Hello, I am Lao Chen. Today we are going to talk about an interesting topic: the after-effects of foreigners living in China.
Recently, on a famous American Q&A website, someone asked this question: Is it true that all foreigners who have been to China start to feel inconvenienced when they return home? This question triggered a lot of discussion, and many foreigners who have stayed in China have come to tell us about it.
So let’s talk about what these foreigners are not used to when they return to China, and see what’s so great about our country.
Let’s start with payment methods. In China, we go out with a cell phone on the line, want to buy what directly scan code. But in foreign countries, many places still have to bring cash or swipe card. A U.S. power engineer said he worked in Shenzhen for two years, returned to the U.S. and found it difficult to adapt to carry cash and credit cards. He said In China, a cell phone can take care of all payment needs. When I came back to the U.S., I had to get used to swiping my credit card and paying in cash again, and it felt like I had turned back the clock ten years.
Think about it, when we buy breakfast, take the subway, or go to the supermarket, which one of us doesn’t just take out his cell phone and do it all in one click? This kind of convenience is not common in many countries.
Let’s talk about traveling. In China’s big cities, the subway, shared bicycles, net car, how you want to go how you want to go. But in foreign countries, especially in some suburbs, no car is simply difficult to move. A British scholar said that when he was in Shenzhen, the subway, shared bicycles, net car is readily available. But when he returned to Manchester, just getting home from the airport gave him a headache, with buses only running once a day, and he had to rely on expensive cab services.
I remember an American friend who came to China for a visit and was as excited as a kid when he rode a shared bike for the first time. He said that in his country, you have to plan ahead if you want to ride a bike.
Then there’s takeout and delivery. In China, we can order takeout and have it delivered in 20 minutes. If we buy something, we get it the next day. But in many foreign countries, take-out service is limited, and delivery often takes days. An American doctor who worked in Shanghai said In China, you can receive takeout within 20 minutes, and the courier will arrive the next day. While in the United States, the limited scope of takeout services, express delivery time often takes 3 5 days.
I guess when this doctor returns to the U.S., he’ll probably miss the days when he could order takeout in the middle of the night in China.
Speaking of which, I suddenly remembered an interesting story. A while back, Jason, a British blogger who lived in China for 10 years, came back to the UK and started complaining as soon as he got back. He said that the UK is full of garbage, the subway system is very different from China, and the price of goods is very expensive. He concluded by saying, “I want to go back to China!
See, this is the aftermath of China. I’ve been in China for a long time and I’m not used to going back.
Having said that, students may ask Mr. Chen, is China better than foreign countries in all aspects?
This is a good question. We have to look at the issue dialectically. It is true that China is developing rapidly in many areas, especially those closely related to people’s daily lives. But every country has its own strengths and weaknesses. For example, foreign countries may do better in environmental protection and social welfare. We need to learn to make up for our shortcomings and be proud of our own country’s progress, as well as learn from others’ strengths with an open mind.
Besides, these foreigners find China convenient, largely because they mainly live in China’s big cities. Our country’s development is still not quite balanced, and the living conditions in some remote areas may not be as convenient. So we have to keep working hard so that the fruits of development can benefit more people.
In the end, the discomfort of these foreigners is actually a reflection of our country’s rapid development over the years. Mobile payment, sharing economy, e-commerce, these new things have not only changed our lives, but also let more and more foreign friends see the charm of China.
What do you think, students? Feel free to talk to Chen in the comments section and tell us what you think. See you next time!
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