你好

Today marks a month since I left Scotland for a year to study in China. Classes started 3 weeks ago, but I have already learned far more about Chinese culture and life in 31 days than I could've ever imagined.

I can't help but feel like I've been here forever - the constant heat and noise of a city that is double the population of my own country feel familiar, and rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner has become a welcome thing. I've already found the post office, the hospital, Tesco, the bank, a 24 hour dumpling restaurant and an excellent street food stall selling chicken nuggets on a stick.

Spending 2元 (approximately 30p) on breakfast definitely will be the cause of a huge reverse culture shock when I return home. I find myself reading prices like 27元 and thinking "Ohh, that's a bit pricey," when really, it's a handbag costing £3.

My classes are conducted all in Chinese, which is total immersion, but at first felt like I was drowning. It's unbelievable how much I picked up though. Once you get the gist of the lesson, everything falls into place.

Things considered everyday tasks back home like taking the subway or ordering a food delivery are done all in Chinese, forcing me to learn.

I'm writing this from on top of the 九龙山 (9 dragon mountains) in Beijing, about 2000m up. To celebrate the national holiday, my friends and I booked a week away in the Hebei province - only when we got there, the hotel didn't exist! So after explaining our predicament to our taxi drivers, they drove us around for 3 hours attempting to find somewhere for us to stay. We ended up being taken in by a hotel in the mountains, sleeping 3 to a bed! To make the most of our trip, we're currently exploring, and as I'm writing I can hear monkey calls in the mountains.

At the end of the month I'll sit my midterm exams, and following that my HSK exams.

Alison