7 tips for Enjoying Your First Year in China

By: Dr. Debi Yohn

You have made your decision…

Packed your belongings and you are heading into the unknown.

This is going to be fun.  You are part of a minority that has made the decision to live an adventure.

Every move a family makes is an adjustment, even if it is across town but you … have moved to China!  Your friends envy your courage… I guarantee that you are feeling an anticipation and adrenalin that is exciting.  I want you to keep this “high” as you settle into your new home.

The first year is an adjustment year.  There are a few speed bumps that are avoidable and hopefully these tips will give you a smooth ride.

Most challenges will pass quickly and become great stories.  When you see a scene out of National Geographics or Life Magazine and then you meet some amazing people that have really experienced life,  you forget the challenges and remember why you made the decision to move.

As a Counseling Psychologist, I want to normalize the feelings that most people go through as they are adjusting to a new country.  I have lived in four countries and with every move, I still go through an adjustment.  Just knowing and expecting some adjustment makes everything easier. 

Here are some tips that have worked for me and for others.  You will also discover your own tips that you can share with me.

Tip  #1  Remember Comfort Items 

I am speaking of items that are important for your health and well being.  By being prepared you save yourself some stressful moments.  Go to City Shopping and get all the ingredients for a favorite meal or a favorite dessert.  Over time, you will probably find everything you need on your kitchen shelf but initially, the gathering of spices and special ingredients will be a task. 

Remove the stress and give yourself time to figure everything out.  Take it one day at a time.

Tip #2  Plan what you will be doing with all your free time.

Entertainment is important.  Books, magazines, games and hobby materials will have a larger place in your life.  You will have more free time with less television, traffic and commuting.  You can work on that hobby that you never had time for.  You can read, write, explore…

Tip #3  Document this amazing experience.

I highly recommend that you journal your first year.  Journaling is a tool that I recommend to everyone. Consider keeping a photo journal with a written journal.  Keep your camera with you at all times to capture the new sites of your new home. You might consider starting a web page or a blog so your family and friends can still feel connected to you.  It helps them to understand your new life when they can see it.

Tip #4  Start to learn the language immediately. 

Start learning the language even before you leave your home country.  Everything will make more sense and you quickly earn the respect of the locals. Make it a fun family activity.  Label things in the house.  You will get plenty of help from everyone around you.  Taxi drivers will correct your pronunciation.  Your ayi will polish up her English as you learn mandarin.  We have found the Chinese people very helpful.

Tip #5  Celebrate the challenge.

Day to day living and food shopping will probably require some creativity on your part.  I was recently traveling with a friend to Huangshan.  During the trip, I was always figuring out how to make due, from using dental floss to tie up packages in plastic so they did not get wet to a make shift martini shaker…  At one point my girlfriend said, My Gosh.  You are another McGyver.  She was right.  It becomes second nature.

Tip #6  Never pass up opportunity. If you see it, buy it! 

This is a great tip.  When you find an item that you have been searching for, buy it and buy some more.  You may not see it again or at least for a while.  It is like a game.  When you see friends, your conversations often centers around who found what where…

It’s fun.  It is a bonding experience and it is happening all over the world.

Tip #7  Stay connected to home…

Personal and family issues will feel magnified because you are not there.  Parents grow older, sickness and death happens.   By communicating with your loved ones on a regular basis, you can still be present in their lives.  Use video cams and conference calling (connect several family members or friends on the same call).

Get creative.  With skype and computer to computer communication, this is affordable and often free.

So, this is all very exciting.  This first year is an amazing year and it will pass quickly.  Pretty soon, you are the one telling someone where they can find a spectacular shop, or where they can get something dry cleaned.  Keep good notes and phone numbers for reference.  Ask questions, explore and keep a sense of adventure.  When you are losing your sense of humor take a break.  This is why you have a stash of comfort items (magazines, favorite foods, DVD’s).  You chose to come to a foreign country for the adventure.  If it was totally easy, everyone would do it.  And it really is pretty easy…

Note: To download skype go to www.skype.com and click on download.  It is a free, legal way to call and chat with anyone, anywhere else in the world.

Dr. Debi is a Counseling Psychologist here in Shanghai.  She arrived in January 2000.  Dr. D has an elite private practice in the French Concession.