In China, Waiting Is Part of the Trip
China, Shanghai
China taught me to slow down. Waiting is part of everyday life here. Leave room for time and you won't be disappointed.
━18.10.2026
A quiet park in Shanghai. Sometimes the best plan is no plan.
I got frustrated in Shanghai at times. I'd find a place I could only confirm on Agoda or somewhere similar. Then I went there and it didn't exist. Signs meant nothing to me and I needed a translator for every chat.
Still China started to open up to me in my last days in Shanghai. Not in one moment. Little by little.
Waiting Is Normal
I learned that waiting is very normal in China and it's worth getting used to. Waiting for food, in traffic and for answers when you ask people something.
Shanghai taught me how to travel in China in practice. Give it time and you won't be disappointed as much.
Nobody Else Got Frustrated
The frustration was mine. Not the people's around me. Even with no shared language nobody got irritated with me. People were interested in what I had to ask. Everyone wanted to help and took the time for it.
Maybe that was the lesson. Everyone wants to help. Nobody gets frustrated. It just takes time.
Throw the Plan Away
Plans that are too detailed are worth throwing in the bin. Go to an area and explore. Go with your intuition, whether it's a restaurant, a massage place or anything else.
Pick a good hotel. Take a Didi to a neighbourhood, put on good shoes and walk around. Get a coffee, sit outside or inside and take it all in.
That's the advice I'd give anyone going to Shanghai.
Experience Better. Not More.
Pleasure Advisor is about experiencing better, not more. In China that meant letting go of the list and letting the city show itself.
Heading to Changsha I was already curious about what else China had. At first everything frustrated me. Still I left Shanghai happy.
Learning at a Slower Pace
In Yuelu Academy in Changsha I thought a lot about how we take in knowledge. What we let in and what kind of energy we keep close. The place was very serene and it gave me space to think.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do things take time in China?
Waiting is very normal in China. Food, traffic and answers to your questions all take a while. Give it time and you won't be disappointed as much.
Do people get frustrated with travellers who don't speak Chinese?
Not in my experience. Even with no shared language nobody got irritated with me. Everyone wanted to help and took the time for it.
What is the best way to explore Shanghai?
Throw the detailed plan away. Pick a good hotel, take a Didi to a neighbourhood, put on good shoes and walk. Stop for a coffee and follow your intuition.
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Samuli Makkonen, Pleasure Advisor
Live with more pleasure.
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