What's It Like Living in China? Part 2 (People & Opportunities)

As I sit here in my apartment overlooking the balmy 30 degrees weather with an AQI of 350… I can barely see across the street, which is a huge plus. Now that the obligatory update on pollution is out of the way, I can discuss a few of the things I love about living in China. Without question, the primary reasons I have chosen to live, work, and study in China are the opportunities and people that I meet on a daily basis.

I feel like I could probably write a blog about each of these two separately, but the reality is that they are complementary to the point that I don’t think you could have one without the other in this country. Opportunities arise, in large part, due to the people that you meet here and the people that you meet here only come here because of the opportunities. I think we can all agree they don’t come for the sunshine.

Explaining the dynamic of the various types of people in China is not easy. I don’t think there’s a perfect way to describe what I mean by that, but I’m going to do my best. There is nothing particularly unique about the people in China that you could not find elsewhere in the world. What makes the entire situation unique, however, is the way people in China interact and what kind of exposure one can have while here even with relatively average social standing. In some ways it’s like a race-based gentrification amplified by cultural barriers like language.

(Remember, I’m speaking as a Caucasian-American living in Beijing. From what I’ve heard, this is completely different in Shanghai and I know for a fact it’s different for the millions of Chinese people who live in this city. I’ll leave the moral question of this entire system for another day since I do have a strong opinion about it.)

It’s all about accessibility—I’ll define this as who and what people have access to that in most places in the world would be unthinkable. The well connected in California, for the most part, are inaccessible to the average citizen of California. To a large degree this is what many people refer to when they talk about institutional factors that keep the poor impoverished while the wealthy get wealthier. In Beijing, these barriers are virtually nonexistent in the expat community. Of course there are some very wealthy people here who are “inaccessible”, but there are an incredible number of successful and very interesting people who drink at the same bars student expats drink at and eat at the same restaurant that these students eat at. Yes they have the money to eat at 辉哥火锅, but who wants to eat live frog and pig brain at a place with a name that they can’t pronounce being served by waiters that don’t know how to ask if you like your steak medium or well-done.

In other words, they are given two options: experience loneliness and extreme physical comfort in Chinese-oriented spaces without the possibility of much person-to-person communication, or they can congregate at expat watering holes with decent food and English-speaking company.

The whole experience is like a small-town enclave trapped in one of the most populous cities in the world. If you stay here for more than a month, it’s almost impossible to not run in to somebody that you’ve met before, who introduces you to somebody new, who happens to have an uncle in the Politburo… etc.

Since I’ve been here I’ve met hugely successful businessmen and pretty impressive politicians. I spent an entire night out eating and drinking with the man who owns the Arena Football League in China; I spent four hours one night drinking beers and discussing international politics with the ex-Ambassador of a Scandinavian country to Taiwan (he’s technically not called an ambassador since Taiwan isn’t recognized as a country, but it’s the equivalent); I went out to a Chinese dinner and show with a European ambassador to China and several friends; had the pleasure of meeting a belligerent drunk high-ranking Communist party official who proceeded to stand on a chair in a restaurant and proclaim in Chinese to his "comrades" why China would soon eclipse the West and become the world's sole superpower before all 300 pounds of him collapses the chair and caused a minor earthquake as he hit the ground; and I met an investor from Southern California who has funded multiple films in China that will be and have been released in the United States. These are just a few examples.

All of these people have incredible stories, work extremely hard, and are definitely successful in very different ways. But never in a million years would I have the opportunity to go out to dinner with them and even become good friends with them if I wasn’t in China. This isn’t a unique experience. It has nothing to do with me or the charm that my mother tells me I have. It has everything to do with being in the right place at the right time and having a culture in common within a country that has very little international diversity.

Which brings me to my final point, for this blog at least. Simply because China is such a radical shift in lifestyle, it generally only attracts people who are seriously willing to be uncomfortable and take on challenges—the risk-loving. Half the people I invite to visit me in China think I’m crazy and wouldn’t even come for two weeks—God forbid they might have to use a squatting toilet while they’re here. In contrast, there are people that decide to move their entire lives here from the comfort of some European or American city where they don’t know a single word of the local language and have to watch where they’re walking just in case someone stole a manhole cover on the street to melt down and sell as scrap metal.

Every day in China is a risky adventure. But every day in China is also an opportunity. You don’t meet many people who are lukewarm here. That’s not to say everyone is motivated in the right way, but it definitely means they make decisions and won’t let anyone or anything get in their way from accomplishing something.

This is why I live in China. I can put up with the fear of eating sewage oil or the 2-hour drive to go 4 miles on a Friday night. All of that is worth the excitement, opportunities, and learning experiences that come with living in a foreign city that is emerging faster than any nation in recent history.

Now, if only they could open an In-N-Out in Beijing…



Here are a few pictures that are somewhat related to this blog post, and others that are just pictures of me in China.

Some of the great people I've met here. Celebrating Thanksgiving.

Another group picture out having Mexican food and Margaritas.

Most foreigners stick to food like this (Spanish paella).

And maybe some rare steak.

If I have to choose, I usually prefer the "Small Rape"

... Or Griddle Gordon's Ass and some Bullfrog Casserole.

Because squatting isn't painful enough, you have to have someone beside you with three others watching as they wait in line.

What's It Like Living in China? - Part 1 (Pollution)

This is probably the most frequent question I get from people when they first learn I live in China. And the answer is much too complex to explain in one conversation or even one blog, so I felt like I might try and blog a bit about it to clear the air (no pun in intended). Now obviously this will solely be a perspective of someone moving here from paradise, so I can’t say it’s completely unbiased. I’ll do my best to explain the good, the bad, and the ugly. There are quite a few that fall under each category.

First, I thought I’d lay out some factors that drastically change my experience from most others who make the transition: 1) I’m of European descent and I speak Chinese. 2) I’m living in a service apartment that is being paid for by my employer. 3) I’m a practicing Catholic. 4) I’m living in a city that I’ve lived in before (for approximately 6 months) during college. 5) For the most part, I have the opportunity to return to California at any given time and continue with my same job there.

It also might be beneficial to explain why these 5 factors drastically change my experience: 1) Being white in China makes everything you do slightly more interesting. In Beijing I’m still somewhat of an anomaly, especially when I visit places where few foreigners congregate. Adding to this the fact that I can communicate in the language significantly adds to my experience (and my strangeness) as I am capable of befriending just about anyone who lives here, as opposed to most expatriates who only speak English and their native language. While this is absolutely a huge benefit, I also have less of an excuse for cultural misunderstandings, which might sometimes frustrate Chinese citizens. 2) I’m obviously not experiencing what 99% of Chinese people experience in their living conditions. I have an actual toilet, someone cleans my room every weekday, and I live in an area that I could not afford on my salary, let alone the average Chinese salary. 3) While religion isn’t expressly forbidden in China, ever since 1949 and the Communist victory, it certainly isn’t promoted. Communist party members are forbidden to profess a faith and there are constant news reports of Chinese people being discriminated against for their faith. There are 5 official Catholic churches in Beijing (many more in Shanghai) and it’s extremely difficult to find daily mass that is reasonably close. Sunday mass is generally easier, but still not a short walk by any means. 4) The fact that I know Beijing quite well, even though it changes rapidly, and that I have friends here helps significantly with just about everything I’d ever need. I also don’t have to go to expat enclaves to meet people, I can venture into more traditional locations and interact with friends of friends that would otherwise be inaccessible. 5) I always have an escape. This might seem small compared to the others, but it really is a relief to know that at any point if I get really sick or just can’t handle the smog anymore, I can throw in the towel (although I don’t intend to). I can’t quite imagine what it must be like for the people who come here looking for opportunities with no place else to go. For that I’m definitely blessed.

Now, to answer the initial question. Literally no part of life is the same. Yes I still take daily showers, drink water (never from tap), and occasionally have a beer or five, but every moment of every day presents new challenges that most of the people reading this never have to navigate in their day-to-day decisions.

It wouldn’t be a blog about Beijing if I didn’t mention the most common topic of conversation here: Pollution. The first thing I do every morning, without exception, is check the air quality index (AQI). The temperature is important but for someone like me I pretty much know it’s too cold to be comfortable between October and April so the most important thing is deciding whether I have to wear a mask for the day. Recently, thanks to APEC, the air has been relatively clean. The average AQI in Los Angeles is 47.1, which is pretty terrible. It’s all the yellow smog you see when you go into the mountains and wonder why it’s not clear. According to the AQI index, this is actually considered “Excellent” air quality. Yesterday was a pretty great day here in Beijing, the AQI was only 175 and was indexed as “Moderately Polluted.” Today was not so good. Unfortunately there wasn't a windstorm at night and so the current AQI is at 400 right now and here is the warning that accompanies it: "Healthy people will experience reduced endurance in activities. There may be strong irritations and symptoms and may trigger other illnesses. Elders and the sick should remain indoors and avoid exercise. Healthy individuals should avoid outdoor activities as well." 

The average for Beijing this year was around 124 ppm and is considered “Lightly Polluted.” That’s 2.6 times as many particles in the air as Los Angeles. I could use a deep breath of the pure Los Angeles air right now. To be fair, there have been a few days that fell between 10-20, those days are cherished and require some kind of outdoor activity. However, on October 9^th, when I arrived here, the AQI was 379 and this was the lovely view I had from my window:

This was one week later when the AQI was 25 (same view from my window):

That’s not the fog of San Francisco. Now obviously, that’s not average, but the fact that there was a whole week where it was that bad says enough. I could almost see the building across the street… Needless to say, that was a day that I wore a mask and rented my air purifier for my apartment. The upside of this environment is there is literally never an instance where you can’t break the ice by complaining about the air.

To Taxi Drivers: “I’d like to go to Tiananmen Square. [Awkward Silence]. The air is pretty bad today isn’t it. [Endless conversation].”

“How do you feel about the price of bread in Ukraine these days?”

“Well, it seems a little high but I’m sure the Beijing pollution will reduce the sunlight that gets to the crops and the lack of photosynthesis will decrease wheat yield even further and cause an exponential rise in the price over the coming months.”

There’s not been one single conversation I’ve had with someone I just met that didn’t touch on this topic, and I doubt there will be anytime soon.

While the pollution is a significant downside to living in Beijing, there are tons of upsides and a few more downsides that I’ve decided I’ll continue in my next blog. I’m going to try and switch each blog with a difficulty and then follow it with a positive. I think that’s the fairest way to introduce you all to the Forbidden City that I just happen to love so much. Feel free to post questions in my comments or on my Facebook!

And here are a few pictures from my first month in Beijing.

Standard Beijing attire.

Statue of Liberty pose out with my coworkers.

One of my best friends in the middle (Wen Wen) and her friend (definitely forgot his name).