3 Cities in 3 Months – My Chinese Adventure

Following Danka’s story, we bring you another firsthand experience from the “Journey to the East” project. This time, we hear from Alisa, who spent three months exploring China—and did so across three very different cities.

From February to May 2017, Alisa lived in three different places: the tropical island of Hainan, the picturesque city of Guilin, and the bustling metropolis of Shanghai. Why travel? Her host family moved several times due to the mother’s job, and Alisa followed along, turning her stay into a full-on cultural tour.

One of the biggest challenges, she says, was adjusting to being constantly in the spotlight:

Overcoming the language barrier was tough, especially in smaller cities like Sanya and Guilin, where almost no one speaks English. Even if someone does, they’re often too shy to try.

Still, she describes the Chinese as warm and welcoming.

In general, people here are very friendly. Every now and then, if someone knows a bit of English, they’ll come up to you and strike up a conversation—usually just to practice speaking it.

Living with a Chinese family gave her a deeper look into daily life.

In my experience, host families were always incredibly kind. They’d constantly offer me food and try to cook meals that would be easier on someone not used to Chinese cuisine, people on the street were also kind and smiled a lot—especially in smaller cities where life is slower and more relaxed than in a place like Shanghai.

That said, she did have to adjust to the cultural differences around personal space.

In public transport, people would push up against me, peek at my phone, take photos, or start talking to me in Mandarin just to see if I understood. At first, it was strange, but I got used to it.

If you’re in a smaller city—or in a part of Shanghai with few foreigners—you’d better get ready to be the center of attention.

Alisa has since returned home, but she carries with her a deep appreciation for the culture, the kindness of the people, and the growth that came from her cross-country journey through China.