China

I came to Beijing China in February, 2006 for a holiday.
I also went to Tokyo.

Before my holiday I told my travel companion to study Chinese and I would study Japanese.
(I picked the easier language to study :)

I got a computer program and studied Japanese. She had a book "Chinese in 10 minutes per day".
A few weeks before we went I noticed she had only read about 3 pagess. I said
"it is Chinese in 10 min a day not 10 minutes a year" She then crammed on the plane
and I swear was speaking long involved sentences with taxi drivers.

People are really encouraging so that helps. If you say "Ni hao" they are delighted
and say "your Chinese is really good".

When I arrived I instantly felt like I had returned home. I felt it even as the plane was hovering over the tarmac.
This is not what I had expected to feel in a place like China.

Amongst Westerners China has always had this "far far away' mystique. So I was surprised by my feelings.
Maybe it was because the western idea of China being so dramatically different is exaggerated.

I really had a sense of direction just always knew where to go. Maybe it is the organised road systems?
I don't believe in past lives but it was strange how I just could sense where to go.

After my holiday I went back to Australia and spent the next year planning
to return and live in Beijing.

I did lots of research and I enrolled in Chinese class. I did my TESOL certificate.
I read lots of web pages about people being stuffed around in China. I took measures to prevent the
same stuff happening to me. eg had a list of questions for potential employers.

One year later in February, 2007 I made Beijing my home.

I have been living here for about 2 years now and this is my blog.