Hello Alice, how long have you been here in China? Oh, I’ve been here for quite a long time. I’ve been here over five years right now. Wow, five years, such a long time. Yeah, quite a long time. So do you get used to everything here in China? I do think so, yes. When I arrived, I had such crazy shock about China and new culture, and I was trying to get used to it, so for the first month I was just hiding from the world. Oh, really! Yes, that was, that was shocking to me. But now I get used to it and know more like Chinese. Okay. So do you have something that you are still not very getting used to that? Uh, I don’t think so, but I do still have some struggles. Okay, what kind of struggles? Like language barrier. Language barrier, oh. Yeah, I just feel like I’ve been studying Chinese for a long time, but sometimes I just going to do some grocery shopping or just going to the bank and they still don’t understand me. Ah, really? Yeah, It’s so annoying. Yeah. I feel like, I have been to China for such a long time and they still don’t understand me. Ah, okay. So I have to improve my Chinese language skill. Yeah, improve your Chinese skill maybe. So where are you from in China? I’m from Shanghai. From Shanghai? Yeah, right. But I’ve been an exchange student in Germany last semester. Oh, that’s so your English is so great. Ah, thank you! I was surprised, yes. So what did you do in Germany? I just...also learned English majors, and chose some courses related to that, but I still like, have the culture shock like you have just mentioned. Wow, so what kind of shock did you have? Oh, it’s very interesting, you know, because in China, while you are having classes, or you like someone is giving a presentation later, and you usually clap your hands to show your appreciation, but in Germany like, every when the class is over, or someone is giving their presentations, they just knock on the tables! So the first time when I was in there, I just heard the noise from the knocking sounds, and I used to clap my hands, and what is even more interesting is that when I went back to China, and I also like, after someone’s giving a presentation, I also started to knock on the table, but the truth is that everyone is clapping their hands. Wow, this is so interesting, so you should be loud and they just applauding. But in China you also knock table when you are drinking Baijiu right? Yeah, right, when doing a prost, or to celebrate something. Yeah, right. That’s lovely! Yeah, so Alice, when you went back to Russia, do you still have something that you very miss in China? Oh I do lots of things I miss about China I cannot survive without Chinese food anymore. Oh really, Chinese food is really good. Yeah, and I’m in love with Chinese retired people, because they are so positive and optimistic, they know how to use applications, they do sports and dance on the street every night, I missed it in Russia so much. Ah, Really! Yes! So that’s why you stay in China for so many years! Yeah, China feels like my second home right now. Ah really! Would like to go back to Germany? Maybe. Future or sometime, maybe. But not to live there right? Yeah, maybe not to live there. I still love my hometown, China. I can understand that, Chinese culture is the most ancient one, worth observing. Yeah! Okay that’s very nice meeting you David. Yeah, nice to meet you! I have to go to classes, bye bye!
