Why I Started A Blog
I’ve always loved traveling. I got my first taste for traveling to a new, exotic land at the age of 7. Vancouver, Canada. Coming from the industrial city of Guangzhou, China to Vancouver, Canada was like going from night to day. Suddenly, the sky was blue, the air was clean and I couldn’t understand anybody. After a cultural shock like that, the inability to understand anybody is not as much of a barrier.
My first big trip was for archaeological field school in China. Yes, archaeology is real, and no, I did not dig up dinosaurs. During my month long trip, we traveled from Beijing to Shanghai by bus, visiting the famous archaeological sites and the all the small towns in between. This was my first realization that China was and still is multifaceted and different parts of a country can have completely different culture. I was shocked when I found out that people in Beijing didn’t really eat that much rice. They have a greater tendency to eat buns and noodles during the meal. I come from southern China and my family always said that if you don’t eat rice, you didn’t have a meal. Serious culture shock.
I brought my boyfriend back to Guangzhou in 2009. It’s his first time in China and he did not speak a word of Mandarin or Cantonese. Guangzhou is always changing and in the few years since I’ve been back, they’ve added highways cutting across the city and a subway system. For the first time, I saw my hometown through a foreigner’s eyes. The chaos, the unspoken etiquette I learned as a child, the friendly banter between friends that sound like a shouting match, all were a completely new experience. Then there was the food. Giant plates of noodles for 20 RMB, roasted squab for $30 RMB when it’s normally $20 CAD, and amazingly, fresh baked pastries for 1 RMB. It was all you can eat for the price of a fast food meal in Canada. The only issue was, when we were looking up things to do and places to visit, we were struck by the lack of options. You get the Guangzhou Tower, scenic ride along the river, walk along Beijing Road and maybe the Chen Academy and go visit the zoo. How is that possible in such a busy and vibrant city? This thought stayed with me over the years. I’ve gone back to Guangzhou many times since 2009 and I am still amazed at the lack of websites on things to do in Guangzhou or places to eat. If you search for points of interest in Tokyo or Hong Kong, you will come up with page after page of interesting places to visit and local eateries. So why not Guangzhou?
Over the years, I’ve recounted my travel stories to my friends and colleagues. They would all say that I should write a travel blog. After ignoring them for the last few years, I’ve finally decided to give this travel blogging thing a try. I want to share my unique travel experiences with others and maybe help them plan their next trip. I want to provide real, no bs information about what it is like to travel to a new destination - starting with my hometown of Guangzhou. Hopefully this blog will turn out to be both entertaining and informative.
