When I first came to China in 2009, I lived the expatriate life in Shanghai, visiting restaurants catered for foreigners. When I joined BMW and moved to Shenyang in 2014, I lived like a local. That’s when I saw daily life in China in a different light. There were many cold winter nights when I felt miserable because I didn’t have the language to order food. The lesson learnt here is that if you work overseas, don’t envelope yourself in an expatriate cocoon. Learn the language, the customs and how to order food.