Adjusting to Beijing.....

[aimei]

Hello all. My boyfriend and I just got here a few days ago. We are in Hai Dan in a very out of the way area, there is not even a subway stop here. We are going to be studying at a small private school called Beijing Dongfang Da Xue for an exchange program our home university set up. We are absolutely the only westerners living in the area.....it is kinda isolated and not modern at all, dirt streets, run down hut type buildings etc. There is nothing for us to do in this neighborhood at all, so it's pretty depressing not being able to go out and do anything. Even if there were something to do, I'm not sure I'd want to go out because when we do everyone stares at us really bad, I feel like an alien species.....

A couple days ago we went downtown to the Wangfujing area and I really loved it there, no one stared at us and there was so much to do. I can't help but think I'd be so much happier there....I don't know. But the school is in this crappy part of town so what can we do? We are the only westerners at the school as well.....a whole semester of this is going to be hard. Sorry, this is such a complaining thread! I'm really not like this at all at home, it's just that I'm really disliking where we live. Does anyone have any advice for me on how to cope? I'd really appreciate it because I feel pretty out of place and lonely here with no westerners to talk to. Thanks everybody.

[roddy]

There are bus routes at the bottom of this page which will help you get around a bit - you're certainly not central, but you're not too far from Wudaokou - if you can get down there a couple of times a week you should feel a bit less isolated. You could even look at traveling into town on a Friday, staying a couple of nights in a cheap hotel and then going back the Sunday evening.

The staring isn't going to stop - ignore it, stare back, whatever helps you cope.

[aimei]

Thanks for the info Roddy. One question though: how much would a moderate priced hotel run me downtown? I've read that you should never make a reservation at a Chinese hotel, just show up and bargain, is that right? You couldn't recommend any nice moderatly priced places in the wanfujing area could you? Thanks

[roddy]

How much money? How much you got . . .

The 365inn at Qianmen has rooms for under 200Y a night. There are cheaper options if you look for them and there are always hostels.

Have you been to Wudaokou yet - that should be your priority I think as it's closest and it'll give you a bit of a break.

[aimei]

Wow thanks! This looks like a great little place, I will def be making a reservation soon. My only problem will be finding out how to get there from where I am now. As for Wudaokou, (prolly mispelled sorry), our teacher took my boyfriend somewhere near here a couple days ago to a place that had a huge Carrefour and a big market selling all types of electronics, is that what your talking about? We still don't really have a clue to where things are in the city so I will ask the teachers about it.

[roddy]

That's probably the general area, but if you get yourself to the Wudaokou subway stop and look for Lush on the south-west corner, then look south of there again, you've got a small strip of cafes and bars, with more in the surrounding area. It's your closest option for a bit of a break from the rigours of Shangdi . . .

As for getting to the 365inn, there's a map at the bottom of the linked page. It is a little tricky to find the first time, but it's a fun area. Have a browse around though, you might find something more suitable - there is a hostel almost right on Wangfujing, but I forget the name.

[gougou]

The Carrefour and electronics market should be Zhongguancun, which is not too far from Wudaokou.

[Shadowdh]

You can also find hotels etc on sinohotel.com (I found one in Xian via this site and it was far above expectations, and the site has great service...)

But as some have suggested... go out and about as often as you can from where you are and that will definitely break the monotany... I especially loved catching the bus to Qianmen and then walking through the Hutongs... or the parks...

[waijohn]

Hey AiMei--I have no affiliation to That's Beijing, but it is the title of a guidebook I heartily endorse. You can pick up a copy (~70RMB) at the O2 (Oxygen) bookstore towards the Sothwest corner of the WuDaoKou metro station.

Why I recommend it? It'll help you get out of your neighborhood and begin to navigate Beijing like a pro. The writers are either native Chinese or Westerners that have lived in Beijing for an extended period of time, so although the info is in Western format, the places will mostly be those that only a savvy Beijinger can know. (It's NOT a Frommer's. It's NOT a Lonely Planet. It has practical information for someone living in Beijing and good insights esp. for the newby).

Also go out and meet Westerners. Create a little epistemic community with whom you can exchange helpful information about Beijing, all aspects of it. Of course, the idea is to be here to learn Mandarin and meet natives and really absorb their culture but when you find yourelf in a "hole" per say, the chance of meeting natives is not even a possibility. First things first, your health and sanity and then and only then can you really reach out.

It's not a bible, but can definitely serve as a small bridge to help you reach out to what Beijing has to offer to foreigners staying longer than a few weeks.

Best of luck.

[waijohn]

The title of the book I mentioned in my last reply is not "That's Beijing;" it's actually "The Insider's Guide to Beijing" edited by Adam Pillsbury.

[aimei]

Thanks a lot for the info waijohn. I am not far from Wudaoko so I will look for the book next time I am there. Cheers!

[adrianlondon]

Yeah, I keep calling it That's Beijing and then I get confused when a place I'm in says they don't sell it, when I've been told they do. And then, when I see piles of the books and want to say "hey, look, there it is you idiot!" I realise it's me who's the idiot ;)

[Qcash3]

You can pick up a copy (~70RMB) at the O2 (Oxygen) bookstore towards the Sothwest corner of the WuDaoKou metro station.

60 RMB at Sculpting in Time...and you get a mug!