Things that Most Annoy Expats in China

Living in another country is a tough, baffling, and often frustrating experience. All expats in China have actually suffered "Bad China Days", those days where whatever appears so complicated and complicated. I asked a varied group of expats to share what they most disliked about residing in China. Here are the outcomes:

The Pollution

Surprise, surprise! Among the important things all of the China expats I spoke to agree on is that they hate the pollution. They dislike the perennial haze, the hacking coughs and the requirement to run an air purifier in the house basically 24/7. While China has actually come a long way in terms of air pollution over the past years, the average AQI is still well above many Western countries, particularly in the winter when coal is used to heat homes in backwoods.

The Traffic

Nobody likes the traffic in China's busiest cities; the stretch buses, vehicles, mopeds, tricycles, scooters and bikes, all grinding together like beeping rocks in a bag. The basic failure of people to stay in lane and be patient sends out foreigners who drive here insane, as does the unfortunate human traffic custom-made of charging onto the train vehicle before anyone can get off.

Open Display of Physical Functions

While it holds true that there are particular things the Chinese find gross about us, many expats in China have a hard time accepting the typical sight of grownups spitting on the street and kids in split trousers running rampant and doing their organization where they please. No matter how long we remain here, it's difficult not to wince when an old dude walks past us and unapologetically lets a loud, damp fart rip from his padded PJs.

Unbridled Bureaucracy

" You told me yesterday to come back today and now you're informing me to come back again tomorrow?" We have actually all been here in our efforts to handle life admin in China. Whether opening a bank account, renewing a visa, or perhaps simply adopting a family pet, expats in China have to jump through a lot of burning administrative hoops to survive here. In numerous circumstances, administrative inadequacy is also happily married with a total absence of versatility-- a type of "computer system says no" mindset. The two together are indeed a Kafkaesque pleasure to see.

Indirect Interaction

Chinese people are understood for having a whole lot of round-about methods to say "no" or "I don't know", especially in an office setting where everybody wishes to appear informed and willing. Typically in an effort to "save face", you'll find yourself given doubtful or totally incorrect information, even if the person you asked doesn't wish to confess they can't assist. This can lead to countless misconceptions with immigrants who tend to accept what they're being told on stated value. Silly immigrants!

For lots of expats in China, the things we discover most unpleasant, unknown and tough to accept are those we can't see. We can turn away from a kid pooping in the street and ignore the phlegmy expulsions of our cab drivers, but the distinctions in mindset are more difficult to determine and less simple to avoid.

In a bid to reduce this divide, some expats throw themselves headfirst into the local way of life, while others wall themselves up in substances full of immigrants and have their business or schools deal with whatever for them. Most of us, however, sit someplace in between.