Has it really been two months since my last post? Time seems to become immaterial when you live in a bubble.

Until recently,  the VPN that I have been using to gain access to the Western world (and my blog) has stopped working. After almost two years in China,  being disconnected no longer bothers me that much. These two months, my world comprised of work, cooking, watching all the highly rated movies I could get my hands on, the occasional parties with friends, and my boyfriend.

Before I knew it, my days just melted into one another until I could no longer pinpoint when one ended and another begun. Sometimes, life here feels like being adrift at sea, with the shore nowhere in sight.  Such is the result of monotony and the partial isolation of life in China.

Don’t get me wrong, though. Life in China is quite good. Firstly, I no longer have to suffer through the long and stressful commutes to and from work. Whenever I read the news about traffic in Manila, I can’t help but feel relieved that I’m not there, because I can still remember quite clearly the agony of being stuck in the midst of a crawling traffic jam. Secondly, despite news to the contrary, I feel quite safe here. There are only a few places in the world where people (even lone females) can walk outside late at night without getting robbed, killed, etc. I believe Guangzhou is one of those places.

Most importantly, here, I have the freedom to explore my own paths and make my own decisions (and mistakes).That, for me, is China’s greatest gift. And, despite the loneliness and isolation that I sometimes feel being faraway from home, this is an experience worth having.

What I’m wearing: Dress from Zara, cropped faux leather jacket from Forever 21