A Surprise Christmas
Having spent Christmas 2008 in China it seemed a bit of a pity to miss out on the festivities for a second year running so I decided to make a last-minute surprise visit home without telling anyone I was coming.
After nearly 20 hours of travelling I flew into Norwich via Amsterdam from Hong Kong on the morning of Christmas Eve and turned up on my parents doorstep shortly before midday. To say people were surprised would be an understatement (luckily none of my family have heart conditions!).
It felt rather weird to be thrust directly into the Christmas spirit without the usual months of buildup which usually proceed it in the UK. It was however much nicer to experience it in person rather than through a Skype webcam session as was last year (however novel it may have been).
Of course food is a big part of Christmas and the traditional turkey is a must. While looking like a big chicken the taste is markedly stronger and more flavourful. As ever my mum excelled herself – the 8,000 mile trip was almost worth it just for this! I often wonder why people only eat turkey once a year…
Coming from the relatively warm south of China to the freezing south-east of the UK was a bit of a shock to the system but being a hardy Brit my body soon adjusted and a few nice walks outside in near zero degree conditions were had. Although there was a bit of snow when I first arrived most of it had thawed after a couple of days.
I have a terrible memory but was happy to find that after nearly a year of not driving that the old skills hadn’t disappeared. I always find it’s weird how your brain is able to learn and retain certain complex things as if they were second nature but for other simpler things it’s near impossible (for me anyway).
I’ll be heading back to China on January 4th so get to enjoy jet lag twice in so many weeks. Hopefully someone will invent a teleportation device before too long!
Made in UK in China
I bet if you checked the clothes your wearing right now that most of them were made in China (or nearby). It would also be a fair bet that the computer your using was made there also along with your phone and a lot of what you own full stop. In fact, looking around me about the only thing not made in china is me! Whilst pondering the existential nature of life on the bus home last night this rather bizarre factoid struck home and I scribbled a note in my iPhone to remind myself of it later.
That same night I fired up Photoshop and determined to create my own statement of manufactured origin to adorn myself with. I decided to go with a take on the “Keep Calm and Carry On” war poster since it seemed to embody quintessential British sentiment using classic timeless design. Above is what I came up with (thanks to RC for kerning advice).
To make it more of an ironic statement I got it printed on T-shirts (his & her versions) at a small vendor in Hua Qiang Lu market (Shenzhen) for a ridiculously low price. So there you have it – from concept to reality in less than 24 hours a “Made in UK” T-shirt made in China (+points for noticing the unintentional faux pas).
These are very exclusive right now but for an appropriate donation I might be tempted to send you one 
I’m considering starting a shop which sells T-shirts printed with random Chinglish, my first victim being the T-shirt making shop itself who’s motto proudly proclaims “Our Can Do It”. I love China.
Reverse Culture Shock
Last Thursday I arrived back in the green and pleasant land I call home on my private Fokker 50 turboprop plane weary from the flight and the previous four hours spent stuck in Schiphol airport. Nevertheless it was good to be back on British soil and as my driver pulled up on the runway tarmac to greet us I reflected on how much I had personally changed in the past year since leaving the UK. It was fast becoming clear that you don’t realise what you’ve got until you loose it…
Back on my country estate I had a dull feeling like something was missing and after about half an hour of wandering around aimlessly it hit me: where had all the people gone? No longer was I surrounded by crowds giving me dodgy looks or asking why I was there and I felt strangely lost. Later on I had another revelation when I realised the only sounds I could hear were that of birds singing in the trees and my own breathing: was I in the mythical garden of Eden?
These strange occurrences continued throughout the day but it wasn’t till I was meandering down the river in the family yacht that it suddenly hit home: I was no longer in China and didn’t have to battle my way through millions of cars honking their horns or people spitting on the street or children emptying their bladders in the gutter or breathing noxious fumes omitted by factories or… my mind imploded. What hell was this I had been transported to?!
Joking aside it’s nice to be home and as the saying goes “the grass is always greener on the other side” (or in this case a shade of golden yellow) but going from an urban city like Shenzhen (15 million people) to a rural city like Norwich (200 thousand people) highlights just how diverse a world we live in. The two mindsets required to exist in either are almost completely different but somehow mine has to span both and I was in for a bit of a shock coming back to it – whilst nothing had changed much on the ground I most definitely had.
Trying to explain it is a little difficult and perhaps the shock will lessen over time but a part of me now exists in a parallel world, 6000 miles away, which another small part of me is already looking forward to returning to. The UK will always be my home but I think my perspective has changed to somewhat of an outside yet hope I’ll never be a stranger here. Rule, Britannia!
Reflections on 10 Months in Shenzhen
Tonight I will be returning to the UK for a short break from China but fear not I’ll be retuning in two weeks time. My flight goes from Hong Kong via Amsterdam meaning it’ll be a rather long journey (17 hours) which I never look forward to but hopefully should lessen the jet lag as I basically fly through the night of 8 time zones.
It’s been 10 months since I moved to Shenzhen and so far it’s been a great experience. Although I have developed somewhat of a love-hate relationship with the country it continues to fascinate me and I’ve managed to see and learn a lot more since my previous shorter trips as well as met some interesting people. Shenzhen might not be the cultural hub of China but I certainly appreciate its relative cleanliness and convenience as a gateway to the rest of China.
I’ve managed to pack in a lot of short trips into the time, visiting Guangzhou, Yangshuo, Hong Kong (5 times), Xi’an, Shanghai, Beijing (again), Xiamen and many more smaller places besides but there’s still a lot more to explore. Next on my hit list would be central/western China and in particular Tibet would be dream destination if I can find the time to do it justice.
I intend to spend my time in the UK catching up with friends and family, working on on a few work-related projects and generally enjoying some non-Chinese food for a change! Here’s hoping I don’t catch H1N1 on the way 
In case you wondered the pictures here are from the He Xiangning Art Gallery and OCT Art & Design Gallery which are both located in the Overseas Chinese Town. Neither had particularly interesting exhibitions on and for the entrance fee (20 RMB each) it felt like a bit of a con. Still, if you fancy seeing some strung up shopping trollies this might be for you.
Chinese Employment Z Visa Application
Obtaining an employment visa (Z type) to work in China from the UK has been a real nightmare, seemingly compounded by the Olympics when things were further tightened up. The process isn’t very well documented anywhere so to try and possibly help others I thought I might relay my experiences. Please note that none of the below is in any way official and obviously subject to change – your mileage may vary!
To apply for the Z visa from the UK your company will need to provide you with the following documentation:
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An employment permit
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An visa notification letter
For them to get this documentation you will need give them:
- Passport (should be valid for at least 6 months with blank pages)
- Education (degree) certificate & academic transcript
- Criminal record (obtainable from your local police force or faster from Disclosure Scotland)
- Medical record (GP or hospital should complete, sign and stamp Physical Examination Record for Foreigner)
Copies of the above need to be notarised by a Notary Public (search Google to find one near you), legalised by the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office (in Milton Keynes by post or in person), and finally certified by the Chinese Embassy (in London/Manchester/Edinburgh) IN THIS EXACT ORDER.
Once your company has made the application for the employment permit / visa notification letter and sent them back you can then apply for the Z visa at the Chinese Embassy (appointment required) or Chinese Visa Application Center (more expensive but no appointment needed) for which, in addition to the aforementioned documents (plus photocopies), you will need:
- Completed Chinese Visa Application Form
- One passport photo affixed to the visa application form
Unfortunately all of this is very expensive and time consuming – I would recommend budgeting at least £400 and 6 weeks to complete the full process at a bare minimum. Once you arrive in China you will need to obtain a Residence Permit which I will save for another post (once I’ve been through it myself!).
Good luck and if your experience differs or you have any other advice to offer please comment below!
The View From The Top
Last weekend I was lucky enough to be taken on a tour of One Canada Square, the tallest building in the UK, courtesy of a friend who works there. Situated at the heart of Canary Wharf close to where I live the main structure is 235m tall with 50 floors and is a prominent landmark on London’s rapidly evolving skyline. Having featured prominently in a string of recent films (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, The Bourne Supremacy, 28 Weeks Later…) and the UK version of The Apprentice recently it’s likely you’ll recognise the location.
The higher floors offer amazing panoramic views of east London with the river Thames snaking its way around the Isle of Dogs. On a clear day you can see for many miles and it’s striking just how flat London without a hill in sight! It’s a shame there is no public viewing gallery but presumably fears of terrorism have curtailed any possibility of that.
There’s a lot of construction taking place around this area at the moment, mostly luxury apartments (like Pan Peninsular) but also various infrastructure projects to prepare for the Olympics in 2012. Part of this includes the lengthening of Docklands Light Railway trains which is causing mass disruption for anyone trying to get to and from central London at the moment (i.e. everyone)!
New UK Coin Designs
Wow, the new designs for UK currency from the Royal Mint look great! I’m amazed that they have gone with something so bold and contemporary. It’s the first time they’ve been updated since 1968 and frankly puts the rest of Europe’s coinage to shame (although no doubt some will hate them). The queen still remains on the reverse side. [via]
What do you think?
York
Last weekend I took a trip to York, a historic city in the north of England. Being nearly 2000 years old there is plenty of interest to see and do if you enjoy a bit of culture (and don’t mind walking!). Last weekend the weather was particularly mild and almost spring like for this time of year in the UK (around 10 deg C) which made it even nicer and not bad conditions for taking a few photos!
Whilst you could probably spend a good week exploring, if you only have a day or two here are some places of note:
- York Minster – the second-largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe, incredibly beautiful both inside and out
- Castle Museum – a surprisingly good museum with a reconstructed victorian street & shops
- Clifford’s Tower – remains of the castle fortification with a long history and great views over York
- City Walls – first built during Roman times very enjoyable walks can be had along its remaining sections
- The Shambles – a medieval street in the heart of the city which transports you back to another time
The official website has a lot more info. I forgot to take a map with me but found my iPhone more than adequate for finding my way around, especially with the new pseudo-GPS location feature.
