red star rising. 上升的紅星: Expat Life.

My awesome Australian friends and i outside the swanky Q Bar.

ex·pa·tri·ate • \ěk-spā'trē-āt'\ • noun *1. a person living outside his or her own country

Living in Beijing is awesome. I think the one thing that i did not expect was the thriving expat community. There are so many expats from other countries that have come to China to study, work, and live. Considering the rapid pace of activity and blossoming economy, it should not be a surprise that Beijing is such a happening place.

Dancing at my favorite spot - Suzie Wong's.

A Suzie Wong's special.. good times!

I found the expat community in Beijing to be generally very welcoming. I met people living in Beijing who came from all over the world: Australia, Hong Kong, Italy, Russia, Spain, Sweden, the U.K., and even Kansas. It is natural for expats to gravitate towards one another, as we all share something major in common.. we are all foreigners here. We can share our frustrations, with the language, the food, the pollution, the bureaucracy.. but we also can share our successes.

Soccer teammate and Italian friend, Simone.

Playing soccer under the lights.

It didn't take long for me to make friends and fit in to the community. In fact, it is kind of surprising to me how quickly i left my old life behind in the States and began anew. Before leaving Beijing, i had made a number of new friends, joined a soccer team, improved my language skills, knew my way around the city, and even had a few regular hangouts.

Enjoying one of my favorite beers for the first time in years, a Kilkenney.

Dave, Brad, me, Amy, and Karl.

On my last night in Beijing, several friends came out to wish me well. We all agreed that my time in China had gone by way too quickly, and i really felt sad to be leaving this new life behind. But as quickly as it had come, my life in Beijing would be no more. However, the weeks i had there were fantastic and the awesome people i met will remain as friends.