The discovery about work and employment that has surprised most is that the shops are closed so early and at different times on different days. Take Churchill Square as an example. From Monday to Wednesday and on Friday and Saturday, it is closed at 6 pm; on Thursday, 8 pm and Sunday 5 pm. Even so far, we’ve found it so amazing. In China, almost all the shops open and close at the same time every day and the opening times are much longer. On the one hand, we think it is a bit inconvenient if the opening times are different on different days in that it is hard for people, especially newcomers to remember them. On the other hand, it is commonly thought that business is all about making more profits, thus the longer opening hours, the better. What has impressed me most is that when it is about the closing time, the clerks will remind the customers and they will not lengthen even one minute. It’s really interesting. However, there are distinct advantages. Britons are having more free time of their own than Chinese. They can sit with their friends and families in the bar and have a pleasant chat with each other. In contrast, Chinese are more interested in making more money even at the cost of working extra hours and less time with friends and families. Personally speaking, I really appreciate how the British can balance work and life and I do hope more Chinese can realise the importance of the balance between work and life and enjoy life more rather than only care about making money.
