Dear Jaye


Dear Jaye,

How lovely to hear from you! Yes, of course I would be happy to help you, if I possibly can.

No, I am not such a great fan of Dubai. It is an exciting place and I have visited it quite a few times, but I am not sure that I would want to live there. It is a bit overrated, in my opinion.

China is seriously foreign. It is about as foreign as you can get. I think that I make this clear in my blog, bulgariawithnoodles.blogspot.com and if you want everything to be the same as in the States, then do NOT go to China. 

My wife and I had five happy years in Shenzhen (just around the corner from Hong Kong) and we had some lovely Chinese friends. In some ways, I wish that I had not retired and I was still there!

I did know several African Americans in Shenzhen and they liked it. Yes, of course you will "stand out" and you might be stared at. Children might look at you as though you have three heads. However, all laowai (foreigners) get some of this treatment. Having blue eyes and blonde hair is a bit freaky in China. It is not hostility or discrimination. It is simply that you look a bit weird to most Chinese people. If you are in a city where there are lots of foreigners, then you will not come across it that much. Young people, on the other hand, will probably think that it is exciting and unusual to meet an African American in China.

I remember many occasions when Chinese people were kind and helpful to me, in ways that simply would not happen in the UK. It makes me very ashamed when I remember their kindness and then I think about how foreigners are treated in the UK. The Chinese government can be awkward and suspicious, of course, but most Chinese people are proud of their country and they will be pleased if you show an interest in their culture. Civilisation is, after all, a Chinese invention.

Now start learning some Mandarin!

Simon Hill (aka the Hippo)


 This is my 100th post! I started my blog in October last year and I have now written a hundred posts and collected more than 21,000 "hits". Not a bad start, though I say so myself.

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