The majority of foreign teachers (myself included) come to Beijing by themselves, and that can be a daunting experience. How will I make friends? Will the other teachers like me? Will I like them? Will they like the same things as me? My worries were put to rest almost as soon as I got off the plane. The people here are really nice, friendly, and obliging.
Which is good, because unless you have been here before, you will need help finding your footing the first couple of weeks. Beijing is so big it almost doesn’t make sense, and very few locals can speak English. Luckily, we are well looked-after; representatives of the school will accompany you as you buy a phone and get a medical check, and before long you will be able to navigate by yourself. If you get lost, just send a message to the teacher group on your phone; there will always be someone who knows how to point you in the right direction.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. You are coming here to work, after all. I have worked enough jobs to know that working with people you don’t like can do a lot to sour your experience. I am happy to say that that has not happened here. Not only are the foreign teachers and the Chinese staff very nice people, but they also hold themselves to a professional standard. They work hard and work well, and that has made working here much easier and more enjoyable.
But all work and no play makes Eoin a boring loser, I hear you say. What do you do for fun? I’m glad you asked. It’s important to savour and enjoy your free time in any job, and teaching in Beijing is no different. Aihua houses people with a wide variety of hobbies and interests, and you will be able to find an outlet for almost all of them in Beijing. Do you like music? Go for a karaoke night with a group of other teachers and throw dignity to the wind! Or, if you can play an instrument, go to an open mic night. Or better yet, form a band! Do you like sports? You can find a number of sports bars that show all manner of sports, from American football to basketball to hurling to (I’m not making this up) competitive wood-chopping. Or are you an outdoorsy type? Get a bike or a scooter or just some running shoes and go exploring. Video games? Bring your games with you, invite some of your new friends and have a gaming night in your apartment, or hit up an arcade and have an epic showdown with a spotty 15-year-old Chinese boy. Of course, you may just want to go out and paint the town red, and that is definitely an option as well. There are always teachers eager to hit up a bar or nightclub, and bars and nightclubs are two things Beijing is definitely not short on.
That is the thing I have been most grateful for in Beijing, the friends I’ve made. Whether it’s going out on the town, helping you out with work, or just grabbing a coffee between classes, you’re never without company. It has made the move to China, the adjustment period, the work, and the adventure as a whole so much more enjoyable.