21 days in China, and I’m disappointed. I feel the government and the economy everywhere, but struggle to feel the Chinese soul.

The language barrier added to it. I was surprised by how difficult communicating in English was, even in tourist settings. When there’s no shared language and no patience or willingness to work through a misunderstanding, every little task becomes exhausting. A translation app cannot replace kindness.

The language barrier added to it. Understatement of the century. I wouldn’t expect to glance the “soul” of a place if I didn’t learn the goddamn language first. At one point he complains about service industry staff being too curt - gosh I wonder why.