How Has Living in China Changed You?

By Ekaterina Kovyla [Russia]

Ekaterina Kovyla, from Moscow, Russia, is currently pursuing a master's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication at Wuhan University.Inspired by a discussion of how people change after coming to China, she decided to write an article about it.

For students who have come to China and mixed with locals and people from all over the world, the lessons of intercultural communication aren't done when the classroom bell rings.All of us have completely different cultural backgrounds, styles of clothing, manners of speaking, traditions, and religions, so here we have to study how to communicate, how to behave, and how to positively influence each other.

My classmate En Osama Mohamedalmus is from Sudan.I know her as an always smiling, open-minded, and communicable person who has lots of friends.I was surprised when she said that her communication style has become this way only after coming to China and living here for some years, “In my own country I don't feel as free and comfortable as I feel here, I can put on more common clothes and hug my friends while in Sudan even during the greetings I don't shake their hands.”

I was curious how the immersion into a new society influences people.What changes do most of foreigners undergo after coming to China.I've asked some of my foreign friends and classmates and summed up their answers.

How has your communication style changed since coming to China, and what is the biggest problem with communication you have faced?

Tarik Furkan Ardiç (Turkey): When I came to China I was trying to make friends among Chinese people, as I wanted to improve my speaking level—but unfortunately most of the Chinese people were shy and afraid to speak with me.

Tanveer Summia (Pakistan): I have been in China for the past few months.Sure, in your country you never feel a communication gap.The issue is that people are not usually familiar with English language and you have to suffer more if you don't have any Chinese friends.We are learning Chinese as well, but still a large part of your conversation with natives is not fully understood.But the good thing is that being a student of communication will enhance my communication skills across the board.

Yulia Migacheva from Russia

Amonono Naomi Libuseng (Lesotho): My communication style hasn't changed really, other than the language barrier, I find it relatively similar to communicate in China like back home.The only difference is that certain non-verbal communication here in China differs from what I was used to back home.For example, staring in China seems common where as in my country it is considered rude and disrespectful.

It wasn't a surprise that one of the biggest problems was the language barrier.Not all the people who come to China know Chinese, and not all Chinese people know English.However, this problem is a temporary one and can act as a good motivation to study hard and practise speaking wherever you go.

Has your style of dressing changed after coming to China and has the local style and other foreigners' style had an impact on your's?

I was interested in this question as my style changing has been a compelling example of the impact China has had on me.Chinese style is very free in terms of colors, materials, and designs.Personally, I feel more at ease in China as I feel I can wear whatever I want.Here my friends could relate me:

Daniella Zaldin from Kazakhstan

Tanveer Summia (the first one on the right) from Pakistan

Furkan (Turkey): In Turkey we usually don't wear too revealing of clothes, but in China I'm living among locals and students who come from Europe and Africa and it has definitely influenced me.I feel comfortable wearing shorts, which suits the weather, while before people who wore something similar seemed to me to be very disrespectful.

Yulia Migacheva (Russia): I can't say that in China people don't pay attention to what to wear, however their style is completely different from the Russian style.Following locals and foreigners who come to China, I tend to chose more comfortable clothes instead of a more formal Russian style.

Have your preferences and the way of spending leisure time changed since coming to China?

Summia (Pakistan): Preferences do change when you move to another place.Whenever I have leisure time I try to do my laundry, cooking, and other stuff.In Pakistan, these definitely were not my preferences.Back in my country I spent my free time with family—gossiping, watching movies, and shopping were my main activities during weekends or leisure time.

Daniella Zaldin (Kazakhstan): Before I came to China I wasn't a very outgoing person and preferred more to be on my own, but here I have met a lot of friends, become more responsible, and have gained an interest in different countries' cultures.During my free time I like learning languages and talking with people.

Do you feel more free and safe in China or in your country?

Summia (Pakistan): The definition of feeling free is a little bit different in Pakistan and China.I was allowed to go out with my friends in Pakistan, to dress however I wanted, and work and travel on my own.Maybe I wasn't allowed to go out late at night, but that was all.In China there are no restrictions whatsoever.I feel very independent now because I have to do everything on my own, like paying bills and grocery shopping and other responsibilities that I didn't have in my country.

Daniella (Kazakhstan): I feel freer in China, because I'm living on my own and learning how to allocate money in the proper way and make decisions on my own.It's a great opportunity to learn from mistakes.

Yulia (Russia): I definitely have a greater sense of safety here.I can go out whenever I want and it is not the same in my country.

To sum up

Personally, I can easily understand why people become more open and communicable in China.Living among locals and foreigners like ourselves, it's not embarrassing to start speaking at the bus stop with strangers who want to know what nationality you are and what you are doing here—it is fine to go somewhere with new classmates or try to make Chinese friends, because it is a great chance to get to know about China and other cultures.

The same goes with the clothing—I have also become more open and feel comfortable just wearing whatever clothes and jeans, even when going to restaurants in the evening.This freedom and the feeling of comfort in China is very fascinating to me, and I believe to many other foreigners, as well.

I am sure that this is far from a complete list of the changes and acquired habits foreigners experience when living in China.Like the Chinese people, we start using WeChat more than other social networks to communicate and share our news and ideas through Chinese platforms.Moreover, our families overseas also use WeChat to be in touch with us.On the one hand it may seem not very comfortable for websites like Google are banned and you just have to use other sources to get needed information.On the other hand, my friends and I have already noticed the level of social network addiction has decreased noticeably.So isn't it better that now we mostly use our leisure time meeting our friends in real life and not surfing online pages?

Everyone I asked about the changes since coming to China said at least something about the food.Food is everywhere you go, and people are always walking around and eating either.Spicy, crispy, and tasty—as a big fan of Chinese cuisine I'm always trying to stop myself from finishing a whole tremendous portion of chaofan (fried rice with whatever you want cooked in).However, most of my friends say that it's hard for them to eat only Chinese food, as it is distinctly different from what they used to eat in their countries.My Pakistan classmate Maham Rasool said that she could never imagine eating the things she has tried in China.Anyway, whether we like it or not, eating habits can tell a lot about a country.So let's eat, let's learn, and let's do it together!