Settling in

It is crazy to believe that I have now been living in China for over a month. Every single day has been action packed.

I have been exploring the wonderful city of Tianjin which has so much to offer. Like many cities in China, Tianjin is constantly developing and expanding. When walking around you notice that the streets are very similar - full of skyscrapers, blocks of flats and 6 story shopping malls! However I have also explored various parks, ancient cultural streets and interesting architecture.

The transport system is also efficient, cheap and easy to use. I have never used public transport as much as I have this month: plane, boat, car, taxi, bike, moped, subway, train & bus. I have done it all!

Meeting new people has definitely been the highlight of this month. I have met people from Uzbekistan and Russia who I enjoy playing football with. I have made Thai friends who are always up for a game of cards and food tasting. As well as people from Madagascar and other parts of Africa who I can speak French with. I have also had the chance to speak with people from Mexico, Germany, Brazil, Portugal and Canada.

Chinese people seem just as eager to make friends as we are. Chinese friends are so useful for showing you new places, translating, encouraging you to try new foods and practicing your own Chinese with. Duncan, one of my Chinese friends, has taken me out to get a haircut, which was an unbelievable experience. I felt like I was being treated like a king for 1 hour.

He has also made me try one of the best hot pots I have ever had! 火锅(Huǒguō) Hot pot is a pot of soup stock (we had chilli & tomato flavour) placed in the middle of the table, containing a variety of Chinese ingredients. Typical hot pot ingredients include thinly sliced meat, vegetables, mushrooms, dumplings,eggs, tofu and seafood. Ingredients are placed into the pot and are cooked at the table. The cooked food is eaten with a dipping sauce. 很好吃 (Hěn hào chī) Delicious!