Global Village

Memories of a lifetime

Expats arriving home after their tour of duty in the Middle Kingdom may be looking forward to new lives, however there are many sights and sounds they will miss. Jeremy writes on thechinaexpat.com about his favorite China sensations.

Breathtaking destinations:

The most beautiful places to visit in the world.

New-world of understanding: Once you get out of the big coastal cities, you discover that China is a very diverse country. In addition to the officially recognized dialects, there are many cultures and traditions that remain to be discovered for the outside traveler. For the true scholar of history, languages, or culture, China presents dozens of life times worth of learning opportunities.

Street-smart people: A smart Chinese is probably harder to cheat or con than anyone in the world. And thanks to living in China, no one will ever be able to con me.

Low-cost traveling: What could be better than not having to spend much money (as long as you don't stay in expensive hotels and eat only the best of food) to see the sights of China, learn from China, and meet the people of China? Not everyone can afford long trips in Europe - but many can in China.

New view on life: China puts a life-changing, perspective-shattering perspective on your life, values, and own country as much as on your former perceptions of China, adventure-filled trips.

The people: People make any place. And it is the people I've fallen in love with, befriended, and come to know well that have made my time in China worthwhile.

Tongue twisters

Last week we mentioned that Chinese was one of the world's most difficult languages to learn. However not everybody believes putonghua is the hardest language to master.

Greg Kerry (a language teacher from Wuxi, Jiangsu Province) wrote to Expat Life saying that learning languages is all relative, depending on your mother tongue.

"If the Language 2 comes from the same language family (eg English, German, any Scandinavian) as the Language 1, then learning is easier," he says. "But for speakers of Western languages, any Asian language is difficult - because of writing, tones etc."

According to Kerry, the British Foreign Office says that the most difficult languages for its staff to learn have proved to be Japanese (Asian; and many levels of formality) and Hungarian (which is related to Finnish and has extraordinarily difficult grammar). Not Chinese. "So, please don't keep perpetuating this old myth - it only puts foreigners off."

On the road again

The first ride from the airport to your new Chinese home is exciting, and sometimes downright scary. Next week, Life Expat looks at how to get a Chinese drivers license and offers tips on how to drive in cities. As our report reveals, there is a method in the madness.

AND ANOTHER THING ...

Rising pork prices is a big story on the mainland, however the constant focus on pigs may be baffling for new expats - and it's not because 2007 is the Year of the Pig. The Chinese character for home is jia which features a pig under a roof. Long ago, when the character was developed, it was considered that a pig under your roof was the sign of a prosperous and happy home.

(China Daily 09/07/2007 page19)