Beijing, Beijing.
Wait…what? We are almost reaching our halfway mark already? I haven’t even gotten a chance to miss home yet — or maybe just not yet. Like any other story, which enclose in itself moments of happiness and sadness, mine is no exception. Nevertheless, being a rather optimistic individual, I tend to see and remember the good ones more than the bad, and so will this article reflect — my genuine Beijing experience (with more ups than downs) thus far.
When I was packing for this 6 months journey, I was kiasu enough to have packed an extra set of everything I needed because in my head back then, Beijing was just not as up-to-date as Singapore. It was not long before I realised that I just might be living in the future of most cities right now, here in Beijing.
Cashless payment and e-commerce in this country, plus how fast they integrate themselves into people’s lives here are…amazing. I can go out without having to bring my wallet simply because it has already been substituted by the apps (WeChat and Alipay) in my phone. Even though I was quite a stubborn old fashion payer back home, now that I have gotten a taste of how convenient it is to go cashless (and WeChat’s split bill and money transfer functions), I might very well have withdrawals going back to paying with cash.
Having said so, the country’s e-commerce would not have been complete without the competence of its delivery services. My colleagues joke about how they will get so pissed when their Taobao parcels don’t arrive by the third day. And we would laugh at how the efficiency of the delivery services here in China has spoilt us so much that receiving a parcel five days after we have placed our order, is already considered “very late”. I shop for and order my dinner on the bus on the way home from work, reach home, take off my coat and the deliveryman knocks on our door. Of course, as you would expect, with the peak hour traffic jams, I don’t get to experience this luxury every single time. But more often than not, I do. Apart from getting my food delivered, I have learnt to cook too! Thankfully, both my housemates can cook and have passed on some of their kungfu, which includes teaching me that all is well even when the chicken on my pan is on fire. Speaking of food, I am not doing justice to the food that has kept me alive thus far if I exclude them from this article. So here goes, just some of my favourites — 黄焖鸡 and麻辣烫 (my two favourite lunch dishes), 外卖 (food delivery), some stuff I made and sinfully delicious street food:
Before coming to Beijing, many back home warned me of the possible frauds and swindles that might come my way — just so that I will keep a lookout. And so, I came to Beijing with caution together with stereotypes I have developed over the years through many stories and rumours spread by others. It has been more than two months now, and every now and then, I grimace at how shortsighted I was before, to have been fully convinced that those stereotypes (which many of us still hold) actually represent the entire nation. Perhaps I really have been lucky all this while to have met more people who left me with memories to smile than to frown back at. Because my interactions with most of the people here, the cordiality of some of them, really make my feelings for this city grow each day. You know this is true when time is just flying by like nobody’s business and you are starting to feel dejected that your time here is running out.
The perks of being away from home is that I get to find a lot of time for myself — freedom, space and respite. When the weather is good and there is nothing on my plate, I would just grab my jacket and take a stroll around our neighbourhood. The best part is that I have no destination in mind and neither do I know where I was going to, so I will just keep walking and be guided by whatever that catches my attention along the way. It is walks like these, where you truly get to experience and see the city, something that is quite hard for one to do on a holiday when you only have a few days to check all the tourist recommendations off your list.
All in all, the past months here have been a period of learning for me. Learning to do things I don’t usually have to worry about back home, learning about people, the world and about myself along the way; a self-reflecting (at least more than usual) journey I would say. Before I become guilty for revealing too much of my own experience (and thus stripping you away from the joy of unveiling these gems on your own), I just want to say that whether it is to come on NOC, SEP or just a holiday, come and discover China through the eyes of your own and know this country and its people through what you have experienced for yourself as that is, what China is to you.
Before I sign off, here’s showing you my favourite picture of my lovely batch mates (with me cut-off from the picture because the phone slipped. But it’s kay, the trade-off is good for smiles like these ^^), without their company, I’m pretty sure my experience wouldn’t have been as smooth sailing as it is, and I would probably be going through some serious homesick issues by now (haha). So, thanks guys, for being part of this journey with me ☺
Well then, if you have any questions about NOC in Beijing or living in China, feel free to drop me an email at tcheayu@u.nus.edu. I might not have the answers to your questions but I might very well know someone who does. Till then!
