The worst coronavirus in China is only ...

by Viktoria Viantslavavich (Belarus)

A leap into the unknown China

The worst coronavirus in China is only ... In Russia, children are taught to look at their feet; in China, it saved me from being accustomed to a child, who stands still, being tied to a tree. This was my first vivid memory of China. Before I did not see women with children on leashes, and I did not have to stumble over a child. I must say that I lived in the Celestial Empire for a whole year and during that time I got used to strolling in European with a cup of coffee when around the children walk like dogs, in Chinese. On the day of the encounter with the child, I found a Russian restaurant, it was simply necessary for cultural acclimatization and the restoration of metabolism after Chinese spicy dishes because from the first days I felt like a fire-breathing dragon. From the first minutes, I felt at home, but at full of stereotypes home. At the entrance, the musician in felt boots played the balalaika, and two girls in Russian folk costumes sang. I want to note that in Russia this can only be seen in museums, and young people prefer sneakers and sweatshirts. I ordered several traditional Russian dishes that turned out to be Chinese, as well as a glass of water that was filled with boiling water. When I asked why the water is hot, they just told me that it was useful. And then the Chinese told me all year that drinking hot water is very beneficial. I still do not understand why, but I still drink. To make this day unforgettable, I decided to go with friends to a bar. There was nothing unusual, people just drank, danced, chatted and played games. It was a lot of fun, we met cool guys from different countries, I was a student, but I was very surprised how many foreigners work in China. Later I found out that the main selection criterion for any position is European, Scandinavian or American appearance. Many of those foreigners that I met in China did not know how but received a good salary for their large eyes and blond hair. Let's go back to the story with the bar, my blue eyes and blond hair were popular not only among employers but also among guys. This was my first experience with a Chinese guy. He was very nice, offered me a drink, but I said that I didn’t drink, and he disappeared, didn’t even say goodbye. I want to say that this is happening not only in China, sometimes people are not looking for an interlocutor in new acquaintances. But for a long time I did not get bored, another Chinese guy quickly took the initiative and offered me to drink milk with him. He turned out to be very erudite and open, we chatted for 40 minutes, and he said that he loved me. I did not reciprocate. I never saw him again. The next morning I thought about how difficult it would be for me to spend the school year in a country where everything is strange and incomprehensible. But after a few months, I did not want to return home. What at the beginning makes you fall into a daze, after 3 months it has become the norm. This happened because I wasted my energy not on making fun of someone else’s culture, but tried to understand it. Indeed, in the early days, the most terrible creature for me was people, their strange behaviours and customs. But the steps to meet the incomprehensible made me love this country and these people. Now I really want to return to China, to see healthy and happy people there. And I want to continue travelling and discovering new countries, I want to fall in love with another one, completely from my culture. But this is not possible when there is a risk everywhere of losing loved ones or dying yourself. The disease is merciless, but a person has a mind and soul. The most important thing is to remain human and support another person of any nationality of gender and age. It makes us better. Hurry to do good.