Lifestyle Affected

I realized that since I have moved to China, I have gotten extremely lazy about the following things:

• Showering. Yes, I know...gross. I pretty much shower when my hair is greasy (in the winter...in the summertime I am still a regular showerer). But in winter, low water pressure=having to be in the shower for a while=having my clothes off for longer=cold. The hot water is not really so hot here.


• Shaving my legs. See above. I still shave them in the summer though....so haven't gone totally native.


• Doing laundry. Most of my friends re-wear outfits (economical). They may not have many clothes...I have adopted this habit as well.


• Doing my makeup. I ride my bike most places, hence the wind will mess up any hairdo or makeup job that I undertake. Wow, I am really starting to sound like a wreck, huh? I do wear mascara some days so that I don't look dead.


• Writing. I used to find a good deal of pleasure in intellectual writing as a hobby....now I find myself just wanting to turn my brain off at the end of a day.


• Going to the store. Yep...going to the store here is just exhausting. I'm not sure why....the stares....the not having a car to throw things into at the end of a trip? I prefer stopping into a small, local shop to grab most things....but unfortunately it is sometimes necessary to venture into the HEB of China....which is chaotic.

On the other hand, there are some things I have improved at:

• Carrying reusable grocery bags (they charge you for plastic bags here)
• Exercising. Part of this is just because I find I need more energy to function here, and part of it is that my lifestyle naturally incorporates more exercise (I ride my bicycle almost everywhere)
• Knowing where I am...still not great at directions...but I've gotten a little better
• Taking care of my skin. The dry air here mandates better attention to skin care
• Being comfortable singing in front of strangers. Thank you KTV.
• Drinking more green tea (it is good for you, and really tasty here!)
• Eating protein (hoorah for tofu!)

Things that I SHOULD have improved at by now...but haven't:

• Being comfortable in front of cameras
• Ignoring being stared at (I still get uncomfortable)

For those of you who have lived overseas, how did you notice that your lifestyle was affected?