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China Elevator Stories
“Life in China is exhausting”
I chat with the employee of a bathhouse in Siping.
16/12/2015
Ruth Silbermayr
Author
It’s November 2014. My husband and I decide to visit a bathhouse in Siping, a welcome respite from the exhaustion of parenting our 4-month-old baby. Northeast China’s bathing culture is something I deeply appreciate, offering a moment of relaxation amidst the chaos of sleepless nights.
After enjoying a bath and a body scrub, I’m getting dressed when a female employee strikes up a conversation. She begins with a familiar question: “Where are you from?”
I reply, “I’m from Austria.”
Her next question is tinged with curiosity: “Austria is a rich country, isn’t it?”
I nod and answer, “You could say so.”
She sighs and shares her thoughts: “China is poor. I’ve been living here for every single day of my life, and all I can say is that life in China is exhausting.”
Do you agree that life in China is exhausting?
This is part of the series ‘Conversations with Locals in China,’ where I share conversations with Chinese people on my blog.