Shaanxi Native in Shenzhen: Just NOT Wired for This Place! (Totally a 'Me' Thing)

Lucille Borer

Would Shanghai perhaps be a better fit for you all?

Susie Kutch-Green

I think I'm just too used to the north; the hot and humid weather in the south is what I find hardest to adapt to.

Iris Marquardt

Around this time of year, it's so rainy and humid that any sweat feels oily and sticky. Your makeup will literally melt off within half an hour of stepping outside—and Shenzhen is even worse! It's crowded, the subways are packed, and the alleys in urban villages feel suffocating. Water drips on your head from apartments above, and the stench from the sewers is overwhelming. Shenzhen is full of flashy Hunan restaurants and trendy eateries from other regions that have completely overshadowed authentic Cantonese cuisine. Even the rice noodle rolls (cheung fun) taste like they're just pure starch, hahaha. If you can't adapt, just run!

Josephine Cremin

You've hit the nail on the head. I'd leave after just a few days too.

Katrina Sporer

I'm planning to leave this year... The oppressive heat and humidity make me feel nauseous.

Velma Thompson

The moment I step outside, I just want to go back home, even though home isn't particularly comfortable either.

Danielle Purdy-Weimann

The showering thing is true; in Guangdong, people basically shower every day, sometimes twice a day.

Frank Cole

While there's nothing wrong with showering, having to do it every day is such a hassle for me, like having to go to work or do homework daily.

Robyn Reilly

It's really hard not to agree with your fourth point!!!!

Israel Koss

I also never expected that rice noodle rolls (cheung fun) could be made so poorly.

Josephine Cremin

I'm already thinking of going back to Yunnan.

Karen Zulauf

Yunnan is a place so beautiful it moved me to tears in videos. If you're really struggling, you should go back. Don't make things too hard on yourself.

Edith Friesen

Shenzhen today isn't the Shenzhen it used to be.

Lorena Runolfsson

I guess I missed out on the good times.

Hannah Rogahn

I hope all friends from out of town know about the midges (or no-see-ums). Their bites itch for at least three days, and in Shenzhen, you need strong insect repellent for it to be even somewhat effective.

Beulah Koelpin

Now I know.