Life after China

I was in two minds whether to write this blog. Did I want to keep it all about China or extend it back home to England? In a way, I’m still half in China with this heatwave (pretty much the English summer crammed into one week) and of course, the jet-lag has hit hard. It really didn’t at first; Day 1 in England, I managed to impressively stay awake until 9.30pm. The secret was getting 7 glorious hours of sleep on my night flight from Beijing to Brussels. However, things have been turbulent over the past week with bedtimes averaging 8pm and morning rising at 7am. Oh dear. They say 1 time zone is 1 day of jet-lag so I think the drunk fog of confusion is finally lifting (or that could be down to the hundred euphoric highs gained from spending money on my card since arriving home).

The journey home was pretty horrendous – think delays on every flight, being 3 kilograms over the luggage allowance and prawn chow mein for breakfast at 7am GMT. Can I also point out that I left Wuhan, in stifling temperatures of 33 degrees Celsius and 100% humidity wearing leggings, UGG boots, a fleece and pashmina! I was in a state of constant sweating until I reached the UK, where it was freezing. The joys of moving your life across the world! Anyway, on each flight I managed to make a friend, who knew the whole layout of the airport and spoke the local language. That came in incredibly handy when Wuhan airport changed the gate of my flight 4 TIMES and only announced it in Chinese.

As soon as I got to Brussels and could practically taste English soil, I then stopped worrying and stressing and got the most expensive breakfast courtesy of Starbucks. A BLT sandwich and coffee frappaccino cost me 16 Euros – I am not ready for western prices! Take me back to 40p dumplings immediately. Anyway, I boarded my final plane, which was so small that we had to put our carry-on luggage in the hold and 54 minutes of straight turbulence later (and probably a couple of spins), I touched down in Bristol! Somewhere along my journey, the baggage handlers managed to break a wheel of my suitcase and snap the handle of my carry-on bag so the 3 trains back to Lincoln were an absolute treat. 

Being back for just over a week has been so strange but also so normal at the same time. Apart from the small incidents such as forgetting my PIN number, thinking a random man was a shop assistant and trying to order Nandos in Chinese (Peri peri is tough to translate), I’ve settled back in really quickly. The familiarity of England is so welcoming, and I’ve relished hearing British English spoken, and having nobody try to jump the queue or sit next to me in a restaurant. As for what the next year holds, well we will just have to wait and see. But for the moment, I’m enjoying this glorious English weather, strawberry picking and eating all the bread that Sainsbury’s and Asda have to offer.....