Xian so far

So what's different to last year? Not a huge amount, to be honest. I'm still here to learn Chinese, and experience a different way of doing things.





My first move was to do a Gordon Brown and break one of the golden rules - live with foreigners. My new flatmates are a German and an Italian, good friends from before, but as it happens, we rarely see each other, and it doesn't have a too negative impact on my Chinese. I was pretty reluctant to live with other Europeans, wanting to 'Sinofy' things as much as possible, but I find it easier said than done.





I'm living in what is probably the 'expat' area of Xi'an, down the road from last year, but still near the universities. I suppose it's considered suburbs, the complex I live in is a series of 6 storey flats, with guards at the gates and some grassy areas around, definitely an expression of the new and increasing wealth of the middle class. The flat's OK, although my room doesn't have air conditioning, so I'm looking forward to melting in my sleep again. It's May 2nd, and already time to bring out the shorts and flip-flops.





As for my studies, financial considerations have meant I've changed university. It's not as good as the one before, but much more affordable, and seeing as I rarely go to the lessons anyway, the best choice. Most of my learning is done by myself or with two tutors I had from last year. In fact, I'm only at a university because I have to be to get a visa.





Life is similar to before - a mixture of lessons, self-study, and random occurences. My Chinese has improved over the course of time, and I still enjoy learning it. Particularly when I first got back to Xian in March, I wasn't sure if it was the right choice, but I'm confident that it is - the main thing is, I enjoy it, and if I can learn it well enough to be considered useful later on, then that's a good bonus. At the moment, I think it's unlikely I'll stay here for ever, but I waited a long time for the chance to live in a foreign country and try learning a language, I'm not about to give it up lightly. Besides, I'll look a bit of wally if I don't learn it now.