Warm welcomes and WeChat: A Brit's tale of finding home in Wuxi

So, I quickly settled in to life in Wuxi, began to learn Chinese, and explored the local parks, temples, shopping areas and restaurants. I couldn't believe that 5 minutes' walk from a busy shopping center, you could be in the middle of acres of beautifully landscaped parkland with lakes, rivers and lots of people having picnics complete with karaoke machines, tents and barbecues.

China is not easy at first for single foreigners if they don't speak or read Chinese. You need an app for everything, from using public transport to paying your electricity bill. Luckily for me, I had lots of help from my colleagues at school and also from my wife, which made things much easier. I was amazed by the convenience and organization. As well as the price of things. (Tao Bao quickly became my best friend as I started to fill my house with things I do not need but cost one tenth of the price they would back in the UK). For a city of around 7 million people, I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of crowds, the wide open spaces and the spotlessly clean and efficient transport systems of Wuxi.