im reading crime and punishment right now too! good luck on acheiving your goal❤

I need to do this. I have already purchased books this year and I frequent the local library. Good luck and thanks for the inspo!! 😊

I had my first Rhus juice about 25 years ago. Good stuff.

I live in China too. Are you still in Zhengzhou?

Hi. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I'm looking at teaching a second year in China, and have been offered a job in Zhengzhou. I lived in Chengdu last year. Can you elaborate at all on Zhengzhou, how does it compare to other cities? Thanks!

let me know if you need anything there)

I can relate to your experiences. I lost a grandmother and aunt when I was in Japan. A couple years ago, to my surprise and sister's an uncle died and we found out one of our cousins died too. With the chicken issue in China, I just shopped and ate differently. It's true they spit out food, but there are also places to eat where this doesn't happen. Personally, chicken is one of the least appealing dishes in China unless it is cut (without bones) and mixed with the vegetables.

That Henanese is soo cute!

I really hope I can help you out if I see this video In 2013, because I was also work in Zhengzhou and teach English around 2013-2015,I born in Zhengzhou and now living in LA, I know what's that feels like,to living in a brand new environment, any way, finger cross you in Busan!

May I Please ask you a question? I was offered a job in Zhengzhou. Is the pollution that bad?

Hello :)) I used to work in Jiaozuo in 2010. Traveled a lot, fell in live with a guy in Zhengzhou. 2010 was the best year in my life as I also traceled a lot on weekends while teaching in Jiaozuo and met many friends. I have a video about that my time on my chanell... Hope you also have best memories about China!!

hey Adrianna. I am thinking of going to Zhengzhou for studying. what do you suggest I should be prepared for and I should kind of learn before hand. and weird stuff I might have to get used to... amazing channel btw

Your story and mine sound so similar in a lot of ways! I'm heading out in a couple of weeks to teach university writing in Changchun, China. I've never left the US so it's scary but exciting. Keep making videos, you are full of priceless info!!!

zhengzhou！！

You are Lana Del Ray in China, Yeah, you are undeniably cool and beautiful but utterly vacuous.

Hey Adrienna , just wanted to let you know that I really appreciate your videos, im from london, uk, and I will be moving to zhengzhou in august to teach english, your videos have really been helpful !

Zhengzhou sucked until I was given a bike to ride.

Good for you. I was just offered a job there, currently in Thailand. I have 5 year old twins though.

In Zhengzhou atm in 2016.. Still garbage and construction xD

btw. so nice for your honesty of your life. you should have 100000 followers. you are honest and so crazy and so interesting.

i hate how computer changes what one writes...especially typing pinyin which the computer changes...not zai juan...zaijian

have watched your vids...interesting. i am returning to china to teach...third and last time, as i plan in staying long term. i will be near where you were; i will be in luoyang. keep me in the know if you return near. zai juan

Even though you may not have been from a "privileged" home, it sounds like you are still doing more than the average American, considering your college, travel, and job experiences. Australia and New Zealand sound like fun countries to visit / live. Thanks for sharing.

Very informative video. During all of your travels, have you noticed a big difference between western vs. eastern philosophy regarding materialism and spiritualism? Thanks for sharing.

No comments? I'll add one. Clearly your videos have been under-watched. It is a shame. You have provided wonderful and insightful documents of your experience in China. I Initially wanted to bash you for being a spoiled, prettY western girl and expected to see your commentary as peevish and vapid, but that expectation could not hold up as I've watched your honest and heartfelt process of acquainting yourself to China- that is very similar to mine. I took some bad pictures and frantic videos along the way. You have provided more substantive documentation of your experience. If anyone I know asks me about going to China I will direct them to you on KZbin as a must-see primer for their journey. BTW, my first stop was Zhengzhou, a bit later than you. I was introduced to this building by a younger nephew who had little affection for it, derisively referring it to an illuminated ear of corn. Anyway thank you for your videos. Don't ever think of pulling them from KZbin. Over time they will be watched and fully appreciated!

This video is old. Still the same. She is spot on in describing the reaction of Chinese in Zhengzhou and other parts of China not accustomed to seeing westerners or others who do not resemble them. Staring is considered rude in many cultures, including some Asian countries such as Japan. But In these areas of China they stare unabashedly. You stare back they stare even more intensely. It's uncomfortable and will never be otherwise. As Adrienna advises, get used to it! I am from NYC. Someone stares, my automatic response is "What the fuck are you looking at?" I had to change my culturally embedded attitude really quickly to avoid police involvement and being sent back to America before my scheduled return flight. What I came to learn was that even the most aggressive, hostile seeming stares were not as I perceived, just intense curiosity. Still, it is hard to get used to.

Loved your China vids.

my husband is from china i am Caucasian we have 3 teenagers 1girl,twin boys and to say we get stared at is an understatement on times it gets to much so thankgod we go their only on holidays .

half build half destroy，lol,true! i'm in zhengzhou

Was your passport in the visa office? They should have given you a bit of paper ("residence permit application receipt") with your passport details and photo on which you can use for bus/ train travel within China :)

zhengzhou is a poor undeveloped and polution city,

hi,would you like to teach english in china?i am Alice from Beijing Hongyuan Sunny company .Currently we are recruiting English teachers to work and live in China .would you like to chat with me on Wechat :xiaoxiaowangcai1206,Skype:hyyg_alice,or Email:[email protected] suits you there.sorry if i disturb you there.

Ni hao I'm from Melbourne Australia, I was married to a Chinese girl from a town 3 hours away from Zhengzhou, but I married her in Zhengzhou, anyway love your stories and experiences in Zhengzhou, I've been to northern part of China 3 times in last 2 and a half years, my experience with staring was worse in my ex wife town , in Zhengzhou I didn't experiences at all, I think it's a bit different if you got a Chinese wife and some good Chinese friends, the reality about staring in China is that that all curious from where your from, that's all, I didn't take it personally, I just looked at them back and said NI HAO

I don't remember if it was this video or not, but in one you said you met a woman and her son, and you thought she said he was "shy". I'm sure what she actually said was 帅 (shuai4), this matches the hand signal as well. She was telling you that she thinks her son is handsome, not shy.

They definitely see themselves as being the center of the Earth. If you stay for a few years and learn the language to a high level, you will see it in everything they say. In fact, they don't even consider other countries worthy enough to be named, or the people from the countries. Hence the extensive use of the term "foreigner". They even call Europeans in Europe "foreigners".

I appreciate your videos. I was wondering if you would advise me to teach in zhengzhou. I have an opportunity to teach there. I have been to Shenzhen before.

what school you teach at? am going to bethel international school. have u heard of it its in zhengzhou too.

thumbs up!

your henanhua is cute.

Are you still in Zhengzhou?

oh yes you could get Belgium beer from bars, it's often expansive, cost around 70/80 yuan per pint, but compare to london where I'm living right now, i found it acceptable.

I know it sounds weird.. people to go bar and club to catch up with people. bar its more of a individual thing, go as couple, or friends who hasn't seen each other for sometime. club you go more as a group thing for reunion with old classmate.

Good video and thanks for sharing your experience. BTW The Outsiders and Dead Poets Society are also very good.

Yeah, i lived in china for 5 years, became the zhong guo tong, means u went through china, and all this, now i understand their culture, when they stare its actually not with good intentions, they think they are protecting their country, its rude, and they dont do it by culture, its more because they see foreigners as a complete different race, and not smarter or better than them, they think foreigners killed them in war before and they make the look as if u did it urself. People who speak english in china are more smart its better to be with them, they are more globalized people..., common chinese are just arrogant and think they are better cuz they made the wheel and ate trees in war before, and well they are strong, but they shouldnt stare at people like this, its not tease at all, when i had my chinese, i met all the ones who stared at me, i got like hi, and talked with the girls, and they were actually not into making any relationship with a foreigner, they were more into learning english or weird stuff like analizing u. I like japanese and americans better. ;), and latins lol, we have character, we respect, we look cuz we want to hang out with a hot girl, etc , ... anyhow, .... dont waste ur time learning chinese, when u get it, they will treat u even worst, they will tell u, are u xin jiang people, from the border with russia? cuz people from there are violent and suppressed, chinese still have to learn a lot about life, they just want to grow and have children and they dont think on life quality or stuff, at the end of my life in china, i learned how to qifu them, it means to be bossy, bother and bully them, make them work, tell them they are stupid, and stuff, they love it... wish u the best, ur hot!"

I lol'd at Scheiße.

We were working in China at the same time but I was living in Kaifeng (about an hour east of Zhengzhou). It's so strange to watch your videos and think back to all the similar experiences I had in China haha Completely agree about the staring. Personally, I loved all the attention at first but the staring got old very fast. I remember the first time I got a hair cut. The owners made a phone call and the next thing I knew, a group of people were all crowding around the door to watch. The thing is, I'm male with brown eyes and darkish brown hair. I can hardly imagine how much more excited they would have been if I were blonde. Anyway, the reason I started watching your videos is I'm actually moving back to Henan Province (this time Anyang) to teach again. A part of me thinks about everything I hated about living in China, but another part of me is excited to go back. Your videos are very encouraging. Thanks for posting!

Wow you look like a decade older than your 2012 video. I just came back living here in Finland and it is really hard for me to involve and get use to this environment. Hope you get better well ! ( my mom is from China dad is from Finland )

You must love your mom a lot. I'm sure she's watching over you. Hugs.

the reason there is no water in that river is the full plan of nanshuibeidiao(using artificial river transport water from south to north, like from Miami to Toronto) isn't start yet.

this is my hometown, my city! Haha. Hope that nice blue sky can last for longer lol