (Although the sizes are a bit off!)
Monday 28 November 2016
Monday 21 November 2016
Half-way
Half Way
Whilst in Shanghai, I was having cocktails on The Bund, when I was suddenly hit with a toxic wave of nostalgia, gratitude and excitement. In that moment I wrote a piece of writing and saved it on my phone，here it is:
Sometimes I think about my life before; lovely, humble and stable. A life where you know who you are, what you do and where you come from. This life is happy. You have you friends, family, traditions and habits. You know what to expect from the people around you, as they have been there from the start. I loved this life, slow and steady, tranquil and secluded. A routine set in stone. The comfort of the faces you know and the food that warms your soul. You are sane. You are safe. But you are not excited. This is the life I always thought i'd live, no pressure, no one watching your every move, no attention, just life.
Now I think about my new life. A life of excitement, luxury and discovery. A life where there is something new around every corner. New places, people, food and friends. A life where books are only half written and a plot twist could be on the next page. With tales to scream from roof tops and stories only to be shared with the people you're with. A life where stress is constant and anxiety is high, but the relief of beauty and astonishment take your breath away when you discover a world you never thought existed.
They say our life is measured in our happiness, but my happiness is split. On one hand I long for the people who mean the most to me and the comfort that makes my heart melt. But on the other, the excitement, thrills and culture wish for me not to go back to the lowly countryside and leave a country I've always dreamed of living in.
I've always been a half way person. Intelligence with little common sense. Thrill seeking but anchored by anxiety, Even my hair is indecisive, blonde with brown roots. But it is my heart that controls where I feel at home, whether comfort beats craziness or luxury beats lowly.
They say we always miss what we cant have. The past few months have taught me, luxury is nothing unless you're laughing, wonder does not come without fear, and the memories you make are nothing without the people you love. But most of all, if you dream of somewhere else, you forget to live. I wish I could share this year with the people I love and I wish I had my mums cooking here with me (as well as her hugs), but i cannot wish time away. I know I will always go back to by lowly life and then return again to the adventure. Who ever said being a half way person was bad?
Whilst in Shanghai, I was having cocktails on The Bund, when I was suddenly hit with a toxic wave of nostalgia, gratitude and excitement. In that moment I wrote a piece of writing and saved it on my phone，here it is:
Sometimes I think about my life before; lovely, humble and stable. A life where you know who you are, what you do and where you come from. This life is happy. You have you friends, family, traditions and habits. You know what to expect from the people around you, as they have been there from the start. I loved this life, slow and steady, tranquil and secluded. A routine set in stone. The comfort of the faces you know and the food that warms your soul. You are sane. You are safe. But you are not excited. This is the life I always thought i'd live, no pressure, no one watching your every move, no attention, just life.
Now I think about my new life. A life of excitement, luxury and discovery. A life where there is something new around every corner. New places, people, food and friends. A life where books are only half written and a plot twist could be on the next page. With tales to scream from roof tops and stories only to be shared with the people you're with. A life where stress is constant and anxiety is high, but the relief of beauty and astonishment take your breath away when you discover a world you never thought existed.
They say our life is measured in our happiness, but my happiness is split. On one hand I long for the people who mean the most to me and the comfort that makes my heart melt. But on the other, the excitement, thrills and culture wish for me not to go back to the lowly countryside and leave a country I've always dreamed of living in.
I've always been a half way person. Intelligence with little common sense. Thrill seeking but anchored by anxiety, Even my hair is indecisive, blonde with brown roots. But it is my heart that controls where I feel at home, whether comfort beats craziness or luxury beats lowly.
They say we always miss what we cant have. The past few months have taught me, luxury is nothing unless you're laughing, wonder does not come without fear, and the memories you make are nothing without the people you love. But most of all, if you dream of somewhere else, you forget to live. I wish I could share this year with the people I love and I wish I had my mums cooking here with me (as well as her hugs), but i cannot wish time away. I know I will always go back to by lowly life and then return again to the adventure. Who ever said being a half way person was bad?
Monday 14 November 2016
Dypraxia
As much as I try there are somethings I will just always be bad at, ice skating, short term memory, spatial awareness and reading out loud. For other people these are innate skills that take little or no thinking, but not me.
My name's Lois and I have dyspraxia.
I have always felt different and for most of my life I have had my diagnosis, however it's only been in recent years that I have fully accepted it. Dypraxia, also known as developmental co-ordination disorder, is a neurological disorder and specific learning difficulty affecting motor co-ordination. However, this is not all. Dyspraxia affects every aspect of my life.
They say that everyone's case of dyspraxia is different and I could not agree more. For me, I am an athlete and a straight A student, so from the outside people may not see how much I struggle on a daily basis, but here are my symptoms.
Firstly, spatial awareness. For me, I can play football with no problem, I can do handstands over and over again, but if you put a chair in front of me, the chances are i'll fall over it. It's not that I don't see it, I try to avoid it, but it just always ends up being in the way and somehow one of my limbs just bumps into it. The bruises and bumps are remains of all the door frames, table corners and people that I bump into everyday.
Hand-eye co-ordination is also a big thing for me, I love sport, I love using up all the left over energy. But if you give me a racket or make me use my hands i'm useless. To watch people do sports you know you'd love but just can't do it heartbreaking.
An overlooked symptom of dyspraxia is fatigue. The extra effort and energy needed to process the information we are given is forever making me tired. Can you imagine if you had to think over every little action, walking, writing or even just standing still? At the end of the day my brain crashes, often making me feel ill and disorientated,
For me one of the biggest difficulties associated with dyspraxia is sensory perception. I can't eat certain foods because they are cooked in a way that makes their texture weird, I cant wear certain clothes because they make my skin feel weird, and I like sitting in the dark. However, this also means I have an unusually high pain threshold!!
In the classroom I have many issues with short-term memory, concentration and organisation. Making exams a nightmare as i'm constantly distracted by other people's pen clicking and tapping. As well as the pressure of having to remember facts and vocab short term and having to recall on the spot in class. Although I've always been a good student the struggles of the class room always knocked my self esteem.
These are the main symptoms of my dyspraxia, however there are many more small things that are constantly challenging me. Such as, indecisiveness, low self esteem, anxiety and emotional outbursts.
Dyspraxia is often forgotten about in the world of specific learning disabilities, however we must raise awareness. I hope to write more about dyspraxia in the future as I become more open about it, in hope that soon i will live in a world where people don't say "don't you mean dyslexia?"
My name's Lois and I have dyspraxia.
I have always felt different and for most of my life I have had my diagnosis, however it's only been in recent years that I have fully accepted it. Dypraxia, also known as developmental co-ordination disorder, is a neurological disorder and specific learning difficulty affecting motor co-ordination. However, this is not all. Dyspraxia affects every aspect of my life.
They say that everyone's case of dyspraxia is different and I could not agree more. For me, I am an athlete and a straight A student, so from the outside people may not see how much I struggle on a daily basis, but here are my symptoms.
Firstly, spatial awareness. For me, I can play football with no problem, I can do handstands over and over again, but if you put a chair in front of me, the chances are i'll fall over it. It's not that I don't see it, I try to avoid it, but it just always ends up being in the way and somehow one of my limbs just bumps into it. The bruises and bumps are remains of all the door frames, table corners and people that I bump into everyday.
Hand-eye co-ordination is also a big thing for me, I love sport, I love using up all the left over energy. But if you give me a racket or make me use my hands i'm useless. To watch people do sports you know you'd love but just can't do it heartbreaking.
An overlooked symptom of dyspraxia is fatigue. The extra effort and energy needed to process the information we are given is forever making me tired. Can you imagine if you had to think over every little action, walking, writing or even just standing still? At the end of the day my brain crashes, often making me feel ill and disorientated,
For me one of the biggest difficulties associated with dyspraxia is sensory perception. I can't eat certain foods because they are cooked in a way that makes their texture weird, I cant wear certain clothes because they make my skin feel weird, and I like sitting in the dark. However, this also means I have an unusually high pain threshold!!
In the classroom I have many issues with short-term memory, concentration and organisation. Making exams a nightmare as i'm constantly distracted by other people's pen clicking and tapping. As well as the pressure of having to remember facts and vocab short term and having to recall on the spot in class. Although I've always been a good student the struggles of the class room always knocked my self esteem.
These are the main symptoms of my dyspraxia, however there are many more small things that are constantly challenging me. Such as, indecisiveness, low self esteem, anxiety and emotional outbursts.
Dyspraxia is often forgotten about in the world of specific learning disabilities, however we must raise awareness. I hope to write more about dyspraxia in the future as I become more open about it, in hope that soon i will live in a world where people don't say "don't you mean dyslexia?"
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