Northerners, Still Considering Shenzhen? Think Even Harder! (Part 2)
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What I absolutely can't stand the most is how long summer is—it's unbearable, seriously! I used to hear that people in the UK get depressed from the lack of sun and constant cloudy days. Now, living in Shenzhen where it feels like summer year-round, I think I'm going crazy too! We're in short sleeves from February all the way to November, and it's always hot and sticky. I remember seeing debates between northerners and southerners about showering daily. I totally get why southerners can't grasp how northerners can skip daily showers in winter. You just can't do that in the south!!! It's way too sticky!!!
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Showering habits are different in the north and south, aren't they? Southerners definitely don't scrub their entire body with an exfoliating mitt every single day. If you did that daily, your skin would be raw in no time! They'd wash their hair, lather up with shower gel, and rinse off. That's more like a quick rinse, in my opinion.
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I'm from Guangdong and not scared of cockroaches, so they never bothered me there. But then I moved to Heilongjiang and saw these things called house centipedes (I think that's what they're called? Locals pronounce it something like 'youyan'). They scared me to death! The big ones are huge, and even the small ones are terrifying with all those legs. Being nearsighted, my first thought was that it was a regular centipede. I'd honestly rather have cockroaches than house centipedes, even though they don't show up often, they're still horrifying! On the bright side, I've lived in Heilongjiang for over two years and haven't seen a single cockroach in my home—not one. However, there are mold issues on the walls since it's an older building. Last year, in a second-floor apartment I rented, the wall inside a cabinet got moldy, which then spread to my clothes. That was a real pain to deal with.
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We call those 'money strings' (qian chuan zi). You might see them in single-story houses, but they're pretty rare in apartment buildings. It's probably because your building is old.
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The blogger is mainly talking to people from the north, so let's not get defensive. 'Different strokes for different folks,' as they say. And for those who imply that if you haven't lived abroad, you should just accept cultural differences—not everyone adapts as easily as you might. Everyone has different deal-breakers, and a place might just have something you absolutely can't stand. For instance, I visited Guangdong in late June. The moment I stepped off the plane, the humid heat hit me. I'm not exaggerating—every second I wasn't in an air-conditioned room, I was sweating. I constantly felt stuffy. After a few days, when I was ready to head back, my flight kept getting canceled. I even saw posts on Xiaohongshu (
) about it, with many locals saying it was normal. After waiting two days, I had to switch to a high-speed train, which led to my first experience of getting fed up even on an eight-hour train ride! While the greenery there is beautiful and everything looks clean, those two things were just too much for me to accept. -
And here's the kicker: flights in Guangdong are often affected by turbulence, making them as thrilling as a rollercoaster—and not in a good way! Delays are super common.
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I agree with every single point. Every year, people ask me why I moved back north from the south. When I say it's the climate, nobody believes me. But you only know if you can handle it once you've actually lived through it. I truly couldn't stand it...
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Even I can't stand Shenzhen's humidity and all its cockroaches, rats, and bugs. Maybe it's because I went to university in Beijing and really loved that dry, comfortable climate. It's just a shame it's so far from home.
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I couldn't agree more. After six months in Shenzhen, I just felt completely numb. It's really tough for people from the north to adapt. Going home is definitely better.
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Really? Are you maybe just a homebody? I'm actually really keen to go to Shenzhen or Guangzhou.
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Shenzhen's climate, cityscape, and cleanliness are already much better than Guangzhou and other cities in Guangdong. I lived in Guangzhou and Zhongshan for five years, and it was honestly a nightmare. My health had never been worse.
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What's wrong with Zhongshan?
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I'm in Xi'an, and I haven't seen a cockroach in almost 20 years.