We have Starbucks and Tesco, but no kosher meat - The Jewish Chronicle

When I began my business course at the University of Nottingham I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd be moving all the way to the other side of the world to a city called Ningbo, in China, as part of my degree.

Arriving for my exchange year I asked myself what I was doing. China is completely different to home, and Ningbo especially so. It was hot and sticky. I had mosquito bites all over me. The toilets were "squatters" and it is normal to see children do their messy business on the pavement or in the local shopping centres. It was not the best first impression.

Added to this, I was the only non-Chinese student in my French class. It's quite hard translating from Mandarin to English, let alone to French. There are only eight Jews studying here.

Food is a big issue. Having no kosher chicken or meat is a challenge. It has been almost impossible to keep kosher here. There are Western stores such as Walmart and Tesco, but they are only Western to an extent. They sell live bullfrogs and crabs but do have an imported foods section, which usually includes pasta, olive oil, raisins and Heinz ketchup.