Moving to a new place, especially in China, is not an easy thing. Some of us maybe would like to change our life, experience something new, but we worry about adapting to new conditions, feeling comfortable in a completely new environment.
Shanghai City Girl introduces a new feature of this blog – every week you will get to meet a girl/woman from a different country who will tell you her China/Shanghai story .I hope you will find it encouraging and inspiring !
My first interviewee is Analleli Martinez Oviedo from Mexico, who spent here almost 3 years.
Shanghai City Girl: Where in Mexico do you come from?
Ana: I come from San Luis Potosi, Mexico.
SCG: Why did you decide to come to China and what did you do here?
A: I decided to move to China because every newspaper in the world was talking how the ‘dragon was waking up’- I wanted to be a part of this, I wanted to find out what, and how they are doing things in China. So the only way to find out was being an AUPAIR in China. Living with a Chinese family was like a big slap on my face, nothing is as you expected, with the time I adapted, today I can say I am very lucky , because I got the chance to know China from the bottom, from the basic unit, the family. Then, after the AU PAIR program came to an end, I became an English teacher , meanwhile I started exporting some products from the construction industry in Mexico and America.
SCG : What was the most difficult for you in the first months of your life here?
A:It was difficult, in the beginning, you find yourself living in a place where you can’t even communicate, but then you adapt to the new life, then you like it and now I miss it.
SCG: Would you like to give advice to other Mexican girls, or any girl coming here for the first time?
A: I want to warn other girls : STAY AWAY FROM XIAO LONG BAO AND HONG XIANG ROU! I know it is hard, but it is harder to lose weight…
SCG : Could you give any tips how girls should prepare before coming here?
A: In my opinion you need to be mentally prepared for a big change, you need to understand they have different standards. If you don’t like to be constantly surprised, China is definitely not for you.
SCG: Do you have any specific, favorite Mexican dish and can you find the ingredients here to prepare it?
A: I love tortillas, of course, and you can find them in Carrefour and in any ‘laowai’ shop ( shop with imported products)
SCG This is an important question for many women - have you ever been to a gynecologist here and how was it different from the treatment in your country?
A: I went to the gynecologist - they are not very kind but the equipment they have is high tech and the service fee is very low.
SCG: Are there any beauty products specifically used by women in your country that you can’t live without and how did you find them here?
A: I don’t consume beauty products. I only use olive oil for my skin , and the make up. I can easily find it everywhere in China.
SCG: A lot of girls come to China by themselves so they would probably want to know how was the dating scene in Shanghai for you?
A: Dating in Shanghai is a whole new experience, since you can meet people from all over the world.
SCG How would you describe being Mexican girl in China in 3 words?
A: I will describe it in 3 characters : 很可以 (hěn kě yǐ – very ok). If you like the adventure, this is the place.I just love tacos and you just need tortillas, so you can totally survive.