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 9th,
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).
