☝️ First and foremost

China is one of the greatest superpowers in the eastern world, with a rich history and culture. The speed of advancement in technology, engineering, semiconductors, hardware, software, green energy, and especially artificial intelligence is ridiculously wild. It was the first country that came to my mind when I was looking for a place to pursue my academic journey. I have been daydreaming about living in China since I was a kid. I started learning Chinese for the first time when I was in grade 9, after a friend of mine named Sinthean introduced me to a Chinese conversation book. Thanks to him. I don't know the exact reason why—maybe because of 悟空Wukong, 哪吒Nezha, 长城Great Wall, 秦始皇兵马俑Terracotta Army, or 熊猫Panda? But the moment I stepped on this land, I immediately knew why. It's about how active, hardworking, well-educated, and calm the people here are. 长沙Changsha is a major city located in 湖南Hunan, where I'm living. It's a city with a long history and rich culture, and it's also known for its delicious food, especially 臭豆腐Stinky Tofu, but sorry, I can't eat it lol. I'm currently pursuing a Master's degree here, as you've seen (or maybe have not) on the education page. I have been here for almost a year now (the day of releasing this post), and I have to say that the experience is like a spectrum of colors. I've seen things I've never seen before, and I've experienced things I never thought I would.

😂 The first funny experience

One of the funny stories is that my electric bike was once moved to another faraway place by the 公安Police for parking in the wrong place (honestly, I knew it was wrong, but I had no choice because there was no spot to park due to the New Year event, and there were a lot of bikes parked there too) during the New Year countdown event. Imagine staying up overnight, exhausted from the party and so darn sleepy, but you can't find your bike anywhere at 5 a.m. I tried to find it for about five rounds back and forth but still couldn't find it. I even asked a police officer there, but it seemed like he also had no idea where it was. He just told me to look around, but I was like, 'Bro, I have been looking for like an hour.' Ultimately, you know what? I was like, 'Fxxx it, whatever, I just wanna sleep first.' Then I went back to my room by bus to sleep until the afternoon, and went back to the place to ask for information again until I met a random motorcycle driver who said, 'Oh, I've seen where the police took it, it's over there.' And you know what his 'it's over there' meant? It was about 4 kilometers away from the place where I parked it. So I went with him to take it back, and it cost me around ¥30 (approx. $5) for his service. Honestly, I thought I would be fined a large amount for this, but no—they just moved it to organize the place for a sports event. The funny thing is that all the bikes that were parked along with mine were still there, lmao. Good luck to their owners 😂. It's kind of a lesson that we should learn not to violate the rules, even if we think it's just a small one. And just because a lot of people are doing it doesn't mean it's okay to follow them and do the same.

🥘 Favorite foods and drinks

Hunan food or 湘菜Xiang Cai is considered one of the most famous cuisines in China. It's known for its spicy and flavorful dishes. My daily favorite one is 花菜炒肉Hua Cai Chao Rou. It's a simple dish, but it's incredibly delicious. The combination of tender pork and crunchy cauliflower, along with the spicy sauce, is just BUSSIN'. I eat it almost every day, and it's so good with any dish. As for drinks, I simply enjoy 无糖绿茶Wu Tang Lü Cha and 无糖奶茶Wu Tang Nai Cha from my favorite tea shop, 蜜雪Mi Xue. For purified water, the dominant brands here are 农夫山泉Nong Fu Shan Quan and 怡宝Yi Bao. The food here might be a bit oily, which I’m not a big fan of, but everything else is pretty tasty.

⛅️ Weather and living condition

Because this is China, obviously it's quite different from Cambodia's climate. First and foremost, the weather here is cold, rainy, and windy in autumn, spring, and winter, but it's surprisingly hot during the summer break, or 暑假Shu Jia. It's not just hot, it's burning hot. I first came here in the middle of summer and, trust me, it was just like a steam sauna. I was sweating like crazy while struggling to find my dormitory apartment 🫩.

For winter moment, the lucky thing is that this year's winter had snow in the middle of January, which is a rare phenomenon in this city. It was so beautiful to see the snow covering the streets and buildings, and another mission on my wishlist was fulfilled. The snow was not very heavy, but it was good enough to enjoy. I had a lot of fun taking photos of the snowdrops and building some snowmen happily because I had finished and passed all my examinations and classes xD. It was one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had in my life.

I'll update more...

🌟 Final Thoughts

Living in China has been an incredible journey so far. Every day brings new experiences, challenges, and opportunities to grow. From the bustling streets of Changsha to the serene beauty of its ancient landmarks, this country has so much to offer. I’m excited to continue exploring, learning, and sharing my adventures. I'll keep updating with more stories and insights as I navigate life in this fascinating land!

感谢大家阅读！