A Chinese Girl's Two Year Experience in Australia

Yesterday ,13^th July 2005 was the second anniversary of my arrival in Australia. I feel the strong urge to write something about my two years experience because theses two years have been really eventful to me and I’ve seen myself changing everyday and facing new things everyday.

At this particular moment, thousands of thoughts are fleeting through my mind and I find it hard to catch them all. Different emotions are surging from all over my body and I can feel them very intense!

First of all, it is easy to tell that my appearance has changed a lot – from a young girl to a young woman. This change is not just superficial, it is actually a reflection of the inner change of my mind – two years ago I was just a young girl looking for adventures with all the curiosity and imagination about the rest of the world; two years later, I am an experienced young woman still trying to get myself into new horizon each day but with a general self-direction, an assured mission and a better understanding of the world.

Two years ago when I arrived in Australia by myself with simply luggage and a laptop, I had no idea what I could do and what I was going to do in this totally foreign land. All I knew was this opened a completely new blank page in my life and I could do whatever I felt like to draw on to this fresh page. When I was breathing the fresh winter air in the Sydney airport, I told myself that I am free now.

The reason I decided to come to Australia has more to do with my adventurous and easy-to-be-bored personality than anything else. Even though I was living in the so-called “Cosmopolitan” city of Shanghai, I still found my life stagnant. Since I hate doing repetitive work, I found teaching ( I used to be a college English teacher) boring and I was craving for new challenges so that I could utilize my creativity and develop my potential further.

I’ve always been a sort of “wild” person and never fit into the convention. So when my university classmates were busy working hard trying to improve their career or were saving up to purchase an apartment and get married to start a family, I simply packed up and left behind me all the stability, privilege and benefits that thousands of people were fighting for.

(One of the manifestations of privilege for example is that I have a Shanghai“Hukou” which means I’m a Shanghai resident. The “ Shanghai Hukou” allows me to enjoy favorable Medicare, favorable property purchase rate and favorable school access for my future children. Lots of rich people from other provinces come to buy properties so as to get the “Shanghai Hukou” (it is like immigration by an investment in a sense) so that their children can enjoy the same benefits as the other Shanghai residents. “Hukou”is a special thing in China, it acts more like a passport; if you have a different “Hukou” from the place you are staying, then you do not enjoy the benefits provided only to those people who hold the “Hukou”in that place.)

So with only AU$400 left in the bank after paying the rent and without a single friend in the foreign land, I started the new journey of my life. Firstly, I decided that I didn’t want to become one of those thousands of Chinese students studying in almost every university of Australia. Especially those who are of my age have been studying their whole life in China and went back to school again in Australia. I personally always question the Chinese education systems (all they do is to turn smart young kids to bookworms and ruin their creativity and individuality) and would consider it my last choice to go back to school again after 19 years of being a bookworm myself. I’ve had enough of school  and textbooks and can't wait to explore a totally new culture.

With this determination in my mind and with my born confidence and my English skill, I started to look for a job as a normal Australian resident would do when they move from one place to another.

Funnily enough, before I came to Australia, all the influence about the western world to me is that the US is the paradise out of the rest of the world. The result is that in China people always choose the US as their No.1 option when they consider to go overseas. Since it is getting harder and harder to get the US visa for the Chinese people, lots of people learned to go around by going to other countries such as Australia first and then get a US visa from there. I learned this technique as well from those pioneers and had the idea in my mind that Australia is only my stepping stone to America which was my destination! Thinking of that naïve idea now, I can't help laughing. After two years of living in Australia and also traveling throughout Europe, I’ve seen a broader world and heard from broader media, so my mind had been broadened. I have possessed a more balanced opinion about the world and I am no more biased due to the single media’s influence.

So I’ve changed my original idea of using Australia as my stepping stone to the US. I realized the US is not a paradise like my previous impression. On the contrary I found it a rather scary place – gunshots, violence etc – it is not my style of living place and I would not want to go there unless I have to. But I was told by people who have been there that physically the US is a very beautiful country. What a pity!

My two years living in Australia has been making me in love with this country more and more with each passing day. I’m a nature lover and am very sensitive to the weather. Australia IS the paradise to me in terms of natural environment. I love the crystal clear blue sky, the beautiful clean blue ocean, the long soft beaches, the ubiquitous old green trees and green grass land and the nearly aromatic fresh air! Actually when I was traveling in Europe, I got homesick really missing beautiful Australia.

Apart from the desirable natural environment, I also love the space here – there are no crowds unless in Chinatown.

Before I came here, somehow I got the impression about Australian people of being “simple”. In China, if you describe someone as “simple”, it is actually a derogative word; it is very close to “stupid”. To be honest, I was quite concerned about this when I was planning for my immigration. Again it makes me laugh now because I do find Aussies “simple” but in a good way and I love that character of Aussies because I myself share that particular character. Compared to most of Chinese people, I am a simple person too, just like the way of Aussies being simple. As a Chinese, I understand why Chinese people had this impression about Australians. Contrary to their counterparts, Chinese people have the reputation of being “subtle” because they never tell you directly what they really want and always tend to beat around the bush but never hit the spot. However Aussies always tell you what they really want and tend to make things as simple as they can especially when it comes to business.

A good example is in China if you need to apply for a business license, you have to be ready to visit those bureaus and government offices 50 times because they never tell you what they need in one go. They always keep you come back by telling you each time something else is missing. While in Australia, when I was about to register my business, I just went to their website where there is a clear information package checklist telling you what you need to bring with. I went to the registration office once and spent half an hour filling in some forms and it was done!

So I love being this “simple” and admire Australian people’s professional manner in business. I can’t rave them more because compared to Chinese people, Australian businesses are so trustworthy. I am very impressed.

While I did have lots of culture shock and am still experiencing it now and then. I remember in the first months it was very difficult for me to understand Australian English, especially when they used slang words such as “banger” (which means sausages). I was so frustrated that I had to buy an Australian slang dictionary and studies the words everyday. Whenever I recognized a word that I just learned such as “stubby holder” (which is a rubber tube holding a beer bottle to protect people’ fingers from getting cold), I would be so excited.

But language is not a hard part; the hard part is the culture itself. For example, even now I still find it awkward to greet people. It is perfectly fine in business because all you do is to shake hands with them; however when it comes to some acquaintance in everyday life, normally I am not sure if I should shake their hands or give them a kiss and a hug like the other people do. I even often practice how to hug and kiss people properly at home with Brad who always laughed at me and teased me by kissing me suddenly on my lips. The thing is in China people don’t touch each other often except that close girlfriends always holding hands when they go shopping which western people find odd (suspect if all the Chinese girls are lesbians or bisexuals). When friends meet, they don’t kiss or hug each other; people don’t even hug or kiss their parents whenever they meet unless they haven’t seen each other for a long time. ( I remember when I went back home after each school term finished, my mum always gave me a big hug and a good kiss which made me sometimes embarrassed. That was after 5 months departure with my dear mum.) Chinese people are conservative and do not easily express their feelings directly and openly. I remember once I was so shocked to find Brad hugging and kissing one of his female friends when we went to her birthday party. That looked really “intimate” to me! ( Don’t laugh!)

Now after two years of living in Australia, I am planning to go back to live in Shanghai for a year. Why? This time it is not that I’m bored again; it is for my consulting business. I’m going back to get in touch with more business contacts so that I will be able to better serve my Australian clients who are doing business with Chinese people or expanding into China’s market.

When I say I’m going back to Shanghai due to my business, it is a major reason but not the complete reason. Another reason is I personally can’t wait to go back to look at China and Shanghai with a new perspective. I’m really curious about what I will see and hear this time.  There is a saying “The world is in your mind”, which means the way the world looks is actually how your mind believes how the world looks like. Since my mind has changed and all the new perceptions have already replaced the old ones, I will definitely see a different China and Shanghai. I’m sure this return to Shanghai will again enrich my personal experiences and offer me a better vision of the world. I wonder what I would write next year for the first anniversary of back to Shanghai. I am intrigued already.

P.S.: All photos taken by me.

Comments

[Brad]

The funny thing is that Sabrina has learnt so much in the time here - but some of the slang, even though she has mastered the word, still struggles with the correct describtion! A `Stubby Holder' is not to stop your fingers from getting cold, but is in fact to stop your beer getting warm!! That is very important in Australia - keep your beer cold!

[shanghai mm]

always my dream to visit down under. Cannot resist the stereotype of Aussies and their "have a good dye, mate!" :0

[Thomas]

it is interesting to see Australia from an "asian" perspective. I am German, travelled a fair bit before and just arrived in Sydney a couple of months ago. I was just surfing the web a bit and found your story. Anyway, hope you are having a good time back in Shanghai (if you are still there!) - for now I will grab a slang dictionary as well and try to get all the words ;)

[Craig Adams]

I found your comments well thought out and interesting. I live in San Francisco, but even in my experience there are clear links between Shanghai, Sydney, and my home town. I would be curious to hear what conclusions you have come up with since your last update. Good photos and excellent use of the English language.

[Dazza]

Nice read. I'm an Aussie bloke who was fortunate to travel to China for work on 2 occasions around 2005. I was instantly captivated by the people and their politeness (even tho I'm 190cm tall with blonde hair) there was a bit of staring, but when I just nodded, smiled and said G'day, then they'd smile and nod back. The kids were cute, walking past and turning around and staring, just innocent curiosity. Everyone wanted to help, the food was laid on, always twice what I could eat, even when I was full, my hosts would offer more.
Shanghai is a future city to me, like another world. I eventually married a shanghai girl and we have 2 beautiful children, I feel we have 2 homes now with my wife's parents still there.

China is a beautiful place with peaceful people and a balanced family focussed way of life. If only the media would stop pushing the fear story and accept the long history and contribution China and her people have made, it is a huge task running a country that size. Sure they make mistakes, but is our government or that of the USA any better? Not in my opinion.

[ugg bailey button]

The funny thing is that Sabrina has learnt so much in the time here - but some of the slang, even though she has mastered the word, still struggles with the correct describtion! A `Stubby Holder' is not to stop your fingers from getting cold, but is in fact to stop your beer getting warm!! That is very important in Australia - keep your beer cold!

[Paul from Adelaide]

Bloody brilliant! Clever girl! Personally, I keep wondering where the best place to travel overseas for a holiday would be? I can't think of any, especially since I haven't seen all of Oz yet. I honestly hope you return to live amongst us as an Australian, you'd be very welcome. I also hope you get down to Adelaide one day because our Chinatown isn't the least bit crowded (not even full of Chinese). You'd enjoy it.

P.S. Don't worry about the Stubby Holder thing, no women "should" ever understand secret men's business (LOL).

[mark w palmer]

I thought this young lady hit it on the head, I have married a shanghai girl for 15 years now, been to china many times justed loved it I found my wife had the same problems ,whisch still has some problem now and again but has just melted into the Assie way of life.