Sweetie Go

How To Survive Your First Days In China

Expat Life Stories

“Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid of standing still.”
Chinese Proverbs

I'm a wàiguórén 外国人 (foreigner) in China.

On the internet you can find heaps and valuable tips and most of them are quite helpful and logical. It seems simple: Don’t lose your visa, don’t lose your money, don’t lose your mind. But life in China isn’t always logical or simple. And that’s why I will take different tips to survive your first days in China.

Lose Your Dictionary

You won’t hear me say you don’t need basic Chinese to survive in China. You need it, for sure! When you possess the basic knowledge of Mandarin, a dictionary will hold you back when you’re discovering China. So, here is how you do it:

Nǐ hǎo 你好 ‘hello’ and xièxie 谢谢 ‘thank you’ are a good start, but they won’t get you far. Try at least to learn some basic sentences. The most common conversations are about:

Going somewhere

Wǒ xiǎng qù 我想去 “I want to go to”

Buying something

Duōshao qián? 多少钱? How much is it?

Basic needs

Qǐngwèn, wèishēngjiān zài nǎr? 请问，厕所在哪儿？Where is the washroom please?

Wǒ yào zhège 我要这个 “I want this”

Wǒ yào nàgè 我要那个 “I want that”

My best advice is to follow your instinct rather than your mind or you will lose the latter eventually. I will end with some short, practical advice concerning food, traffic and toilet in Yantai, China.

Food

Eat where the locals eat. Try street food and it smells delectable.

Mode of Transport

Easy. Download Baidu Maps and you will never lose your way.

Toilet

Squat, squat, squat. Leave your shame at home.

Shandong, China

Things to do in Yantai

"It does not matter how slowly you go as along as you do not stop"
-Confucius

A fairy land on earth located in north China and the only international wine city in Asia. If you’re a wine lover, Yantai has for certain something to suit your taste as the city serves as the cradle of wine production in China and a beautiful seascape.

1. Mountain Scenic Spot

It is the symbol of this city, surrounded by the sea, it’s the ideal place to watch sunrise. There are some great towers in the top of mountain.

2. Nanshan Park

The park is free to enter and it’s very large. There is a large pond/lake. When the weather is good, you’ll see people paddle boating and enjoying the breeze.

3. Hill Park

If you’re looking to spend some time in nature away from amusement park games, this would be a great choice.

4. The Yellow River

The second largest river in China. originates from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, passing nine provinces. It’s one of the important cradles of China’s civilization.

5. The Wedding Photoshoot Destination

There is a culture destination that centers specifically on wedding photo shoots around many of the scenic spots.

6. City Bus

Get around Yantai over 50 bus routes. It’s very convenient to get around the city, the fee will be only CNY 1 per stop. Taxi is divided into two groups ordinary and standard cars. You can rent a car to get around the city but according to the law, a person with an international driver’s license or a foreign driver’s licensed is not allowed to drive a car in China. Thus, they must hire a Chinese driver.

7. Tsingtao Beer

Is a name recognized far and wide for its famous beer and you probably already know of Tsingtao beer as the most widely exported beer of China, the ultimate selling point in every restaurant.

8. Food

One of the greatest delights of being here is that I get the chance to taste authentic local dishes.

Youtiao (Chines fried churro)

it is best to pair it with soy milk,

a popular Chinese breakfast

After seeing a father encourage his toddler son to defecate on the sidewalk along the busy market street, I know it was time to get back to the more normal confines of "HaiDialo Hotpot"founded in Sichuan Province. Hospitality is still in short supply at mass-scale entries on the mainland, and that's where Haidalo has stood out.

Shāndōng ((山东) is more than the sum of its historical parts. The energetic buzz in seaside ranks the city among the best places to live in Asia. This is real draw: you can climb mountains, feast on fine seafood, quaff beer and still find time to hit the beach. Can't help but inspire wonder.

My next bucket lists:

1. Changyu Castel Chateau

2. Chang Yu Wine Culture Museum

3. Polaris Museum

6 Things I No Longer Buy

Minimalism

“You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need.”

-Vernon Howard; spiritual teacher, author, philosopher

There are 6 things I no longer buy. Living a simple and sustainable lifestyle has changed so much about the way I perceive everything. There is nothing wrong about buying things without thinking too much about it and certainly don’t judge anyone for living life in a way that feels right to them, but I had a realization that it was no longer for me.

I didn’t understand the level of excess in my life until I stripped it all away. When I feel particularly tempted to buy something that I don’t need, the one thought that always makes me pause is knowing that I don’t buy things with money, but with the hours of my life that I spend working for that money.

1. TRENDY STUFF

I don’t waste money on super trend fashion. I buy practical clothes that don’t easily go out of style such as T-shirts and jeans. Know your style and stick with it.

2. HAIR PRODUCTS

I no longer buy hair masks and other miracle hair products. I only use shampoo and conditioner as hair treatment.

3. NAIL PRODUCTS

I stopped using nail polish last month as I no longer see any purpose using one. Farewell to nail polish, welcome gorgeous and healthy nails.

4. THINGS THAT I CAN ONLY USE ONCE.

I love summer dresses but I just used it once. I stopped buying unless the purchase make sense for my needs.

5. SUGARY DRINKS

They are harmful to our health how about fresh real fruits.

6. SHOES

If your old shoes condition well why buy a new one.

In a world of wanting to have more, I am now trained to have less.

Clothing Essentials

6 Wardrobe Essentials

“No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.”

- Regina Brett; speaker, author, newspaper columnist

When it comes to trends because it’s quick changing, I prefer to invest in things that are basic that I can wear throughout the year because trends come and go. These are my six (6) basics that every single person needs to own in their closet obviously, this is just my personal style. Let’s get started!

It’s really a simple go to essential layer with jackets, blazers, on top of sweaters and even coats. This is a great item to start up your outfits with. You can tuck them in pants, you can let them out or you can even tie the front if you want to give yourself a bit more of accentuate that would do the trick!

This is one of my fave pieces. You can keep it casual or dress it up if you do want to make it fancier. This one has a lower neckline which is really flattering if you want to have your little dainty jewelry or your chunky jewelry showing. You can keep an item like this really casual by just tucking it into jeans, pairing it with some white sneakers or throwing a denim jacket and we are good to go!

I’m obsessed with neutrals and nudes and tans because you can go with so many items. I like this top! It’s versatile especially if you’re a bit older if you have fancy places to go or jobs, anything like that. You can tuck it to your favorite pair of denim. It’s a piece you can keep from daytime to nighttime. It’s casual but also can make you look fancier, it’s a great basic to have!

This piece depends on your taste but it’s part of my essentials and I do wear it all the time. I love wearing stripes it really brings down some textures into your other outfit. You can wear this alone tuck in your denim. It makes you look put together and cute!

If you don’t have this in your closet you need to put it in your cart right now. I love how elegant and chic they looked on their own. You can wear them with a pair of black denim if you want to rock that all black look and it looks so cool!

They are so fashionable for this year and it’s flattering. With a blazer like this I can make so many different combinations. You can wear white t-shirt or black tank top under it. With blazers you always make it either a statement piece so definitely get one that’s like a wow factor!

These are my basics that I have in my closet. Once you tailor this suggested list to your personal needs, getting dressed in the morning should be all the easier, but so much chicer!

EL NIDO Palawan 2019

EL NIDO PALAWAN TRAVEL GUIDE

“It’s a funny thing coming home. Nothing changes. Everything looks the same, feels the same, even smells the same. You realize what's changed is you.”

- F. Scott Fitzgerald; fiction writer, the great gatsby author, great man

El Nido is a small beach community that offers tourist plenty of things to do. You can find scuba diving, beautiful beaches, exotic boat tours, hiking, plenty of restaurant options and not so good internet which is great since you’re going there for getaway, far away, disconnect and have fun.

HOW TO GO TO EL NIDO

There is an airport located in El Nido but I don’t know about it I heard it’s not cheap. Mostly people fly into Puerto Princessa and take the journey up by van or by motorbike. Motorbike rentals typically run around Php 500/$ 10 per day (24 hrs) and for van around Php 500 per person each way and it takes approximately 6 hours to make the journey, they stop at least one usually at halfway point so you can get out, stretch, get some food, use the bathroom and walk around a bit. You can book a van at nearly any hotel in Puerto Princessa they also have tour agencies scattered throughout the city.

We booked our accommodation and tour packages through this website

( swiftlets-inn.weebly.com ).

Important Things to Know:

· The vans all stop at the bus station located in Corong Corong and about a mile from the popular downtown beach area. You can walk which takes 15-20 minutes or you can take a tricycle average fare from Coron Coron to the downtown El Nido area is Php 50/ $1 per person.

· Do not drink the water from the sinks. It’s okay to brush your teeth and shower but it should not be consumed. Most restaurants and hotels will provide water dispenser with safe drinking water. Stick to those and you will be good to go.

· Ice. If you can guarantee that it is filtered water and if unsure you might want to avoid it. Contaminated water can put you out of commission for several days, trust your gut.

· It’s better to bring your power bank for your phone or devices in case the power completely shut off for a few hours.

· WiFi. You probably gonna run into some issues if you need a strong internet. Connections are slow but for good reason. You’re in the middle of the ocean and in a beach community, soak up the view.

· Aqua shoes. It would be best to wear it some stones and broken corals are sharp to better protect yourself.

· Waterproof dry bag. So that your gadget is protected during the island hopping.

You will be spending most of your time either in the downtown area or on a boat.

BOAT TOURS

Which boat tour should you do? There are lots of options.

They basically breakdown into 5 categories:

TOUR A

Php 1,200/ $ 24

Big Lagoon, Shimizu Island, Secret Lagoon, and 7 Commandos Beach

TOUR B

Php 1,300/ $ 26

Pinagbuyutan Island, Cathedral Cave, Cudugnon Beach, Snake Island, and Entalula Island

TOUR C

Php 1,400/$ 28

Hidden Beach, Secret Beach, Talisay Beach, Matinloc Island, and Helicopter Island

TOUR D

Php 1,200/ $ 24

Cadlao Island, Small Lagoon, Ipil Beach, Nat-Nat Beach, Bukal Island, and Paradise Beach

TOUR E

Php 1,500/ $ 30

Land tour includes Twin Beaches, Marimegmeg Beach and some waterfalls

Tour A and C are the most popular of the 5. Any of these 5 options usually they leave at 9:00 AM and will return around 4-6:00 PM. There are also private boat tours that you can do you can get the entire boat to yourself the only catch is it’s more expensive and lunch usually is not included. If you with a group of 4-8 people, you can talk to companies around the area to know pricing and then walk the beach try to find an independent captain that’s willing to take groups out and get an idea of pricing from them as well.

I recommend to visit the hidden beach. It’s a must!

You can do Canopy Walk with a guide to take you to the top, price is Php 400/ $8 per person and the views from the top are definitely Instagram worthy.