36, Unemployed & Single... Society Says I'm a Failure 🇨🇳 Life in china

[00:00:01]Hi, I'm Kobo.

[00:00:03]I live in Chengdu, China.

[00:00:07]No job. Not married. No house. No car.

[00:00:12]In many countries, that might simply mean life hasn't gone as planned.

[00:00:18]But in China, being 36 is supposed to mean you've figured life out.

[00:00:24]At this age you must have a stable career, a family, and maybe children.

[00:00:31]I have none of those things.

[00:00:33]To many people, that means My life is a failure.. My breakfast is rice porridge It's very convenient and healthy just stir it well and it's ready.

[00:01:25]Eating this in the morning is very soothing for the stomach.

[00:01:38]Then, let's make some Coix seed water to drink.

[00:01:43]You must use dry-roasted Coix seed I've already stir-fried it Its function is to dispel dampness.

[00:01:58]It's mainly because Chengdu is located in a basin and the climate is quite humid this helps me expel that dampness from my body.

[00:02:16]In China, there's an invisible timeline for life.

[00:02:22]Graduate around 22.

[00:02:25]Find someone to marry before 30 And then have children.

[00:02:30]Build a successful career.

[00:02:33]Buy a home and car China created a very clear definition of success.

[00:02:43]A stable career.

[00:02:45]Marriage.

[00:02:47]Children.

[00:02:48]House and car Those things became the scorecard of life.

[00:02:58]When someone reaches 36 without most of them... people naturally assume something has gone wrong.

[00:03:11]My relatives often tell me, "You're not getting any younger."

[00:03:16]"You need someone by your side."

[00:03:23]Some even say, "If you don't have a job, then get married first."

[00:03:30]"You can always find work later."

[00:03:35]That logic has never made much sense to me.

[00:03:42]When I first lost my job, I couldn't sleep.

[00:03:45]I kept opening job apps, only to see the same words again and again "Under 35 only."

[00:03:55]Every time I saw that, my heart sank a little.

[00:03:59]I honestly thought my life was over.

[00:04:14]The quilt is too big; I have to take it up to the roof to dry.

[00:04:27]Other people are already airing out their quilts.

[00:04:36]At the beginning, I stayed home most of the time.

[00:04:40]Or went to the library.

[00:04:45]I studied every day because I was terrified of falling behind.

[00:04:50]I thought that if I worked hard enough everything would go back to normal.

[00:05:01]But the more anxious I became, the less I knew what to do.

[00:05:08]Some days, I completely broke down.

[00:05:19]Eventually, I realized I couldn't keep living like that.

[00:05:24]So I started giving myself small reasons to leave the house.

[00:05:31]In China, most girls wear a sun-protection jacket when going out in the summer, just like I do.

[00:05:47]I've recently bought a lot of crafting supplies online.

[00:05:54]Another package arrived today, so I went to the delivery station to pick it up.

[00:06:44]This is a night market near my neighborhood.

[00:06:54]You need to go through the underpass beneath the railway.

[00:07:06]There are already customers at the roadside hot pot stall.

[00:07:17]This night market gets very lively at night but it's too early right now, so there's no one around.

[00:08:21]A small portion of potatoes.

[00:08:24]Crinkle-cut potato wedges.

[00:08:32]Choose the vegetables you like.

[00:09:03]While wait, let me show you around this night market.

[00:09:08]Tables and chairs were stacked up behind these stalls.

[00:09:19]In the evening, this place is packed with people.

[00:10:06]Actually, if I didn't have a job, having a stall wouldn't be bad.

[00:10:30]What I eat is "wolf-tooth potatoes"—a very local snack.

[00:10:36]in mandarin call 狼牙土豆 langya tudou My appetite isn't great in the summer so I've been eating simple meals.

[00:11:50]I've been thinking about setting up a street stall to earn some income.

[00:11:57]I bought some gourds and crafting materials.

[00:12:28]Start learning to make gourd hanging decorations.

[00:12:34]Once I've made a bit more, I'll go out on the street to sell them.

[00:13:03]Life is too short to spend all of it trying to meet other people's expectations.

[00:13:18]Maybe I don't have the life people think I should have.

[00:13:26]Maybe I don't fit the timeline society planned for me.

[00:13:31]But that's okay.

[00:13:49]those deadlines were never really mine.

[00:13:56]If there's something I want to do, I'll stop waiting for the "right time."

[00:14:07]There are still so many things I haven't experienced yet.

[00:14:16]Life moves forward one day at a time.

[00:14:20]And maybe that's enough.

[00:14:27]Some just take a little longer.

[00:14:32]Maybe I'm behind.

[00:14:33]But I'm still moving forward.

[00:14:39]And I believe that's enough.

[00:14:57]Thank you for watching and for being part of this journey with me.

[00:15:03]See you next time.