Bad Habits You Should Avoid as A Foreigner in China

In a new country, it's particularly concerning to develop undesirable routines. If you're a new expat in China looking for job, be wary of picking up any of these undesirable customs.

If you need help communicating in Chinese, ask a local.

When visiting China for the first time, the most significant difficulty you will face will be the language barrier. No one enjoys learning a new language, and the more you learn, the more bewildered you may get. When you initially arrive in China, you will need the assistance of a local friend to interpret for you whenever you interact with the locals, such as when you apply for a residence permit, renew a visa, hail a cab, place an order at a restaurant, etc.

While it's normal to want assistance, it's important to avoid becoming too reliant on Chinese friends if you want to stay in China for an extended period of time. Nobody is ever free to provide a hand when you really need it, so you can't count on your pals every time you need to haggle with your landlord or order takeout.

The ideal solution to this problem is for you to study Mandarin Chinese on your own, at least to the point where you can carry on basic conversations with locals and utilize everyday situations to practice your newfound language skills. If you truly don't have the linguistic chops to pick up a new tongue, then you should become an expert user of translation software. It will be really useful.

Lament the state of affairs in China

Foreigners who make a permanent home in a foreign country will surely experience a wide range of cultural shocks. Some of the "odd" actions or customs of Chinese people, such as queuing, calling, and animal treatment, may leave you feeling confused or even irritated. These "weird things" depend, however, on how you personally define value. Sitting around a bar all day moaning about how you can't figure out the queuing system in China is pointless. After all, nobody will alter a practice they see as standard because of your complaint. Not only that, but you may vent to your loved ones as much as you want and it won't alter the reality that you'll be facing similar circumstances many more times in the future.

Don't carry your complaints about life in China into your personal relationships with family and friends. You could find that your first impressions of "weird" elements of the issue shift when you consider it from a different angle.

We seldom cook at home and always eat elsewhere.

You can easily try new cuisines in China, whether you dine at a restaurant or order takeaway, since there are so many places to select from and so many different ways to order food. In addition, many expats find that, despite having time off from work, they lack the motivation or energy to prepare their own meals because of China's hectic pace and bustling social scene. Eating out often, on the other hand, may drain your finances, pollute the environment (due to things like the usage of paper plates and cups), and even be harmful to your health, as you can never be sure of the specific ingredients in the meal you order. (maybe a lot of fillers)

So, make an effort to prepare at least a couple of meals a week at home. It might be dull to cook on your alone, so invite some buddies over. It's true that dining in may save you a lot of money and add a lot of enjoyment to your life in China, but only after you become accustomed to cooking on your own.

Having a dependency on online-shopping apps

Nobody can manage to resist the urge to go out and purchase something new. When you give in to a shopping addiction, it might be the most hardest vice you've ever had to break.

Here, we may use Taobao, a shopping app, as an example. The most common response to the query "Where can I get this item?" in China is "Taobao." Taobao's well-established network and logistics transportation system ensure that customers' packages are reliably delivered to them within a few days of making an order. Taobao, without a doubt, simplifies our life in a multitude of ways. Yet, there are always two sides to a story. It's easy to develop the habit of mindless shopping on Taobao, for both necessities and luxuries. The worst part is that you probably don't even know how much money you're spending (or wasting) on that shopping app.

Asking yourself "Do I really need it?" before to making a software purchase will help you avoid falling into the trap of impulse purchasing. Asking, "Can I purchase it at a local supermarket?" is a good way to start establishing a shopping routine and sticking to a monthly budget.