Aside from the exceptional generosity of giving her a bed in their accommodation and refusing any kind of contribution to rent or food, they also insisted in taking Rachel out to see the Beijing sights on their days off. Many times she was taken aback by Chinese hospitality. Rachel found on many occasions in Kunming that her flatmates and friends gave so much of their time and attention and also whilst travelling, strangers would share their food, their seat, or their phone charger.

“One of the places I was taken to that I enjoyed the most was the 798 Chaoyang Art District. The art pieces were genuinely enthralling and wandering around the district itself reminded me very much of the industrial areas near my home back in London, with the giant pylons, iron walkways, massive disused chimneys and empty gas cylinders. Everything however was very clean, wide and open.“

A couple of days before she had to leave to Shanghai, Rachel stayed at the new apartment of Guangguang, who was moving out to rent privately with another girl from the dorm. The district she lived in was apparently a popular residential area for your regular working person. The atmosphere was completely different to the art district. Rachel's last week was one of the best out of her entire five month stay.

“I was touched so deeply the people I had only just met taking such great care of me. I am aware that being a novelty certainly explains some of the initial interest, but the continued generosity went beyond the bounds of what one might come to expect.

China has rubbed many things off onto me, altering my mentality regarding politics and family, my general outlook on life, and due to their beautiful language – even the way I phrase things. So although, on first coming back I feel caught in between the life I have been leading for the last 5 months and the one I am looking forwards to, this change is something positive.”