[Kurokun] Before vs After: How my British colleague's China opinions changed in 30 days

Kurokun

Hey everyone — Kurokun here.

My colleague Oliver from London came to Shanghai for a month-long project. Before he arrived, he had some... let's call them strong opinions about China.

I wrote them down. Then I wrote down what he said after 30 days.

Before Day 1	After Day 30	Kurokun's Note
"The food is going to make me sick."	"I haven't had a single bad meal. Street food included."	He now has a favorite jianbing stall and greets the auntie by name.
"I won't be able to communicate at all."	"I can order food, negotiate taxi prices, and argue about my Didi fare."	His Mandarin is still terrible, but his confidence is sky-high.
"The pollution is going to be unbearable."	"There were two bad days. The other 28 were fine. London's air isn't exactly Alpine either."	He checked the AQI app religiously for the first week, then stopped caring.
"I'll need cash everywhere."	"I've used cash twice. My phone does everything."	The second cash use was when his phone died. He now carries a power bank like a religion.
"People will stare at me constantly."	"Kids stare. Adults mostly don't care. One grandma asked if I was Russian."	He was disappointed that he didn't get more attention. Ego bruised.
"I'll never figure out the metro."	"The metro is easier than the Tube. Signs in English, announcements in English, and it's ¥4 instead of £4."	He now aggressively defends Shanghai metro against any Londoner who complains about the Tube.

---

The one thing he still complains about:
Coffee.

"Why is good coffee so expensive here? ¥40 for a flat white? That's criminal."

I told him to drink more tea. He threw a pen at me.

---

Kurokun here. Have you watched a friend's "China expectations" completely flip after they actually visited?