My experience in China
The year was 2013; I was bound for Beijing, to study as undergraduate student in International Economics and trade., searched thoroughly on the internet about my host-city and university- Beijing Institute of Technology, one of the best language and teaching universities in China. Within a week after my arrival, orientation was over and classes had begun starting with a one-whole year of Chinese language course. My major is International Economy and Trade. This is where the fittest survives. Chinese has been well acknowledged as one of the most difficult languages on planet earth for non-natives and here I was trying to make sense out of what most would describe as hieroglyphics.
Burning the mid-night candle trying to study a language as difficult as Chinese Living as a foreigner in Beijing makes for many great experiences. But not all is just great all the time. Behind all the good stuff hides some not so pleasant stuff. Well, sometimes it doesn’t hide, it is just out there, right in your face. Below is my list of the good and the bad, representing my very personal opinion. Keep in mind that I don’t want to rant about negatives in Beijing. Rather, I’d like to provide a balanced view that may help newcomers to manage their expectations and be better prepared for life in Beijing.
What I like about living in Beijing
Interesting friends – You can meet a very interesting mix of people in Beijing. I made some good friends here, both other foreigners and Chinese. Unfortunately, foreign friends often move back to their home country or on to someplace else. So your circle of friends will continually change.
Easy public transportation – Beijing has extensive and cheap public transportation. Subways in Beijing are cheap and efficient, buses get you almost everywhere, and even taxis are very affordable.
Amazing food –The authentic Chinese cuisine and many street side snacks are a major draw. In Beijing, you can sample all the provincial Chinese cuisines without traveling. You can eat out at high-end Chinese restaurants, hole-in-the-wall family businesses, or street vendors. And ingredients are cheap for cooking Chinese food at home.
Personal safety – Nowhere else have I felt this safe walking around as a woman alone in the evening, taking public transport or a taxi. I know crime happens in Beijing, and you need to use common sense to stay safe, even here. But as far as big cities worldwide go, this is a rather safe place.
Cheap prices – From restaurant food to (non-Western) groceries, from transportation to a decent haircut, pedicure, manicure, massage, the cost of many things here are much lower than in Tanzania.
Rich culture – There is so much to see in Beijing. After four years of spending many days and weekends exploring the city, I still have not run out of places to see and of course favorites places to go back to.
What I am not crazy about Heavy pollution/smog – This is probably the number one complaint from foreigners in Beijing, and increasingly from locals. Smog is the most obvious pollution.
Slow internet – The internet in China can be agonizingly slow on some days, especially for foreign websites. It sometimes takes forever for a page to load, and many websites are not accessible at all without using a VPN service.
Some cultural differences – This includes smoking almost everywhere, pushing, and the general lack of personal space. And of course the habit of spitting.
Always sticking out – Being a black person I have no chance of blending in. Barely a day goes by without people staring at me, kids pointing at me and calling me (laowai, waiguoren), and who knows what. Sometimes it can be amusing or cute, but often it just gets really old. And it adds to the sense of lack of personal space. (This is not so much an issue when you live in an expat area.)
The sheer size of Beijing – It often takes at least an hour to get to other places within Beijing. Of course this is less of a problem if you are content with staying close to your area, have your friends, shopping, work, everything close by.
Just as a bonus, I throw in a few things that awe me – sometimes in a good way, sometimes not…
The rapid pace of change – New subway lines, shopping malls, and freeways are opened at a breathtaking speed. At the same time old Hutong houses and stores disappear to make room for all the new.
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