2022: Reverse Culture Shock & Me... Part 1!

My daily life in China looked a lot different compared to the life that I'm living right now, well since early 2020! As much as things continue to be held on pause, dealing with all of that 'Reverse Culture Shock' remains a daily challenge. From supermarket visits, online purchases and food delivery, I am stilling grappling with this current life situation in the United Kingdom. 

Whether it was a trip to '家乐福', '沃尔玛' or '物美', that weekly shop looked pretty different in Beijing, China! To be honest, the term 'weekly shop' wouldn't resemble that of what we would consider it in the U.K. My purchases during my first year in Wuhan, well they were just purchases because my first apartment was as basic as you could find an apartment to be. As my second year found me in Wuhan, I jumped ship to another apartment in the same complex, that second China apartment had a gas stove within that 'kitchenette' situation. Those supermarket visits took on a whole new life, I would mainly cook on a Friday night and the ingredients found, well 'ALDI' in the U.K could never compete! Those vegetables were fresh and the condiments available, well they still make me feel very far removed when I shop for bits in my local West Midlands supermarket. Looking back at my current situation whilst thinking about Carrefour in Wuhan, it hits different! I'd love to reverse this blandness for the flavour of China! Not good, C! 

Beijing changed things up, I didn't have such a central location at first after moving to the capital. Food shopping became something of a more regular occurrence until those second year takeaways found me in my new apartment, after that move I traded lugging shopping from the supermarket because I used an APP called '多点'. That mobile supermarket application had my weekly '物美' arriving quickly, this APP tracked my location so I was able to order items for delivery at my then place of work because cooking class waited for nobody! Having that sheer convenience then saw me take it for granted, now in the U.K, I feel easier about going to the supermarket without using any such technology. QR Codes and 'WeChatPay' was king, there was no call to use cash in supermarkets in China. After two and a half years, paper money reigns supreme! 'ALDI' is cool but I just want my Chinese equivalents back! I am sure that I'll get to scan my codes and be in that Chinese setting soon! Life changes, so do those everyday habits!

You say 'Uber' but I prefer to say '滴滴', I get that ride-share taxis are a worldwide phenomenon but whilst living in China they became an everyday thing. During my time in Wuhan, I would either take the metro to places because I lived downstairs from the train. It would only really be during the weekends from a night-out that I would take a taxi home and that would be a local taxi, one not affiliated with any larger ride-share business. As my time in Wuhan drew to a close, well I became more familiar with those APP's and with those devices I was able to call a cab on my phone with the GPS taken care of. Before I went to China, I would walk everywhere I possibly could and whilst venturing out 'after hours', I would walk home rather than get a taxi because I wanted to save my pennies. Regardless of my salary in China I was able to take several '滴滴' per week, the price of a 'carpool' style taxi saw me saving my pennies and time spent on the bus! Today, I do not take taxis unless the metro or train aren't running! Life has changed a lot! Stop!

On the off chance, I remember taking an 'Uber' after a family occasion, ordering it on my phone felt so strange. Because I had become so used to not taking taxis in the U.K, things felt complicated. The time before it was easier for my moms friend to order the taxi on his phone, thankfully that taxi driver accepted Pound Sterling because those APP's don't work for me here anymore! This is why I have been so out of the loop, I had things super easy in Beijing because I would grab a '滴滴' whenever I felt like it. Sure, I lived in a suburban outstretched part of the city, getting used to those APP's had me in a one track setting because when I lost my phone it was a nightmare to find a taxi that wasn't '滴滴' and one that actually accepted cash money. Now, only now do I see the sheer everyday luxury I had before me, at my disposal that £1.00 ride to work had me feeling Boujee! In the last two and a half years I have only called a few taxis, getting real that public transport doesn't hurt me! Sure, every now and then I actually walk it! 

It took me almost one year to order a meal online, no more '美团外卖' because that cushy budget had up and left me in the most abrupt of ways! I tell you, that first time I ordered a Domino's Pizza, it had me feeling unnerved because even though the procedure fared to be similar, it felt alien. I had fallen into a trap during the last few months during my time in Beijing, due to the location of some places I had gone 100% online with takeaways through my favourite APP becoming an everyday thing. After finding myself back in the U.K before the first Lockdown, I was able to make one or two online orders but through such different interfaces in completely different parts of the world, well it felt strange. I went from deliveries to mostly home-cooked meals, due to everything changing so fast! 'Just Eat' will do for now, but nothing beats '美团外卖!' Relearning how to treat such a process will have forever changed my takeaway habits, leading for a more conscious future. China, you already know that I am ready for you! Oh, now! 

As I have most recently been living at home with family in the U.K, my presence on such delivery applications has decreased due to eating and spending habits. I know that once I return to China, I will return to '美团外卖' with great excitement but I will apply a different approach. To combat my shock, I can already see that I want to order a duplicate order for the '外卖哥' because it's nice to be nice and those brothers work bloody hard! Because of this shock here in the U.K and the different infrastructure, I will definitely forge a balance between meal prepping and ordering takeaways. I might switch things up, some nights going into a restaurant/quick service outlet rather than ordering a takeaway rider about. Cooking and freezing meals that I can have when I feel like I want them, then when I can't be bothered I can fall back on that trusty '美团' APP without feeling any guilt because I'd be keeping things even. This epic shake up has forced me to appreciate those McDonald's takeaways whilst I'm at home. Oh, the perspective!

During those Beijing days, well my capacity to order things from online platforms such as '淘宝' and '京东'  became ridiculous! It was like I was addicted, as soon as my monthly salary had hit my account, it was spending time! I ordered lots of materials for my 'English Corner', ensuring the environment was top-notch and then when it was for home, I would order all sorts of plants and furnishings also. I had a certain compulsion to seek out multi-packs of shampoo, bleach and toilet roll, those savings were stupidly great and meant those bulkier items didn't need to be lugged home from the supermarket. Things worked out, although my Chinese speaking and reading skills weren't very good when I started ordering more things for delivery, I had to learn quick! Sure, communicating with the delivery workers kept things interesting. Each provider and housing community would dictate where said '快递' would be dropped off by the courier. Once a return to the Middle Kingdom happens, will I refocus my delivery buying habits? Surely? 

淘宝' and '京东' both stayed at the top of my preferred online shopping APP's whilst I was in China, both applications would help me out to source specific things. 'JD' kept those 6 bottles of French red wine at a healthy price! To help ensure that next day delivery, the nearby distribution centre allowed the delivery guys to deliver quicker! Whilst being back in the U.K, buying things online isn't possible right now, a hiatus this remains. I don't see those indulgent purchases as mandatory items and my finances look different, there's a lot less per month for me to play with, money-wise. Sunday hours don't exist in China, in-fact Sunday's mostly function like a business day does, deliveries are made so people don't have to wait for Monday morning. Having this reset in the U.K has given me a new outlook, I will still order packages but I will do it less and focus on those key household deals rather than boxes of wine each week. I'll only purchase liquor from 'JD' when the item costs more elsewhere. My Chinese language skills are better! 是的! Yes!

How Things Change! 

Desperately Seeking Adventure