Almost Ningbo
A temporary assignment took me somewhere I could imagine staying.
In September 2017, Andy asked whether I could work at the adult training centre in Ningbo.
I was reluctant. I barely felt confident getting myself back to Shanghai; now I had to work out another city. I agreed, partly because I felt I ought to.
The train journey from Hangzhou took around an hour. My first impression was of a more industrial city, but also one with room to breathe. In the areas I visited, the streets and subway felt less crowded than Hangzhou.
I noticed fewer familiar Western chains and more places I didn’t recognise. Church bells and certain streets gave parts of the city a surprisingly European feel.
Alfred became a good friend during my stay. He suggested Annvita, a European-style tearoom, where I ordered a cream-caramel rooibos. At sixty yuan, it was an expensive cup of what initially tasted to me like fragrant hot water. Still, I loved sitting there.
One evening, he took me to Laowaitan, with its bars, restaurants and expat nightlife. His hairdresser joined us too. I was being drawn into another small circle of people, almost before I realised it.
Alfred and his friends included me in meals, coffees and a drive out to the sea. Their generosity made the temporary assignment feel much more like a visit to friends.
I began to imagine staying.
That possibility became less appealing when I considered the practicalities: moving again, arranging the necessary paperwork and accepting the lower pay I was offered on the basis of the cost of living.
I liked Ningbo, but I wasn’t ready to start over for that deal.
Returning to Hangzhou felt good. What surprised me was that leaving it briefly had also felt good. Another unfamiliar city had become somewhere I could picture having a life.