Northerners: Thinking of Shenzhen? Think Again! (Part 3)
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I impulsively moved to Shenzhen last year, and now I'm dying to go back to Jiangsu. I'm finding it extremely difficult to adapt, especially in terms of social interactions.
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Those aren't the real reasons for making a serious choice. Income (for personal development) and family financial strength (for buying property) are the most important factors.
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Exactly. As long as you can make good money, that's what matters. The things the blogger mentioned don't really seem like issues to me. It probably just comes down to adaptability.
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Northerners coming to Shenzhen would probably also be shocked by the 'coldness' here. What Southerners appreciate as a sense of personal boundaries might be perceived as 'impersonal' or 'unfeeling' by others.
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I'm also a Northerner who came to Guangzhou, and I really appreciate the sense of personal boundaries here. Socializing is finally no longer a burden for me.
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I can understand the points about climate, food, and even bugs in the earlier comments – Northerners might indeed find those hard to adjust to. But to say that because people here are more diverse, you conclude 'some hardships aren't worth enduring'... what kind of 'hardship' is that referring to? Is it an unwillingness to find common ground while respecting differences, or an unwillingness to embrace a broader community? It's understandable to have a comfort zone regarding objective living conditions. But it's the 21st century, and it's hard to imagine that within the same country, people wouldn't even want to step out of their cultural comfort zone (the existence of which, in this context, I even question).
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I strongly agree with that! As a Cantonese person, I could relate to the first two posts. But this latest one made me uncomfortable. Describing it as 'enduring hardship' (吃苦) feels a bit mean. Shenzhen is likely the tier-one city where newcomers face the fewest difficulties integrating.
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I'm from Hebei, been in Shenzhen for many years, and I'm practically a 'Guangdong靓仔' (handsome guy) now! I really dislike the social dynamics of the North. Work is much more efficient in Shenzhen, and I've grown professionally. Whenever I go on business trips to the North, it feels like colleagues there drag things out, everyone's constantly watching the boss's mood, you can't leave if the boss is still around, and then there's the awful drinking culture, bragging, and sucking up – I really can't stand it.
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Really? As someone from Hebei, this makes me very interested! Just wondering, are the mosquitoes, bugs, rats, and ants too terrifying?
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Overly sensitive people probably won't feel like they fit in anywhere.
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They'd be better off in a place like New Zealand – far from people and close to nature.
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Shenzhen is the most efficient city I've ever seen for getting things done; you don't need 'guanxi' (personal connections). Isn't that the most beneficial setup for ordinary folks?
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It's impossible to not need personal connections. If you think you don't, you just haven't reached a stage where they become crucial. For instance, parents or relatives getting priority access to top doctors often relies on connections. For getting into the civil service, once you pass the written exam, the interview can be a mere formality if you have the right contacts. And these are just a few examples; there are many, many more.
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The climate in the 'Shānhé Sì Shěng' (Shanxi, Shandong, Henan, Hebei) isn't exactly great, is it? Probably similar to Beijing? It's so dry and cold, I really hate Beijing's awful climate.
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You're wondering why Qiu Ju said that, aren't you? Could it be they're from one of the 'Shānhé Sì Shěng' (those four northern provinces)?
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I'm a third-generation Shenzhen native. My maternal grandparents' generation moved to Shenzhen from Xi'an. My maternal grandfather is from Hebei, maternal grandmother from Shenyang, and my paternal grandparents are from Xi'an. They all migrated from the North and really love it here in Shenzhen. My maternal grandmother, in particular, often says how much she dislikes the Northeast.
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Wow! I'm from Xi'an too and planning to settle in Guangdong. I really love the energy and vibrancy here, and I'm working hard to fit in.
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I'm from the Northeast and I've been in Shenzhen for 20 years. I think it's great here; I haven't had any trouble adapting.
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People speak Cantonese in Shenzhen too, don't they?