Out of all the cities I have lived and worked in, Beijing has proven itself to be the most interesting and – at times – most surprising. Of course, the language is fascinating (as is the culture), the food is delicious, the city is enormous, and more. However, the most surprising thing about Beijing (and China in general) has been how it balances the ‘old’ with the ‘new’ across two of these areas – language and architecture.

When you arrive in China, you will notice that almost every sign has both Chinese characters and an English translation. Starbucks, for example, is both ‘Starbucks’ and ‘星巴克’. This is very helpful for us foreigners, and reflective in general of China’s push to make itself more international. Meanwhile, countless millions of Chinese citizens have been reaching high levels of English fluency, and English has itself started to seep into the Chinese language. Perhaps the most obvious examples of this are the new ‘loan words’: Chinese words which are made to sound like an English word. Some of these are for new ideas or products to China – bacon, for example, is 培根 (pinyin: péigēn), and guitar is 吉他 (pinyin: jítā). Others are just for high-frequency words in English that many Chinese people know – bus, for example, is 巴士 (pinyin: bāshì).

My favourite example, however, of the ‘old’ and ‘new’ is how Beijing places old-style and modern architecture side-by-side. Head to the very centre of Beijing, and you will find numerous temples, tea shops, and historic streets (called ‘hutongs’) sitting beside modern apartment blocks and shopping malls. So, you can walk out of a shopping mall, having bought a new pair of shoes and holding a cup of your favourite 星巴克 coffee, and explore a nearby temple or hutong should you feel like something more authentic. If you go at the right time, or find the right spot, these really are oases of calm in what is otherwise an extremely modern, dynamic, and exciting city. I’m not sure about you but, for me, having a coffee in the Confucius Temple is a pretty good way to pass the time before dinner.

Each time a family member or friend asks me about the strangest aspect of Beijing, I always say the attention from the locals. Sure, I could say the bathrooms, but I like to keep it positive and telling people that I’m basically famous with strangers taking pictures of me tends to get a laugh or shocked gasp. I know I was certainly surprised when it first happened. While it does take a moment to become accustomed to the observations and pictures, I’ve grown to find it pleasant. It’s typically well-meant and your smiles, in response to the stares, are always returned.

A few times, however, I’ve needed to reflect some of the advances. A number of people have already approached me in numerous places, from the airport when I just walked off of the plane to the bathroom at a restaurant, to ask for private lessons. Of course, I have always rejected the requests since 1) I don’t have the time and 2) I could technically be deported for going against my work visa.

Typically, these approaches are pleasant experiences. One such time, I was visiting a landmark with a fellow teacher. A lady approached us speaking hesitant, but eloquent English. I was completely prepared to give her the usual immediate no to her forthcoming request to teach her or her children, but she was more interested in teaching us. We spent the next 40 or so minutes listening to this woman explain the significance of the site, partaking in the customs, such as circling the temple three times, and exchanging WeChat information with her. I’m looking forward to future meetings, dinners, and cooking lessons from this stranger turned friend- a classic example of the friendly attention from the locals and an occurrence that I could not have imagined at home.

Riding the bus is a very daunting experience in a foreign country. It is especially scary in a country that doesn’t speak English. Riding the bus in China for the first time is next level stuff. If you do not have a basic understanding of ‘transportation’ Chinese then you’d best do a little research before you step onto the bus. It’s only difficult in the beginning. Once you get familiar with the routes, you can traverse Beijing quickly and cheaply.

Getting around Being is very cheap generally. Taxis are obviously the priciest and while you could probably afford to take a taxi now and again and not break the bank, riding the bus costs CNY 2. If you have a transportation card, your trip only costs you CNY 1.

A transportation card takes care of your bus rides all through Beijing but not outside of Beijing. Do not go to Shanghai and think you can ride their busses with your Beijing money. The transportation card can also be used on the subway. You can top it up at any station with as little as CNY 10 and as much as CNY 500. When you purchase the card for the first time, there is a CNY 20 deposit. The prices of your bus ride will be clearly displayed on the door of the bus.

Here are few things to help you ride the bus like a professional.
1. Busses have numbers
There are hundreds of routes running all through Beijing and to create some kind of order, there is a bus number system in place. I haven’t quite figured out the system but it has something to do with certain busses only riding at night and others travelling further distances. Certain numbered busses only run within the 3rd Ring Road for instance.
2. Tracking the bus with technology
If you know the bus you’re going to take, you can look up the number on Baidu Maps and you will able to see where it is in real-time. This helps when it’s raining or the middle of winter and you’d much rather be dry and warm than standing on the sidewalk looking up and down the street in a confused daze because you don’t understand where your bus is.
There are many apps you could use to find out routes and real-time locations. One of them is Che Lai Le. Unfortunately, for now, this app and its impressively accurate by-the-minute updates on bus arrival time is limited only to busses fully equipped with WiFi.
3. Bus Times
The busses run from around 5am depending on the bus and the last bus is at around 11pm which is also the time the subway stops running. Make sure to look at the sign at your bus stop if you plan on using the same bus to return home. It would be a nightmare to be stranded in an area where the only thing you recognize is a bus number that is not coming for you.
4. Ask for help
You could ask a ticket conductor for some help. They may seem a little unapproachable at first but if you don’t try then the answer remains no and you remain lost. Show them the name of your destination in Chinese characters to confirm that the bus you are on is the correct one. Nine times out of ten you don’t even have to ask them to tell you when to get off because most of them tend to take you under their wing naturally. You can ask them the following phrase or if you don’t know how to read Chinese, just show them.

I want to go (name of destination) please tell me when we are almost there
我想去(name of destination) 快到那个站时请提醒我
Wǒ xǐang qù (name of destination) kuài dào nà gè zhàn shí qǐng tí xǐng wǒ

A few things to remember:
• While the busses are incredibly efficient, don’t be surprised if you find yourself in the middle of a traffic jam.
• Take care of your personal belongings. China is relatively safe but people are people and if there is a cellphone dangling in a backpack in front of some people, they’ll think it’s a gift.
• Some busses only permit boarding from the middle door and exiting from the front and rear doors while others have no system and even if you find yourself standing in a line, as soon as the bus arrives, you will find yourself standing in another line waiting for the next bus because you’ve been pushed out of the way.
• Bus stops are announced and displayed in Pinyin for your convenience.
• All announcements are in Chinese so it is perfectly fine to put your earphones in and drown it out until there is some sort of an emergency. In the event there is an evacuation or a sudden malfunction, just follow the crowd or wait until you are roughly ushered out.
• During rush hour, be prepared for a lot of pushing and squeezing and total disregard of personal space.

Gird your loins and happy travelling.

With its vast population, pirate accents and passionate love for karaoke, Beijing may seem an overwhelmingly alien place at first. However, in the same way that people back home have come to view hot dog stuffed crust pizzas as a socially acceptable thing, time and familiarity eventually accustom you to the quirks of being a foreigner in Beijing.

Back home, if you catch someone staring at you, one of two things happens: they notice that you’ve clocked them and quickly shift their gaze, or you begin to wonder if you’ve left your zip down all day. Again. An insistent stare can be the cause of some discomfort, but in Beijing it is quite a common occurrence. It mainly comes from children, who then alert their parents to the presence of a “wai guo ren”. The parents have usually seen a fair few foreigners before and usually shrug it off with the Chinese equivalent of “Whatever, I’m trying to play Candy Crush.”

During the holidays, when Beijing is busy with Chinese tourists from the countryside, the stares become more intense and people might also stop you for pictures. This is your chance to indulge your fantasy of being a C-list celebrity and become a part of someone’s holiday sightseeing itinerary: Forbidden City, check. Summer Palace, check. Random foreigner on the bus, check. If you don’t take it with good humour, it would probably get quite annoying pretty quickly, but you can inject a bit of fun into it by telling them that you’re a famous actor in your home country. That way you get a taste of the celebrity lifestyle without the money or acclaim, and they get to tell their friends and family that they met a genuine movie star who, now that they think about it, didn’t give the names of any of their films and whose identity is completely unverifiable. It’s win-win!

Interactions with Chinese traveling or even living abroad can often be an unpleasant experience. Chinese tourists are increasingly notorious for their rude behavior and even outrageous actions when traveling. Those that have settled in cities from Sydney to Vancouver are often little better and are equally notorious for their rude behavior and extravagant displays of conspicuous consumption. The experience of living in Shijingshan contrasts sharply with this aforementioned behavioral notoriety and is continually and pleasantly surprising. The local population is exceedingly polite and a friendly smile or casual nod immediately turns a curious stare into a broad grin and reciprocated wave. Doors are constantly held open, a limited English vocabulary vigorously used at every opportunity, and an amused patience is exercised when attempting to order food or engage in any other routine seeming action. The kindness and desire of Shijingshan locals to help is overwhelming and humbling. It endears any visitor or resident to this small, almost quasi-village in the West of Beijing and permits the seamless feeling of both inhabiting a small community and one of the larger urban areas in East Asia.

Beijing duck can be bought in most restaurants but it is worth paying that little bit more if you really want the best experience. I have tried the cheapest, which costs around £4 for roast duck on the bone. I have also bought duck for around £20 which is much better quality.

The cheapest has bones, the skin can be chewy and the meat is quite dry. The more expensive duck is finely sliced. The golden/brown skin is light and crispy. And the meat is tender, it tastes delicious and has no bones. This type can be wrapped up in pancakes brushed with a dark sweet sauce accompanied with stands of cucumber and onions.

One taxi man told me of his dislike for roast duck. He said it was often cold and unpalatable. Although it can be cold it tastes like heaven. In my opinion, it is one of the best things to eat in Beijing and is my personal favourite.