Guangzhou was my home for a month while Fuzhou saw me stay for a whole three months. The best part about these two cities was their differences and the chance I got to develop and improve myself in the process.
Start in Guangzhou: 1 Month of Modeling
Seeing the sights of Guangzhou, I cannot overstate how fast and multi-tasking this city is, fascinating as it may be. I felt the vibrancy immediately upon my arrival. Skyscrapers, luxury malls and an obsession with shopping markets are synonymous with this place.
THE RHYTHM IS NOT SLOW, THAT’S ONE THING FOR SURE.
Because of this, the variety of posing styles Bali had trained with and learnt kept me on my toes and assisted me to blend in with the rapid changes. Imagine a photoshoot where everything happens so that the final image is guaranteed to be sharable, there is no scope for any extra unnecessary poses.
The variety of modelling that promoted different styles of posing all helped to prepare me for the environment.
- From cute girly poses and smiling with confidence
- Still strong and serious poses perfect for a boyish stance or sporty poses.
Canton Tower is always magnificent and especially charming at night when it is illuminated.
But as for me, perhaps the most remarkable of the places in Guangzhou were the local markets, where goods are sold. They are a riot, they are noisy and they are interesting. These incredibly busy markets seem to contain everything in the universe, from clothes to fruits that I had never noticed before. There were too many stalls to see in one go, but it was wonderful in the best sense of the word. It’s a location in which you can spend hours searching for trinkets while soaking in the city atmosphere.
Of course it also had its hardships.
Living in Guangzhou came with its own fair share of problems.
There was the language barrier and this was crucial.
This time, it was no longer merely about modeling; I was required to learn how to engage with the people, interpret a range of social signals and ways to communicate with the locals, which included hand gestures or use of translation applications. Their food also required some getting used to — though by the end of my stay, I had learnt to appreciate the local cuisine and relished exploring new dishes and felt more at ease, having unchained my groove in both workplace and routines.
Transition to Fuzhou: 3 Months of Nature and Calmness
In sharp contrast to its souther counterpart, Fuzhou was more like a calm and quiet retreat.
Being surrounded by mountains, Fuzhou is much more peaceful, less congested and provides a great getaway from all the noise. What I treasured most in Fuzhou was its diverse landscape.
Tropical vegetation, parks and rivers abound everywhere you turn in this city which makes it peaceful, coupled with the slow pace of life, I was really able to appreciate this place.
There was yet another remarkable aspect of Fuzhou that one simply could not forget.
Nothing could possibly compare with the smell and taste of barbeques being cooked in the streets at night. I quickly fell in love with the local dishes, especially the dumplings and the straightforward but delicious preparation of rice with egg and tomatoes. And how can we ignore the assortment of fruits! My days were sweetened up by trying out the fruits that I have never tried before.
Unlike Guangzhou, Fuzhou did not have such a fast pace when it came to modeling. I had more time for the gym, to take the time to develop and apply various poses in my work, for the inspiration that nature provided me with.
In my spare time, I wanted to get to know the sights of the city — parks and temples of Fuzhou, where I understood even better the traditions and culture of the place. This pace of life let me also consider and rest from the events that took place.
Looking Forward
All in all, my modeling trip to China was one to remember as I was able to develop myself further both in the modeling industry as well as in my persona. Fuzhou provided me with a perfect escape, where I was able to go back to nature, experience the calmer parts of China and take my time with the modeling. There were valuable lessons and experiences to be had from all the cities,
Vanessa Laura
Model & Founder
Dedicated to inspiring and empowering the next generation of models.
Leave a reply