When I first met my wife I was so naïve.

I had this thought in the back of my mind that I was being used as a way for her to escape China to the UK.

We eventually visited the UK for Christmas and we did have a great time. However after the initial excitement wore off, I got a sense she found life a bit dull. The cloudy weather, empty streets (she said the suburbs felt like a Ghost Town), how unsafe she felt outside at night, the constant complaining and how closed off everyone was with each other.

She’d sometimes be asked why she wanted to move to the UK and I got the feeling people were looking for her to explain how amazing life there was compared to China. A friend’s father was pushing her to try and admit she was attracted by all the free benefits and if she worked here she’d be taking jobs away from local people. It was clear she never had the intention to move to the UK and this trip just confirmed it for herself.

After we got back to Beijing, we immediately headed to the nearest hot pot restaurant called Haidilao.

In the taxi there, the driver told me how awesome he thought it was that I could actually speak Chinese. We discussed UK football and how he was getting excited for the World Cup. He even made some African friends who he said spoke better standard Chinese than himself. He was planning to watch some games together with them at a local BBQ place. He joked that the china team was really bad so he had adopted an African team to support in the tournament.

It was after 10pm when we arrived at the restaurant and there were dozens of ladies dancing in the street and throngs of people listening to someone sing some 80's love songs at a mobile Karaoke someone had set up in the square outside the shopping mall.

We had to wait half an hour to get a table and we were surrounded by other people eating the free snacks, and playing games the restaurant provides people waiting. Not a single person complaining, everyone in good spirits.

After finishing the hotpot, we were bloated, but both definitely happy to be back.

Now I realise it’s probably me who escaped.