5 A.M. Life in China: Rebuilding My Life as an Average Office Worker
About this video
This video captures the early morning routine of an office worker in Shenzhen who wakes at 5 AM. The city is still dark and quiet. The host stretches, makes coffee, and writes in a journal by lamplight. There is a sense of purpose in these solitary hours. The video then shows a short walk to a nearby park, where elderly people practice tai chi and birds begin to sing. By 7 AM, the host is on the metro, heading to work. The video is meditative and inspiring, showing how small morning rituals can create stability when rebuilding a life. It is a gentle reminder that change often begins before sunrise.
Video transcript
Hello It's Ting,29 y/o single woman living alone in Shenzhen China I have been thinking about a lot recently... Maybe it's time to make some changes For a long time I stay up late... The days always feel too short Recently my grandpa was in the hospital because of stoke and my mom fainted at work once Making me very worried Thankfully they are okay now But it reminds me how important health really is So I'm trying to reset my routine One small step at a time Honestly waking up early isn't as hard as I imagined My skincare routine is very simple Just
toner and moisturizer I recently changed the curtains They let in much more natural light The apartment feels brighter now Although I think I'm getting a little more tanned these days I've wanted to start going to the gym regularly for a long time Today feels like a good day to finally begin early in the morning the city feels surprisingly calm Are you an early bird or a night owl? I don't really know much about training myself Most of the time I just follow videos online Most people come after work Feels like life in big cities is so fast ... I have to
squeeze time for gym Time to buy some groceries I'm also trying to improve my diet Cook something different and easy Broccoli—¥3.25 （$0.45 / €0.42） Tomatoes—¥5.31 （$0.74 / €0.68） Tofu sheets - ¥2.08 （$0.29 / €0.27） Tofu - ¥5.65 （$0.79 / €0.72） Eggs—¥3.61 （$0.50 / €0.46） Corn—¥3.50 （$0.49 / €0.45） Bananas—¥1.32 （$0.18 / €0.17） Apple—¥1.25 （$0.17 / €0.16） Whole milk (1L)—¥13.80 （$1.9 / €1.8） Peanut milk—¥3.80 （$0.53 / €0.49） Purified water (5L)—¥9.80 （$1.4 /
€1.3） Total groceries—¥53.57 （$7.5 / €6.9） Leg exercise finished after 7th floor climbing back home Living far away from my family means I need to take care of myself I don't wanna be a burden for my family Tap water here is not drinkable for the last years I boil the tap water to drink and use... habbits from my village But now I started to buy the water Take a quick morning shower after gym My new fridge finally arrives I just placed the order yesterday The old one has been with my for 4 years I had to defrost it weekly again and again But
the new one no frost... For some people it's just a fridge For me this feels like a small upgrade in life I check every detail I'm so happy about it But my phone was on silent I missed the delivery call He carried the fridge to the 7th floor by himself I felt shocked and sorry for living in a building with no elevator We don't have tipping in China but I gave him ¥50 to say thank you I grew up in rural China both parents are now doing physical work so I have deep respect for physical workers I also have saving habbits from my parents So whenever I buy
something I usually think about it for a long time first Giving my family fiancial support monthly makes me feel way better than spending on myslef today I cook simple and healthy food Two eggs for protein just add salt Boiling the broccoli add some oil to keep vege color bright Some corn The colors always make me happy Tofu is something I eat all the time It's simple cheap and filling... Maybe that's why I never get tired of it It looks like cheese right? But in most Chinese homes ,we don't eat that much cheese growing up Cooking is much more enjoyable
with a good pan I have already abandon 3 non-stick pans... A little soy sauce I prefer food that tastes like itself oh this looks so good and so hungry Give a try hmmmm Wanna eat some raw veges Apple For the smoothie I've bought many bad avocados before This time I finally got lucky I don't know how to pick the good avocado Now I have learned how to scoop it out ahahaha Not like last time ,so messy... Add milk Breakfast is ready More than enough for one person One thing about living alone I always end up cooking too much as always ,I wanna watch
something as eating I can relate to his jokes haha it's time to find a home for the new fridge Living in 13 square meters means every little decision matters If I put it here in the previous place of the old fridge It will block my window somehow where to put my new big fridge ??? The fridge is wider than this 5 cm will be out the wall probably I can put the fridge here probably this is a little bit extra but I cannot find a better place this apartment is so small but I will figure out I think I will gonna put it here and then this one just move it there
I need to move things around It is heavy,but I can still handle it ... Remind me that I need to buy a long outlet I will order it omline now It don't go all the way back but it's okay finally feels right each magnet is a nice memory my old fridge I decided to give away someone just moved to the building When I moved in 4 years ago, it was very difficult for me the old fridge can serve at least another year for them The desk can move to right somehow it feel like more space... I originally wanted to put the cabinet in this corner But then I realized the
door wouldn't open The cabinet ends up beside my bed And somehow,it fits perfectly The little cart goes in the corner And everything slowly finds its place After a bit of rearranging the room finally feels right again the long outlet has arrived The fridge is officially up and running It's funny A fridge is just a fridge But somehow this small change makes me so excited Maybe because it feels like, life is moving forward Little by little Before saying goodbye I want to clean the old fridge first I am very grateful to it for all the meals it helped keep
fresh so happy I can finally use my ice trays The old fridge was terrible at making ice So it was sitting unused for a long time Now it finally have a job again already freezing wow My duck has a big tear finally Just a few stitches Nothing serious I've never actually given him a name before But I think I'll call him Ross Because he somehow reminds me of Ross from "Friends" Friends series is very popular in China while watching YouTube I see my sister's new video She and my bro went to visit my grandpa And suddenly I missed them so much especailly my
grandpa is sick but I am not there Sometimes I wish I could visit more often But home is over 1,500 kilometers away Coming big city gave me independence but it also made me miss the people I love even more...
