Life in Shanghai

The Adventures of Learning a New Skill

WRITTEN BY Lindelwa Msimang ・ 18 May, 2020

Relocating to a foreign country comes with many adjustments, an unexpected series of events, and hopefully if you're lucky, learning a new skill.

My journey in learning a new skill started by meeting a perfect stranger on the metro. Like most people on the metro, I generally don’t strike up a random conversation. Instead I usually wear my headset while I space out or read a book. This day was no different, and I had to take two trains to get home from work. On my first train I noticed this small group of foreigners, seeing foreigners usually doesn’t grab my attention but there was something about this group that caught my attention.

Little did I know that one of the ladies in that group would end up standing next to me while I was waiting for my second train home. What was even more surprising was how she initiated conversation. Something interesting I have noticed about Shanghai is the fact that strangers don’t go out of their way to strike up a conversation; instead they avoid having unnecessary conversation as if everyone is an introvert. The topic of conversation was “hair”; she asked me where I got my hair braided. Unfortunately for her I was fresh off the boat and had only been in Shanghai for a week. So I told her that I got my hair done in South Africa before I left.

When we got into the train we sat next to each other and she began to tell me the trials and tribulations involved in trying to get your hair braided in China. She had just moved to Shanghai from a small province, so she had experienced what I would come to learn is the worst of it. Either way, I am grateful for that encounter because I gained a friend who had convinced me to join her crusade of finding someone to do our hair. So we exchanged contacts with the aim of sharing this exact information.

Turns out I was successful in my search and I was able to find someone to do my hair, a few people actually. However, they were expensive, charging prices that are twice what I am used to paying back home. I figured I’d give one of them a try anyway, so I got my hair braided. However, the next time I needed my hair braided I got this idea to do my own hair. The more I thought about it the more it made sense, if I learnt how to do it now, in the long run, I would save money and have the freedom to do my hair whenever I wanted. I have braided someone’s hair before but it was my younger cousin and it was over a decade ago. So essentially I only knew the theory of how to braid hair, I hadn’t quite mastered the practical. So I ordered my extensions, freed up my weekend, and gave myself two days to put my theory into practice.

Picking up a new skill or relearning an old one is an interesting experience to say the least. It can come with some frustration but if you stick with it it can give you a sense of accomplishment that is quite satisfying. So I challenge you to find something you are interested in and learn a new skill. You might learn something new about yourself while you're at it.

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