Link my heart to Beijing

Editor’s note: This year marks the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up, and huge changes have been made in Beijing, capital of China, over the past 40 years. We have invited 40 foreign experts to participate in a series of interviews named “New Era, New Insight” jointly hosted by GMW.cn（The official website of Guangming Daily） and the Information Office of Beijing Municipality and share their “Beijing Stories”. The following is a part of the interview with the counsellor of the Chile Embassy in China, Andrea..

Andrea, counsellor of the Chile Embassy in China (Photo source: Guangming Online)

Hello my name is Andrea. My Chinese name is Mei Ya.

I’m Chileans. I’ve been in Beijing for 9 years.

Now I am working at the Chile Embassy in China and Instituto Cervantes in Beijing.

The first time I came to Beijing, I was a young lady, and I came alone.

The first time came to Beijing, I was a young lady, and I came alone. That’s my first time in China so I wasn’t pretty sure what’s will going on in China. I saw the news I saw the Olympic Games in 2008. As soon as I arrive to Beijing, I realized Beijing is like a really developed city, they have super market, they have almost everything that I can have in my country they have here. So I think that’s really big impression that’s a rainy day in summer, because in my country it’s only rainy in winter. I studied in Beijing international study university to study one year Chinese.

So I didn't know and I wasn’t pretty sure what’s going on with Beijing or China.I don't know how to taste the food, even order the food.So in the beginning it was completely a standby. First I started to eat McDonald’s and then I really love the Baozi. So I started to have breakfast, lunch and dinner for Baozi.

I didn’t have any. Because it’s nothing similar between Chile and China. So everything is different here. The food the relationships the weather of course the language. So my first time it was blank. I thought why I’m doing here, I don’t know how to taste food. So the beginning was con stand by in the first week. After a week , I start to realize what I like. I think the big is the food. Because I don’t know what I can order or options. I speak Spanish. While every Chinese people can speak English. So I should translate from Spanish to English. And some food is spicy and I can not eat spicy food. So the first thing for me is how to choose food. So the funniest thing is I have my breakfast lunch and dinner in McDonald’s in one day.

They must feel you feel in the city. I am not talking about Guomao area, because it’s like a normal city. I love Hutong area because you can feel the really Beijing. You can enjoy you can walk in the street you can talk with the people. Of course if you don’t speak Chinese. But I can speak a little bit Chinese so I can communicate with people. So I still can remember I walk in a hutong, and people say hi, hello to me. And I say nihao in Chinese. And he started ask if I have dinner. And he buy me to his house to have dinner. So he didn’t know me and I didn’t know him. Share with me where I come from what I am doing here. It’s a big opportunity to speak with Chinese people. They will invite you to their home to eat and talk about life in different country and share experience.Because I have been Beijing so many years, I feel like Beijing Ren like all Beijing people. Because I think it’s my city so I can walk through the street I know the places I know the streets I know the customs. Sometimes I travel to all the places in China, they laughing because I have accent Every weekend I try to go to different places because my friends in Beijing. And I use to live here so I can give direction so I can solve the problems because I feel like it’s my city.

I live in Beijing for 9 years. Sometimes I feel like a Beijing Ren, like an old Beijing People. Because it's my city, I think it’s my city. So I can walk through the streets, I know the places, I know the streets, I know the customs. But the street is my school. So I learn from taxi drivers, from restaurants. So that’s the reason my accent is so Beijing.

Open the door. Dongzhimen. Sanlitun

Thank you. Yes.

The first time I bought was 360buy (JD.com) or Vancl. Beijing is like a really big city. With internet, it’s really easy, because you know the brand, you are already know the product, you just find the official seller and it will arrived to your home in 48 hours or even less.

For example, if you want to buy something online, you can buy from Taobao.com. You can buy fruits from Tmall.com. If I want to move, I can contact Huolala (a vehicle-hailing platform for cargo). A minibus could come to your home in 1 hour to help you move.

You can pay the gas, the internet and some utilities in the city. For example you don’t have to go to the electricity company and spend four hours, just do it through your Wechat. I have the opportunity to take no cash with me in one week because everyone has Wechat pay or Alipay, from the bikes on the streets, the super markets. If I have to leave the city, personally I will miss a lot. Because in this city, I met my partner, my husband. I married here. One is the internet. It’s a very convenience. Second is security. China, especially Beijing, is really safe for everyone, especially for a woman. In other country, women are not much free to work by themselves.

I love China I love Beijing