a coffee and a bike ride

One of the most brilliant things about Shenzhen is the mobike. Similar to the ‘velib’ in Paris or other free city rental bikes in Europe, you scan a QR code using your smartphone and the bike, unless it is in need of a repair, will unlock and allow you to ride all over town for less than one yuan per half hour. Once you’re done, you can drop the bike off at a bike rack and continue on your way. There is a small set-up process as well as a refundable deposit of 299 yuan that you must pay to be able to use the service, but ever since I got it set up, I have been riding around and loving it!

So, instead of heading to my usual cafe, I decided to head up to Coco Park 购物公园 which is about 10 minutes from my apartment by bike. A friend took me to a sweet little cafe a few weeks ago near the Shangri-La Hotel. I liked the peace and quiet there and thought it might be nice to go a little further today while I had the chance.

I ordered a cappuccino 卡布其诺 which was a big thing as I had never used the word cappuccino in Mandarin before. To my surprise, the man understood me with no problems, so I paid and picked a nice table outside. I opened my book and began to read, however my mind was too unsettled to concentrate, with thoughts about tomorrow rushing through my head.

Although I have been enjoying my new job, I have been feeling slightly unsure if it is the right place for me. Some days, the job is easy. Other days can be so frustrating. Of course, this goes for every job, however I have noticed that I am blaming myself for failing rather than blaming the material that I am working with. I know that I shouldn’t blame myself and try to remind myself of this when I am feeling down. Time will tell. I am still getting used to the way things work.

My coffee arrived. After a few teaspoons of the chocolatey foam, I took a sip. It was just as pleasant as the last time. I wondered to myself if ‘double shots’ were a thing here and if I would have to pay more. I tried once again to focus on my book but was interrupted by a man speaking loudly on a mobile phone and by a persistent mosquito which had decided to join me.

I finished my coffee and decided to ride around for a little before I headed back home. I wanted to enjoy the beautiful city all lit-up at night! It is really impressive to see all of the modern buildings with so many different and intriguing designs. The lights are fabulous at night! I also found this beautiful window display at the Shangri-La Hotel.

I was feeling a little hungry so I went to a restaurant near my apartment. I have visited this restaurant several times, and so, with a little too much confidence, strode in and smiled at the cashier. It often happens that I forget where I am and exactly how little Mandarin I can speak. Sometimes I go to speak in Japanese or French!

As it dawned on me that I needed to say something in Mandarin, I began mumbling and throwing words left right and centre, which made me feel even more nervous and stupid. 我要鸡肉. 这是鸡肉…吗？

I am ashamed to say that I really have no idea how to order something in Mandarin. Maybe 我要… is correct, but it feels so strange to say. One of the waitresses standing nearby was watching on and laughing nervously. I smiled and laughed a little with her, hoping to break the awkwardness with a little humour. However the awkwardness carried on and her laughter continued. Finally, one of the chefs brought out the meal I had hoped to order. I smiled, paid and turned to walk away.

The whole interaction put me down a little, but the food was tasty. All I can do is try to communicate as best as I can, and I have to accept that there will be times when I can’t make myself understood and when people will perhaps not have as much patience in trying to understand me as I would like.

Valentine’s Day

Today is Valentine’s Day. SZKoala’s other half is currently nestled in the fork of a tree in Australia – eating yummy gum leaves – but we sent a heart emoticon or two on chat and are both still having a nice day despite been away from one another.

It is 4 p.m. and I am considering venturing out to the little cafe down the road. It is becoming one of my favourite sitting and reading spots and has a very relaxing, chilled out atmosphere.

The first time I visited, I was very taken by the design of the cafe. It’s a very trendy place. The people were lovely as well. Then I realised that the music they were playing was in fact only one track which was stuck on repeat and never seemed to end! Despite the music, I went back to enjoy the atmosphere and was very happy to find that they had added a few more songs to their repertoire.

I have recently finished a book called Cadans, a book written by Micha Meinderts about a young gay guy growing up in Belgium in the 1970s. It is the first in the series, and after such a sad ending, I will make sure to read the next two books. As I am unsure how to order their delivery to China, I will carry on reading Madame Bovary, which I have had since July last year and have found so incredibly hard to get into that I don’t find so much pleasure in reading it. I usually read books in order to practice the languages I have learned, so this book is naturally the original French version. Admittedly, it is my own fault that I find it hard to read. Flaubert uses so much descriptive language, and his sentences go on and on. I must persevere.

Reading is one of the goals of my trip to China. I have several books I did not get a chance to read last year, so hopefully I will be able to read them all this year. Of course, reading is not my only goal. If it were, it would be a very odd goal to have for someone traveling in another country. That said, I am still working out my goals to be honest. I know that I want to improve my Mandarin Chinese. I know that I want to improve my abilities as a teacher, and I know that I want to save money for the future. They are my main goals, but I still feel a little strange here. As though I am not sure really why I have come.

Perhaps this is why I find that cafe so comforting. It is a place where I can sit and just be. I can become lost in the worlds created by my books. A respite from my nagging, questioning mind which is constantly hassling me about my motives, my actions and my intentions.

Shenzhen is a busy place. My neighbourhood is a noisy, bustling area that doesn’t seem to sleep. I do love cities. I love the noise and the excitement, but in these first few weeks – I have been here only one month –  it has been nice to escape from it for a little. Moving to another country is a wonderful experience, but the first month can seem like an eternity. Every day offers its own challenges and tasks that would normally take a minute to carry out can seem like a never-ending battle. In those crazy first moments, you need a zone of quiet. You need some still water. The cafe gives me that. I don’t want to be holed up in my apartment all day – I am good at making myself feel guilty for staying home – so, I push myself to head outside, to fight through the crowded streets of cars, taxis, motorbikes and bicycles, to the safety of my local cafe.

So, I will venture out now with my book under my arm. I will order an expensive cup of coffee and enjoy the zone for a few hours.