Ode To The People That I Won’t Forget

”I live for the nights that I can’t remember, with the people that I won’t forget”, a famous fellow Canadian once said. Drake, you could not have voiced my feelings in any better way.

Last night, after a Business and Culture Seminar about Confucius and his legacy hosted by the Beijing International Society and held at the Residence of the Ambassador of New Zealand, I went for drinks in Sanlitun with some other young professionals I met at the lecture. When I asked Ross, a China Studies graduate from South London, how long had he been in Beijing, he said a year. “But in Beijing time”, he added, “one year is like five”.

Ross was right. In Beijing, we live at a unique pace that can only be understood by the people you are with. In Beijing, time is suspended in order to make you live, to make you grow, to make you experiment in a way that you could never do at home, wherever that home is to you. Since you are not part of a functional system anymore, with the personal references carved over the years in the place you departed, you need to redefine yourself and your role in a totally novel way without any expectations because no one here has ever met your previous self. You are no one’s daughter, no one’s sister, no one’s stubborn friend. To the contrary, without having asked for it, you are now part of a new system; a system where the equilibrium is generated by human beings shaped by different cultures, different languages and different paths, but whose journey led them to the same unknown at the same time for more or less the same raison d’être.

“And you, what is your story?” Justin asked me. And I shared. To an extent I would never think of at home, because, for the generic Western millennial who is a product of his environment, it would be awkward. In Beijing, all of a sudden, we realise how silly this tendency is to live life within the very self-conscious standards we (unfortunately) have. We discover that barriers to friendship and honesty are things that we create in our minds to protect ourselves when we are overwhelmed by our safe routine, because we tend to distrust people that have been around for so long but who we still don’t genuinely know. However, in Beijing, since each foreigner you meet is at first a new acquaintance, to dive in this life as an expatriate, you need to open the door a little more. At first, the plunge is petrifying. But soon enough, it becomes liberating.

Such freedom gives you wings. Such freedom builds your confidence. Such freedom entitles you with the openness to disclose your truth to strangers who all of a sudden are new friends. Because we are all human after all.

Of course, you have the choice. You can stay in your shell and focus on your work, with your mind constantly wandering somewhere near your hometown. You can visit all the monuments that you want and change your cover picture on Facebook to proudly display to your network how much you have traveled. But you will miss so much of the purpose of being here! Those insightful moments, those crazy stories, those bets, those tears and those laughs are once in a lifetime occasion that will make your time here way more meaningful than hundreds of ‘likes’ near the Forbidden City. So, of course, you have the choice. But think twice before choosing to lock yourself.

In Beijing, people will come. People will go. Already, as CRCC interns, we met folks during our first month here who left and suddenly, there was a void to fill in our group. Other interns came in and, already, it is weird to imagine that we will leave them behind. Jonathan, a friend I met two weeks ago at an event held by the British Chamber of Commerce, had to say goodbye last night to one of his workmates who found a job in Brussels. Jonathan has been here for two and a half years now. That means that you never get used to that feeling of loss when true friendship was built, even when you know that such volatility is an essential part of an expatriate’ life.

Nevertheless, no matter how ephemeral this parallel reality might be, how illusionary our life in Beijing might be, and how disconnected it might appear to those who stayed behind, it was worth it. Those young brilliant, adventurous and ambitious people from around the world had to cross my path for me to evolve into a more open-minded woman who is not afraid anymore of letting people find out who she is because she now feels confident enough of the golden soul they might discover by digging in. Those generous, hilarious and benevolent personalities had to be met to provide me with the safe space needed to share the blisses, the insecurities and the sorrows of my life with equals. Those passionate KTV nights, those candid questions about each of our cultures and those debates with the Italians on gelato versus ice cream had to happen because…well, just because.

Sometimes, happiness does not command any purpose.

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Gita a Shanghai!

La fine di questi due mesi si avvicina e proporzionalmente cresce la folle smania di fare mille cose. Viaggiare, per esempio.

Sono tantissimi i posti da visitare in Cina e sicuramente due mesi non sono sufficienti se non per un assaggio. Quanto basta comunque per far venire una voglia incredibile di ritornare!

Giusto per stimolare l’appetito, il fine settimana scorso abbiamo deciso di andare a Shanghai, per incontrarci con un ex stagista e visitare insieme quella che viene considerata la capitale economica del paese.

I grattacieli dai design più particolari, le luci e le illuminazioni notturne, l’incontro e scontro di culture profondamente diverse, la bontà dei suoi ravioli… tutto ciò e molto altro rende questa città una tappa obbligatoria nel tour della Cina.

Dopo quasi due mesi passati a Pechino però, sento il dovere di essere imparziale e manifestare la mia felicità nell’averla scelta come meta per la mia esperienza. Shanghai è senza dubbio una città internazionale e ricca di opportunità sotto tutti gli aspetti, dal divertimento al lavoro. A Pechino però si respira aria di vera Cina, con tutti i suoi pregi e i suoi difetti.

A tutti gli avventurieri e a tutti coloro che hanno voglia di lanciarsi di testa in un mondo totalmente diverso dal proprio, consiglio allora di scegliere Pechino come meta della propria esperienza… sono sicura che ve ne innamorerete!

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Fuwuyuan, I’m hungry!

Before leaving Montreal, my mother, as any concerned parent would do, asked me worriedly, “But… What will you eat?” Ah mummy. If only you knew.

Embracing a city and its culture definitely involves embracing its cuisine. Being a foodie (luckily, with an extremely high metabolism), Beijing is like seventh heaven for me! From a Western perspective, it is easy to believe that one could get rapidly bored with the cooking here, since at home we have access to such an international menu. Well, New York’s got nothing on Beijing! An international city itself, Beijing offers its visitors a variegated list of dishes to try, to please the unadventurous, as well as the audacious foreigner.

First, being a Montrealer, it has been quite striking for me to notice so many food trucks here. Indeed, since food trucks had not been allowed in Montreal until very recently, and are now permitted in restricted areas only (unlike New York or Toronto), the difference in the urban landscape is massive. Highly conscious that food safety in China has become a growing public policy concern, I hesitated for a couple of weeks before trying the appealing brochettes prepared live by the numerous unregulated street vendors. However, in China, street food is more than just a way to fill one’s stomach; it is an integral part of the food culture! And once you try it, you start understanding why! Besides the popular sausages on sticks that you will find at every corner, egg pancakes with meat are also widely sold on the street, especially in the morning, as people tend to buy breakfast on their way to work. I tried one of these Beijing pancakes with chicken and it was extraordinarily filling! If you are not that hungry so early on, you can try a porridge, again with eggs or not, which is a much tastier version of our conventional oatmeal. The incredible thing with street food is the fact that you will enjoy a delicious and complete meal for about 5 RMB (not even one Canadian dollar!).

As of April 2013, Beijing enacted a new law regulating the selling of street food, requiring the vendors to obtain licenses to operate within fixed locations and at designated times, thus providing a basis for enforcement efforts. If the vendors violate this regulation, they may face a 500 RMB fine. Yes, it is an imperfect system, but let’s face it: street food is here to stay, as, first of all, there is a great amount of migrants seeking livelihood in a big city, and, secondly, workers from all social classes seeking inexpensive, delicious and convenient food. Regulation could never get in the way of basic microeconomics, so this “supervise, not ban” regulation notion seems to be the most efficient, and realistic, policy here. Customers should therefore be inspired by Beijing regulators when tempted by street food: observe for a few days your targeted truck to analyse if it respects the regulation and is operated in a fixed location; carefully watch for any obvious unhygienic practices before buying; supervise the cooking and do not hesitate to ask for more time on the grill if necessary when ordering meat; and, finally, enjoy your meal, enjoy it as if it were your last time eating! Here is a tip: I read that stalls operated by married couples tend to be more reliable as their products support an entire family. If you follow all of these steps and eat outside in moderation, you may feel safe about this culinary experience.

If you want to sit down and enjoy a full meal, Chinese restaurants will please you. Fellow North Americans: no, you will not find General Tso Chicken (Orange Chicken) in Beijing! The locals do not know what it is and have never heard of this dish before. I was also shocked to discover that my colleagues from Italy, the UK and Australia had never heard of it before either!

However, you will find a complete selection of hot meals, cold meals, vegetables, dumplings and pancakes to share on a turning table. This is very practical when you want to try various items on the menu! When you are ready to order, just call the “Fuwuyen”, which means Waiter/Waitress, and list everything that your friends and you want to try. I have noticed that it’s normal to leave some food on the main plate at the end of the meal, which is very different from home where wasting is perceived differently. But if you want to take the rest with you to go, don’t be surprised if the fuwuyen puts the food directly in a bag and not in a box, it is common here! Moreover, just like in typical Chinese restaurants at home, white rice is served in a bowl separately and will rarely be an accompaniment to a dish, so one shall not forget to order it. And be careful with water! Here, restaurants will usually provide you with boiling hot water instead of cold water, so you might get a surprise if you do not specifically ask for it! As a now-true Beijinger, as mentioned in my last blog post, I have come to enjoy the hot water when ordering!

My favourites? I will go with Kung Pao chicken! Also, since I work in an area where Korean restaurants are very prevalent, I frequently enjoy their beef soup or bibimbaps, here in Beijing! Being a spicy food aficionado, I definitely need to retain my excitement whenever we go to the Hunan Style restaurant located on the second floor of the building where I work! Their fish is incredible! The Hot Pot, which can be found in the popular restaurant chain Xiabu Xiabu, can also appeal to just about anyone, since you choose your sauce, your raw meat, your vegetables and your spices and cook it yourself in the metal pot of stock at the center of the dining table. Did you know that the Chinese hot pot has a history of more than 1,000 years? Our well-known fondue, that we tend to only eat on special occasions, is therefore a variation of that traditional and widespread dish here. Of course, I could not write about food without mentioning the breathtaking Beijing Duck! Tender on the inside, crispy on the outside, I cannot believe that I have never experienced something so unique before! If I were a vegetarian and was allowed to cheat on my diet with just one dish, it would undeniably be with Beijing Duck. Yes. This is how unforgettably delicious this duck is.

Finally, when (even with such variety) you are tired of Chinese food, international food is everywhere! In China, KFC has surpassed McDonald’s as the most prominent American fast-food chain, since it has adapted its menu to the Chinese culture! I admit that it indeed tasted different from home! McDonald’s, however, is trying to compete with dishes that we cannot find at home, like the McSpicy Chicken Wings, that I truly enjoyed! For a great burger, please have a sit at the Blue Frog, a chain whose main franchise is located in Sanlitun, the trendy neighbourhood for foreigners. Want a coffee? You may try Costa Coffee, since this international coffee chain that was founded in London, UK, has not yet opened a store in North America, and is way more popular in Beijing than its main competitor, Starbucks. My fellow Canadians, I even heard that we could find poutine here in Beijing! I will keep you posted on that item when I manage to taste it!

And well, if you do not feel like going out, why not order from Annie’s? Annie’s is a popular Italian restaurant that defies the traffic to deliver your favourite pizza or calzone right at your door! And, of course, if you have lovely Italian CRCC roommates, you may enjoy different kinds of pasta, risotto, salami, dolce… But that is another story ;).

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The Interns

La settimana scorsa sono andati via due ragazzi che hanno finito i loro due mesi di stage..tragedia. E’ incredibile come questa esperienza sia in grado di forgiare rapporti così stretti.

Insieme agli altri ragazzi del programma viviamo in una specie di residence, dotato di supermercato, piscina, palestra e soprattutto ping pong!

Ognuno di noi condivide un appartamento con un altro o altri due ragazzi che partecipano al programma di CRCC Asia. Questa però è solo la teoria. In pratica le porte dei nostri appartamenti sono costantemente aperte e c’è un continuo via vai di gente che entra e che esce. Una volta si prepara da mangiare, una volta si vede un film, una volta si passa la serata a chiacchierare. Insomma, in pratica viviamo tutti insieme.

Non so cosa sia di preciso, sarà la convivenza costante, sarà l’aria di Pechino o forse l’entusiasmo per quest’esperienza, ma alla fine pensare che tutto questo debba finire mette già i brividi.

Nel mio caso sono stata davvero fortunata, il nostro gruppo è stato affiatato sin dal primo giorno e ognuno di noi, anche se diverso, ha contribuito a rendere ogni giorno memorabile.

Francesca, la scassinatrice del gruppo, senza dubbio riuscirebbe a farsi vendere anche la torre di Pisa.

Daniel, il ragazzo più generoso, stanco e affamato che abbia mai conosciuto, ogni cosa con lui diventa una scommessa.

Alessia, super sportiva, è l’italiana più temuta dai commessi del Silk Market.

Neha, la coinquilina perfetta, ha una risata contagiosa ed è alla costante ricerca delle chiavi di casa.

Madwa, instancabile, non si tira mai indietro quando si tratta di dare un’opinione o se c’è una canzone di Shakira nei paraggi.

Scott, “ the passionate”, le sue memorabili espressioni hanno descritto meglio di mille parole ogni momento passato insieme. Il KTV senza di lui non sarebbe stato lo stesso.

Vi adoro.

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Le mille luci di Hong Kong

Ciao a tutti, mi chiamo Linda, ho 25 anni e sto per laurearmi alla magistrale in Economics and Finance all’Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia. Eccomi qui per raccontarvi come sta andando la mia esperienza nella magnifica città di Hong Kong. Devo ammettere che non avrei mai pensato che un giorno mi sarei ritrovata a fare la mia prima esperienza lavorativa in Asia, ma quando mi si è presentata l’occasione non ho potuto fare altro che accettare con grande entusiasmo. Sono passati ormai dieci giorni dal mio arrivo ad Hong Kong e devo dire che questa città riesce a stupirmi ogni giorno di più. Al mio arrivo in aeroporto ho trovato un ragazzo che fa parte del gruppo CRCC Asia ad accogliermi, il quale mi ha accompagnata nel mio nuovo appartamento in centro città. La prima passeggiata per le strade di questa grande città è stata emozionante e un po’ strana allo stesso tempo. Persone, colori e odori completamente diversi da quelli a cui sono abituata. Diciamo che trovare un negozio di serpenti quasi sotto casa non è cosa da tutti i giorni!

Ad Hong Kong ci sono veramente moltissime cose da vedere, e la zona in cui risiedo è in un ottimo punto strategico per riuscire a muoversi comodamente sia a piedi sia con i mezzi pubblici. Il primo giorno io e gli altri ragazzi del programma abbiamo partecipato all’Induction Day e alla prima lezione di mandarino. Iniziare a studiare il mandarino è stato molto divertente grazie alla nostra insegnante Penny che è molto solare e ci fa sentire tutti a nostro agio. La sera siamo andati tutti insieme a cena al “The Banqueting House”, un classico ristorante cinese molto elegante, e abbiamo avuto la possibilità di mangiare le tipiche specialità cinesi. Dopodiché ci siamo diretti all’Avenue of Stars per vedere lo spettacolo di luci che inizia tutte le sere alle 20.00. Questo show di luci lascia davvero senza fiato. Vedere lo skyline di Hong Kong così illuminato di fronte a te è qualcosa di unico. Nel weekend seguente io e gli altri ragazzi abbiamo continuato a visitare questa metropoli, inizialmente cercando di capire come muoverci nella zona in cui viviamo, ossia Sheung Wan, per poi esplorare altre parti della città. Abbiamo raggiunto Causeway Bay, una delle maggiori aree di shopping, con il tram e ci siamo immersi nella folla che cammina per quelle strade. Trovo incredibile come Hong Kong sia una città viva e caotica, ma ordinata allo stesso tempo. Le persone del posto sono molto gentili, disponibili ad aiutarti e parlano per la maggior parte inglese, perciò anche se non si conosce la lingua cantonese, come nel mio caso, non si riscontrano problemi.  La miglior zona in assoluto per passare la serata con gli amici è sicuramente Lan Kwai Fong. Qui in due piccole stradine sono concentrati decine di ristoranti e locali. Oppure un’altra bellissima zona che ho scoperto ieri sera è Soho, in cui si possono trovare diversi tipi di ristoranti con cucine provenienti da tutto il mondo.  Passati questi giorni di scoperta della città, finalmente arriva l’inizio del mio stage. Ero molto curiosa di vedere cosa mi aspettava, perché non avevo idea di come potesse essere entrare nel mondo lavorativo asiatico. Sono stata accolta a braccia aperte. Persone sorridenti, entusiaste e piene di energie positive. Lavoro in una startup nel settore del cibo biologico, la quale è in crescita ed ha grandi progetti di espansione. Per me andare a lavorare è un piacere, ogni giorno imparo moltissime cose nuove e con i miei colleghi si sta creando davvero un ottimo rapporto. Grazie a questo stage, giovedì ho avuto la possibilità di partecipare a “Hofex 2015” (16th International Exhibition of Food & Drink, Hotel, Restaurant & Foodservice Equipment, Supplies & Services) all’Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Prima di andare a questa fiera i miei colleghi mi hanno portata al 47° piano del grattacielo Central Plaza, dal quale si può ammirare la città dall’alto.

Sono molto felice di trovarmi a Hong Kong, poiché mi piace vivere nel caos delle grandi città, amo viaggiare e scoprire continuamente nuovi posti. La città ogni giorno riserva delle sorprese e vi terrò aggiornati su quali saranno le mie prossime avventure.

 

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Becoming a Beijinger

Hard to believe, but it has already been a month since I left Montreal to navigate through the encounters of the exciting Beijing. It has already been a month that I have been discovering its areas, its language, its workplace culture, its people and its historical monuments. Well, at first, with all of that sightseeing, I looked way more like a tourist than an intern. Now that I have experienced a lot of what Beijing has to offer to its visitors, I have made a list of tips of (trying to) become a true Beijinger:

Cross the street as if it bore your father’s last name

When you first step out in Beijing, a daily situation as simple as crossing the street can be terrifying and confusing. In Montreal, for safety purposes, cars cannot turn right on the red light. Well, in Beijing, for traffic jam-avoidance purposes, it is totally tolerated. And forget about making the pedestrian a priority! After having spent the first few weeks patiently waiting for my turn on the sidewalk, naively thinking that the honk-loving Beijing drivers would let me pass after a few lights (my dear friends know that I am absolutely not a jaywalker!), I realized that you actually need to gain the drivers’ respect so they could let you pass. In other words, in order to cross the street you have to own the street! First, look at the driver straight in the eyes. Then, walk boldly in front of his car while he is stuck in the traffic, which means not too fast as if you did not trust him after this strong eye contact, but not too slowly which could be really annoying and misplace his trust for you. You will get bonus points if you proceed with this complex task in an even more authoritarian way by making a stop sign with your hand while crossing. And, finally and most importantly, NEVER DISPLAY FEAR! The driver might feel it in your eyes. That will result in him speeding all of sudden while you are halfway there, knowing that you are flaking.

However, I understand the drivers in this city. Here, driving is really a privilege. Even if you dutifully pass your driving lessons, are the proud owner of a licence, and save the required amount of money to be able to buy a car in Beijing, you still need to be chosen. You are literally submitted to a lottery. My co-worker has been trying to buy a car for the past five years and her name has never been picked up! As well, depending on your car’s licence plate ending (ie, whether the last number is even or odd), your licence plates only allow you as the vehicle’s owner to enter the city on certain days of the week. Therefore, to compensate, there are tons of bicycles and motorcycles that you also have to watch out for! The severe congestion is quite something here. The true Beijinger definitely knows how to handle it like a pro.

Guess the air quality just by looking at the sky

When I just arrived, like a disciplined and cautious foreigner, I checked every morning before leaving for work the air quality level on an application from the American Embassy in Beijing I had downloaded. Thankfully, this app helps the ignorant foreigners with the cryptic messaging (for whom “PM2.5: 222,1 ug/m3” does not mean anything) with indications like: “RED: VERY UNHEALTHY”. This means… mask day!

Now, however, I carry my mask in my bag every day. Just in case. These days, my morning routine does not involve surfing the Internet to figure out the weather; rather, I simply raise my head and look up at the sky to guess the level of smog! Some days, I make a game out of it: I guess and compare my amateur skills to those of the experienced and highly qualified American Embassy scientists. There is proof that I am indeed becoming a true Beijinger: I am not doing so badly!

Become an e-Beijinger

In China, since Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are prohibited, other platforms have been developed to satisfy the Chinese millennials’ desire to interact with each other online. For example, everybody has a WeChat account. If you meet other foreigners in the city and want to stay in touch, it will be the norm to scan their QR Code or to ask for their WeChat account number. On WeChat, you can share pictures and statutes, and even perform online transactions from your favourite retailers or restaurants! Even if WeChat’s interface looks more like our Whatsapp and enables direct communication just like Whatsapp does, it reminds me a bit more of Facebook due to its widespread use among Chinese millennials.

At the office, I learnt to replace my beloved Google by baidu.com when I want to perform a search. And when I cannot access YouTube, Baidu Music contains your entire favourite repertoire! While such censorship might at first be shocking for our Western eyes, by immersing ourselves in the culture without questioning the policy (something that would not last a day in our countries according to our charters, bills of rights, and other societal and juridical consensus), we realize that it all somehow manages to work here because China is virtually – among other things – self-sufficient. This is truly fascinating.

Well, those are just a few amusing examples of how it is possible to rapidly adopt Beijing habits when getting an in-depth experience is your goal. Since we can never know where life will take us, it is pretty reassuring to discover how human beings can adapt themselves anywhere… even when this somewhere is sixteen hours away from home!

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