I came to China not knowing what to expect. I had studied Chinese in the classroom a little, but on arriving at my new homestay family in Beijing, my first thought was, “What have I let myself in for?” My host family didn’t speak English, the weather was hot, and the sights and smells were totally unfamiliar.

<img class="alignright size-full wp-image-3542" title="calligraphy-park" src="http://ltl-chinois.fr/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/calligraphy-park.jpeg" alt="" width="375" height="500" />Fortunately, within the week these problems had righted themselves. My host family were fantastic, not just for my Chinese but in looking after me. The smell turned out to be the smell of dinner, and having tasted it I pretty quickly began to love the smell, following the delicious aromas to the kitchen to enquire what they came from and practice my Chinese. Meeting Chinese people and making friends turned out to be a side-effect of practising my Chinese. Once I realised I could just start conversations with anyone, no matter how basic, I discovered that what I thought was a dissaproving glare (seen in old Chinese people wherever you go) turned out to be curiosity, a smile and a greeting makes the most stern looking Chinese person beam radiantly and start talking excitedly. I went on holiday three times with my host family, to the Buddhist holy mountains of WuTaiShan (for which I temporarily converted to Buddhism as a conversation piece), to Xi’an (where I was unwittingly lured into giving an Elvis impression to over a hundred old Chinese pensioners), to Sichuan (where in two weeks I, probably forever, ruined my digestion).

The biggest lesson I have learnt in China is to just go for it. No-one in China is standing still, everything is always moving, always shifting, and if you want something, just do it! Want to practice Tai Chi? Just find some old ladies in a park and ask if you can join in. Want to find an obscure item? Just ask anyone, from the taxi drivers to the security guards outside the building. Want to try/learn about Chinese tea ceremony? Just go to a tea shop and ask questions. Chinese people are invariably helpful and generous, and speaking Chinese is a sure ticket into any Chinese person’s heart.

[This story was contributed by <a title="Two city Combo" href="http://ltl-chinois.fr/traveling-to-china/two-city-combo/">LTL Two City Combo</a> student Gibson]