In the past few years, many overseas Chinese have chosen to return to China for development, and Miss Zhang (Eleanor Zhang) is one of them.
Ms. Zhang, from Beijing, has been in Canada for nearly 10 years, and although she has a stable job and life, she has recently decided to return to her familiar hometown.
What made her make such a decision? Let's take a look at Ms. Zhang's story.
Ms. Zhang, who was originally studying at an international high school in Beijing, came to New Brunswick for a six-month exchange study in Grade 12 and immediately fell in love with the small city.
In 2016, she started studying management at Dalhousie University, renting a two-bedroom apartment for just $700 a month.
At first, she wasn't sure whether she wanted to stay in Canada or return to China, but shortly after she started college, Trudeau became Canada's prime minister and introduced a convenient immigration policy, which gave her hope of living here.
Ms. Zhang was full of expectations that after graduating from university, she would buy a house, start a family, or even start a business.
But slowly, Ms. Zhang began to find that life in Canada was gradually becoming less than perfect as she imagined.
"You know what, Halifax has changed now, it's not the city I fell in love with," she said. ”
She recalls that at first Halifax was less crowded and less car-friendly than everybody, but after a few years, it became overcrowded, full of traffic, and even less safe.
Ms. Cheung said her friends said that someone had broken into their cars, especially those parked on the street.
Even in the underground parking lots of some apartment buildings, people sneak in and smash the windows of each car to see if there's anything of value inside.
Homelessness is also getting worse in the area. Previously, Ms. Zhang had never seen anyone living in a park, but now, the park near her apartment building is full of tents, and it seems that there are homeless people in every corner and vacant lot.
In terms of work, Ms. Zhang worked as an operations coordinator at a seafood company and considered starting her own business.
But she soon discovered that high rent and operating costs made it nearly impossible to open a store.
These experiences gradually changed her life plans and goals. She began to doubt her future in Canada and pondered the possibility of returning home.
What's even more troubling is that the cost of living in Canada has skyrocketed.
Ms. Zhang said that the rent for her apartment has risen from $700 to $1,670, and it is only a one-bedroom apartment.
Most of her salary is used to pay rent and daily expenses, and sometimes she can't even pay the supermarket bill.
"I used to go to the supermarket for $50, but now I have to spend $80, and I can't buy anything," Ms. Zhang said. ”
Without the help of her parents, Ms. Zhang's salary would only be enough to pay for her rent and daily necessities.
For Ms. Zhang, this kind of life pressure is enormous. She began to wonder, is staying in Canada really the best option?
Driven by this question, she began to think about the possibility of returning to China.
"I want to buy a house, I want to start a business, but here, I don't feel like it's going to be a reality," she said. ”
The decision to return home was not easy. After all, Canada was where her dream began.
But the pressure of reality and the desire for the future made her finally decide to return to Beijing and join her parents' underwear manufacturing business.
"While I will miss the parks, the ocean views and the friendly people in Canada, I am looking forward to starting a new life in Beijing," Ms. Zhang said. ”
Ms. Zhang's story is not unique. Many Chinese students have had similar experiences.
They learned a lot abroad and experienced different cultures and lifestyles, but eventually chose to return to their familiar hometown.
In fact, Ms. Zhang's story also reflects a broader social phenomenon.
In this era of globalization, more and more young people choose to study abroad in search of more opportunities.
But at the same time, they also face the pressure of the cost of living, the challenges of cultural differences, and the longing for family and home.
These factors ultimately influence whether they choose to stay abroad or return to their home countries.
During her time in Canada, Ms. Zhang experienced many ups and downs.
"I used to think that I could find a better job and life by staying abroad, but now I think it might be a better option to go back home," she said. ”
Her words may also be the voice of many overseas Chinese.
Now, Ms. Zhang is in Beijing, working with her family, and plans to start a new business of her own.
Although she still has a little nostalgia for Canada, she is ready to start a new chapter in her hometown.
What do you think about this? Do you have any plans to return to China?