My life experience in Plymouth

Catherine

I've been studying in Plymouth for over two months and the best thing I've learnt is that it's a very humane place. Everyone I meet is very friendly, from the supermarket staff, to the waiters in the restaurants and even the strangers on the street, not to mention the teachers and students I meet in school.

I was worried that it would be weird if I was the only one not wearing a mask, but no, the people I met respected me for wearing one. People here don't try to define people, even if they are dressed differently, even if they don't fit the stereotype of gender, you can feel their genuine respect.

I'm sure every international student in the UK is worried about the food. Generally speaking, it is not bad, and some of it is even good. But considering the prices in the UK, I basically cooked my own food in my dorm room, which led to my cooking skills improving rapidly over the past few months. Whereas in China I could only cook simple things like noodles, in the UK I have been able to make a few dishes. I have tried making beef curry, nice pork porridge and spaghetti. Now I can cook the perfect steak. It's been an amazing experience for me and I feel I'm learning an incredibly practical skill.