A person need not look far to find travel journals and/or blogs, in the same way that one need not look far for reaction videos on Youtube. As such, I certainly will not promise the excitement that most will bring with regards to adventures by the extroverts of our world, rather, I humbly hope to give as good an account of my travels in my country of residence as my introverted sensibilities will allow, and with that said, I begin this addition to my existent blog with my relocation to Shenzhen. With a month since landing in the first-tier city often labeled as the Silicon Valley of China, I’ve had time to reflect on a period that has been both tremendously exciting and simultaneously difficult and frustrating.
Touching down in the city, I exhaled with relief, my reluctance of flying making any trip a nervy experience often visible by way of the sweat on my brow and small claw marks in the armrests. As I disbarked, I would brace myself for the small onslaught of parasitic cab drivers hoping to fool naive and ignorant tourists of accepting expensive cab rides to their required destination, but my first surprise would be a rather neatly kept airport devoid of these annoying tricksters, convenient signs instead pointing to an easy to find and well-oiled cab queue. I rode out into the day and was greeted with overcast and drab weather that dashed the expectations of clear and sunny skies. It appeared that my first meeting with the city was an apprehensive one, like the meeting of a stranger not yet ready to show their true colors, something unsurprising all things considered.
There was, however, a slightly more international feel to the opening exchanges with the locals, starting with the cab driver, who insisted on using English in response to my modest use of Mandarin, but there was certainly a greater warmth felt by this gentleman that I greatly appreciated, considering my experience with cab drivers from Beijing, Shanghai, and Chongqing. I gazed upon the large Louis Vuitton sign on a rather posh-looking mall that sat just opposite the hotel I was living in and would spend the next week or so getting to grips with this new place that I would call home.
Within the month that would go by, I would have the opportunity to visit four of the cities' seven districts, the more western districts seeming to be the more international territories. I would call Yantian my district of residence, one of the older ones on the cities' Easternmost side, but as a family man, the fresh air, closeness to the boardwalk, and the simplistic feel would be right up my alley. Within my time working to lay down the foundation for myself and said family, I was lucky enough to see a few very impressive places in the city. The very popular mall known as Coco Park would serve as a focal point for locals and travelers with its several shops and hang-out spots, not to mention its convenient proximity from a rather impressive bar street where I would sit to catch a football game with friends.
I also managed to enjoy scenic walks along the boardwalk, with gorgeous views of the Hong Kong islands and several stops on the way including a library and a nice restaurant called 1881 which served ice-cold Carlsberg draughts and allowed for one of my favorite casual activities, people watching, which when I say out loud, sounds slightly pervy, but I'm sure many would understand the simple joy that comes from watching others enjoy scenery, environments, and experiences. The scenic area provided opportunities for quality photos to be shared on various social media sights, the cool, inviting air and atmosphere ideal for both family, friends, singles, and couples.
I would be gifted even more surprises during my exploration of my immediate surroundings, the best being a small craft beer place located a few meters from my complex, complete with a great selection, taster trays, bar snacks, and friendly, trilingual managers. It's safe to say that I have enjoyed the period afforded to me so far, but none the less feel that the experiences will be augmented when the time comes that I may share them with my family.
Craft beer spot in Yantian District called Jumbo Craft Beer. Photo credit to Jerome Reyes
Photo credit to Jerome Reyes
What more can be said about Shenzhen? Perhaps the biggest adaptation has been the need to get better at continuous bike dodging, a skill that was never needed in my previous and more mountainous city of residence, Chongqing. And for all its fancy bells and whistles, international appeal, and accommodations, the city of Shenzhen feels like it lacks an authenticity that I felt was abundant in Chongqing. As far as some of the locals that I would go on to meet from my job, I was unimpressed by their arrogance and ignorance of the city that I had called home for three years, a city that, unlike theirs, boasted incredible trademark dishes, a beautiful blend of both modern industrialization and nature, not to mention a far cheaper cost of living while having everything that this city had on offer, except for easier access to Hong Kong and an ocean.
That aside, I was also very happy to meet locals with a wonderfully warm, accepting, and open-minded attitude towards foreigners, and while necessity has forced us to bid farewell to our beloved Chongqing, I believe that Shenzhen will provide its own adventures that will add to our memory bank and bring us closer as a family. Here's to exciting times in the future, here's to Shenzhen :).