Because of Guangzhou, living in Melbourne

Actually, I chose Melbourne because of Guangzhou.

I'm probably used to living in Guangzhou. I don't like the kind of city where street pedestrians always look serious and act in a hurry. Without the soft facial lines, people will not have a sense of belonging to the city. Melbourne is very much like Guangzhou. As an international metropolis, unlike the hustle and bustle of New York, Tokyo or Sydney, the people on the street can see all kinds of busyness, but at the same time they all remain calm and idle. Lao Guang likes to drink tea. At any time, you can turn into a teahouse, have a cup of tea with a few refreshments and chat. No matter whether you are from Guangzhou or not, as long as you live in this city, you will feel the warmth of this culture and will not feel like an outsider.

People in Melbourne love coffee, and it is difficult for fast-selling coffee shops to survive in Melbourne. Because Melbourne people pay attention to drinking coffee just as Guangzhou people pay attention to drinking tea. Melbourne is full of cafes, large and small. On winter mornings, a silver-haired old lady with a meticulous bun can be seen in the small cafe on the corner, with delicate makeup on her face, wearing a cashmere coat and woolen trousers, sipping the steaming FLAT WHITE and slowly reading the newspaper. The old man sitting opposite is also meticulous, wearing a suit, a walking stick against the side of the chair and sometimes a round-edged top hat at the table.

When you look at them, you will remember that when you were in Guangzhou, the family had to dress up to drink tea every weekend. My husband's grandfather and grandmother are in their 90s. They not only keep the old habit of drinking tea, but also dress meticulously and elegantly. The younger generation is not very particular about clothes, and young people in teahouses tend to dress casually, and some sit down in slippers, which is common in cafes in Melbourne. People in overalls, with dust on their clothes, sat down at will, but all seriously enjoyed the fragrant cup of coffee in their hands.

I have always found that the interesting thing about Guangzhou people's diet is that although the restaurants they go to are often different, the dishes ordered are all the same, and chicken is a must. Every time I listen to my husband and mother-in-law comment on a restaurant, the good is "the chicken is good" and the bad is "the chicken is bad". In Melbourne, people often judge whether a restaurant is good or not, that is, "the coffee in this restaurant is good and strong," and the bad is "the coffee in that restaurant is too weak".

Although I am only the wife of Guangzhou, I always feel honored to hear the word "Guangzhou" in a foreign country. Passing by Chinese restaurants, some shops put up big signs: "YUMCHA" (drinking tea). The son asked what it was, and the elder would proudly speak it in Cantonese.

Give it to him. I met a couple from Europe at my son's school. I heard that I was Chinese. I immediately said that there was a Chinese restaurant "YUMCHA" nearby that was very delicious. When your new acquaintances know that you are from China, they will ask you whether you are MANDARIN or CANTONESE. "both are fine", and I feel very proud when I answer in this way. The foreman in overseas restaurants usually speaks Cantonese, so in Melbourne, whether in Sichuan restaurant, Hunan restaurant or Yunnan restaurant, friends will send my husband to order in Cantonese on the grounds that it is easier to communicate and not easy to make mistakes.

When Chinese mothers meet at parties, people often ask, "aren't you from Guangzhou?" Our child has had a dry cough recently. What kind of soup is better for him to drink? " Guangzhou people are also famous for being good at diet and keeping good health. If I say I won't, there will always be a mother with heartache and say, "go and learn to make soup from your mother-in-law and come back to teach us."