I can’t believe I have lived in Shanghai for more than six months! The time has passed by so quickly that important details like moving into my apartment, getting to know my neighbors and establishing a daily routine seem like very distant memories to me.
As I told you all in my introduction, this is not my first time visiting China. In fact, I have been to China three times before, so this made it a lot easier to move to Shanghai for a whole year. Often when people go abroad, especially for the first time, they experience what is called “culture shock”. When you have culture shock, the food, the culture, and the language are so different from what you are accustomed to at home that you feel overwhelmed, and you might want to return home. Thankfully, because I have travelled to China before, I did not experience culture shock upon moving to Shanghai. I already knew that the culture and mannerisms of people here were different from back home, and I knew what to expect. Instead, I had a new experience that I would like to share with you – moving into an apartment and living in a Chinese neighborhood.
In Chinese cities, most people live in residential communities called xiaoqu. Xiaoqu are similar to apartment complexes.
