Island girl in Shanghai |23 January 2020
Jelissa in Shanghai (Photo source: Jelissa Julie)
Can I touch your hair? A question to which I often replied with just a simple smile. Four months ago, I moved to Shanghai to pursue my graduate studies. Not really knowing what to expect from the oriental Paris, I embarked on this journey with optimism.
It is no secret that Asian countries have their own beauty standards; most see white skin and long straight hair as a premium, but this hasn’t stopped me from embracing the Chinese culture.
It certainly has been a great experience for me; you would think that coming from a small island that I would have felt out of place. On the contrary, there has been a sense of growth; meeting different people from different cultures allows you to have more acceptances in regards to views that differ from your own.
The semester started off calm, getting to meet my new classmates and lecturers, taking a short standard mandarin test to know our level, so that we could be placed in the different mandarin classes accordingly. Though I had learned mandarin before, there were some difficulties as I had never really spoken it, therefore the classes really helped with brushing up on the tones.
After four months it is safe to say that I am more comfortable now especially when going grocery shopping or to restaurants. Adapting to the Chinese culture has not been as hard as I thought it would be, but then again Shanghai is considered to be the most westernised part of China, which quite frankly I think has helped a lot.
In terms of lifestyle, China has pushed me to have a healthier routine. Based on my personal observation, I have realised that the Chinese, regardless of their age, love to stay active. There would be people on the tracks as early as 4am and as late as 11pm, simply jogging, walking, even groups of elderly doing Tai chi, every single day of the week.
In Seychelles, on a Sunday, most people love to take it easy, have a lazy Sunday, so to speak. But in China, this is the day that most people indulge in field sports like baseball and cricket.
What is most touching for me, is that every single one of those activities is done as a family. It is my perception that family values is a strong foundation of the Chinese culture, and it is just simply amazing to be experiencing it first-hand.
I’ve always been fascinated by Chinese cuisine, therefore having the chance to see and taste it in China itself has just been amazing. My favourite so far is hotpot which is prepared with a simmering pot of soup stock at the dining table, containing a variety of ingredients. An interesting fact is that every meal is accompanied by a cup of hot water or tea, which is believed to aid with digestion.
Another habit that I have now picked up from my Chinese friends is walking after having a meal, also said to help with digestion.
Though I have only been in Shanghai for four short months, I am baffled by the amount of knowledge and experience acquired; I can’t even begin to imagine the new adventures waiting ahead.
By Jelissa Julie