China vs The West: Where Is Life Actually Better? | An Aussie & a Brit in China

Life in China vs life in the West. What's really different and where would we rather raise our kids? In this episode of China Walk & Talk, I'm walking Xiamen's seaside boardwalk with my mate Rob. He's a Brit from Manchester who has spent about 14 years in China on and off and is raising three kids here. I'm James, an Aussie heading into my fifth year in China. It's unscripted and unsponsored, just two foreigners comparing real life in China and the West. This is our experience here. Have you every thought of visiting, already visited or lived in China? Tell us in the comments. Subscribe for more China Walk & Talk episodes. 0:00 Intro: walking and talking in Xiamen 0:27 Rob's 14 years in China, and three kids 3:04 Teaching in London vs moving back to China 5:07 Rob's first move to China: TEFL and first impressions 10:11 What we feared about China before we came 12:12 Pollution and how fast China has changed 15:18 Chinese hospitality and making friends 19:14 From a "Martian" iPhone to robots in the park 20:30 Obsessed with Xiaomi cars 24:19 Nobody judges you here 27:06 Chinese cars vs Western brands 29:17 Driving in China vs Australia and the UK 33:07 Civic pride in Xiamen 34:18 Why we chose Xiamen 35:03 Running, cycling and triathlons 38:53 Government, Western media and the BBC 42:47 Freedom and safety, especially for women 46:10 Crime and safety: China vs the West 47:23 Raising kids in China vs the West 49:15 What's a "chav"? 49:58 Christmas plans and travelling China 51:58 Where to find Rob online #ChinaVsTheWest #LifeInChina #Xiamen #ExpatLife #ChinaWalkAndTalk