If you're planning on going to live in China there are probably a few things you should know first. Even if you have lived in a country other than your own previously, you will find China to be quite different. There are many reasons for this, but here I want to go through a few things that'll help you survive and thrive in China.
1. Patience: You're going to need lots of it! There is nothing quite so frustrating as not only trying to communicate with someone who's language you don't know, but also trying to do something productive when 3 - 5,000 years of culture (depending on who you ask) is in front of you like a brick wall. They like to do things there way, no matter you may think it's silly, this they like to call 'tradition'.
2. A Serious Sense of Humor: Now a serious sense of humor may sound something like a misnomner, but what I mean is 'a real' sense of humor. Now everyone thinks they have a sense of humor simply because they can laugh at jokes, but that's not really quite the same as actually having one. There will be no time in your life where you will need a sense of humor as much as if you plan to live in China for some years... because sometimes, all you can do is throw your hands in the air and make a joke about something you have seen in China which is close to incomprehensible to you (and there will be a lot of those things by the way).
3. A Thick Skin: Most native Chinese when they meet a non-Chinese will ask them exactly the same thing again and again (no matter they actually know you or not). This is fine for a week, but how about when it happens everyday 5 - 10 times a day for a month, a year, two years or ten years!? A thick skin is therefore a very desirable trait to have.
Although there are numerous other characteristics I could mention, in all truth not much can truly prepare you for 'the wonder' that is China! But That's actually what makes China an unforgettable life experience. So be prepared, but don't over prepare is my sincere advice to you.
Find out more about Chinese culture and Expat Life in China by visiting my main blog.
