Four years down the line, an update of "Life in Nanning, the Green City of China" by Graham

This article is complimentary to my earlier one entitled 'Life in Nanning, the Green City of China ', so I'll try to avoid repetition. It is a personal account and I'm not suggesting that life here will be the same for everyone.

So, what is life really like in The People's Republic of China for a foreigner?

Please have no illusions, it is hard to burn your bridges and start a new way of life at retirement age. If you are contemplating doing just that, then I hope I can give you a few pointers to help your decision making. Please bear in mind the following:

•  You have to deal with the changes due to retirement and the loss of the camaraderie of your work colleagues, the overnight change in status from key employee to has-been-manager and how to fill your time now you are not working.

•  You have to ensure your finances are adequate to support your chosen way of life now you don't have a regular salary.

•  You have to deal with the distance between you and your family and friends that you leave behind.

•  You have the task of building a new social network in a place where you know few people and have language barriers.

•  You have to find a new residence and settle in to the local community. Gone are the trusted neighbours of many years standing that you previously relied upon.

•  You have to adapt to a new culture including understanding a new language.

•  You have to cope with age related changes. It certainly doesn't get any easier to do things when you are getting longer in the tooth.

•  You have to adapt to a new family.

•  You will have no free medical treatment and social security benefits, except those you qualify to receive from the UK .

•  I'm sure there are other considerations, and you must handle all these stresses at the same time.

I realise now that I was foolish to trust my instincts and marry so quickly and it is against the advice I give to members of the forum. But as luck would have it - more good luck than good management - I married a good woman and it worked out well for me and I have no regrets. Her daughter - my daughter now - lives with us and I'm extremely proud of her being part of my family. We are just normal respectable people who adapted to each other's needs and we soon bonded together. As a family we converse in English, although my few words of Chinese do come in handy occasionally. I cannot believe how quickly and diligently my wife learned a new language and she amazes me with her knowledge and ability to communicate in English. My daughter was learning English at college and it was never a problem for her. Of course, outside the family, everything else is done in Chinese, so my wife has now become my translator. Actually, she is now so good that she helps other ladies with their English. This is absolutely amazing considering the fact she couldn't say one sentence when we first met, and I know she has worked very hard and basically taught herself. Communication is essential, so one, or preferably both, of you must be prepared to learn the other's language. Most of the problems I see between other couples are as a result of lack of communication and misunderstandings caused by language and cultural differences.

So here I am a family man, resident of Nanning for a little over four years and enjoying every minute of it. At first it was exciting because it was a new way of life with different culture and people and many things to keep me occupied, like finding accommodation and learning about my new family. I introduced my family to holidays because going away for a trip was something they hadn't done, they hadn't seen the sea, let alone been on an airplane or travelled abroad, all of which we did together. After a year I purchased our own apartment in Nanning and I suppose at that time I realised that I was here to stay and wouldn't be returning to live permanently in the UK. Being married to a Chinese citizen allows me to obtain visas easily, but I am always aware that I am just a guest in this country and I consider myself privileged to be allowed to remain. Renewal of visas has become an annual chore and isn't very onerous, simply a part of the ex-pat lifestyle.

Would I ever go back to the UK permanently? Not by choice is the short answer.

My computer and internet connection enables me to keep in touch with friends and family worldwide and is also an essential link to my funding. The internet is adequate for most purposes and the speed is improving all the time, but it is slow for international traffic for various reasons, something you eventually accept. Big Brother does "sniff" and censor internet traffic, but this happens everywhere whether you are aware of it or not, and it happens to all traffic, not just that generated by foreigners. Although I live in a foreign land I am not conscious of any restrictions being placed on me and feel as free as if I was in the UK. It doesn't feel like anyone is breathing down my neck. I am careful not to visit sensitive areas, just as I would keep away from military installations in the UK . I respect the people and their way of life and respect the authority of the law and their government system. I honestly like the People's Republic of China and am contented to remain a citizen here for as long as I can.

The one thing I notice about Chinese society is the respect they have for most things. Respect for elders, foreigners, the law, officials, little graffiti, and no damage to property. In comparison, the UK is sadly lacking in this area.

And the students and young people are wonderful; I cannot praise them too highly. I do not work, but occasionally I will visit a university by invitation and chat with the students. It is just my way of giving a little help to the students by providing conversation opportunities. The students are great fun to be with and we have lots of laughs together. Some of the older generation tends to be a bit suspicious of foreigners, but the youngsters are excited to meet us and keen to learn about other places. It inspires me and fills me with confidence to know these are the people who will be ruling China in the not-so-distant future.

So what do we do to fill our time? We have TV with English channels and movies, and satellite TV is available. We have a swimming pool, gymnasium and 10-pin bowling alley and club on the estate where I live. We have landscaped gardens and the tropical weather allows us to walk in the grounds and sit outside most of the year. Nanning is a developed city and has excellent cinemas, with movies shown either in English or with sub-titles, good restaurants, museums, exhibitions, and good transport facilities to all parts of China. In fact, everything you would expect from a capital city. Trips are easily arranged. Guangxi is a beautiful province and there are many scenic and unique places near to the city. Vietnam is just 3 hours away by coach; Hong Kong and Hainan Dao are one hour by air. Planes fly directly to some international destinations such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and other ASEAN countries. So to answer the question, I guess I do the same as I would if I lived in England and more besides: the difference is that I now have plenty of time to enjoy myself instead of working and I can afford to do these things.

There are many foreigners in Nanning and we often meet at one of the regular 'watering holes' to have a good old fashioned chin wag. There is a social network, so we also have get-togethers for various celebrations or entertainment and occasionally we'll organize a few days away as a group. There are usually people travelling between Nanning and the UK if we need anything important taking or fetching from there.

Just a little about money. It is imperative to have enough funding and income to finance your new lifestyle. You will have no access to public funds of any description if things go wrong, neither from the UK authorities nor from China. Even the British Consulate can only provide very limited assistance in emergency circumstances. You will also need to consider and make provision for things which are not in your control, such as changes in currency exchange rates and taxation laws at home and abroad. It is no use coming here on a shoestring without any contingency planning. For instance, what happens in the case of a major illness or accident to a family member? Do your research before you leave the UK and fully understand your ex-pat status and what the implications are for your pensions or other UK payments. Find out about the taxation requirement of both countries, the information is available on the internet and there is no excuse for not knowing your position. Above all, do not become destitute, there is no safety net to help you out, this is not the UK.

So, four years down the line, I'm happy, living a better lifestyle and I'm not going back to being a wage slave ever again. I wish I had done this ten years ago.

Graham