I feel like a Beijing Ren

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

I live in Beijing for nine years so I feel like a Beijing Ren, Beijing Person.

I love Hutong area. You can enjoy, you can walk around the street you can talk with the people.

I can speak a little bit chinese, so I can communicate with people.

So because I have been here in Beijing for so many years, sometimes I feel like a Beijing Ren like and an old Beijing people. Because it's my city, I think it”s my city, So I can walk through the streets, I knows the places I know the customs.

Sometimes when I travel to other places in China, they laughing because I have the Beijing accent. But the street is my school. I learn Chinese from taxi driver from restaurant. So that’s the reason my accent is so Beijing.

For me from the normal life the air pollution problem changed a lot. They try to do better. There are more electric buses. They promote more share cars, they promote more public transportation. The government is still working, but the improvement is huge.

I think no country can do it in only five years. Now when you see the numbers, Beijing is much better than other cities. So I really appreciate it because I living in Beijing.

I only study Chinese one year and a half. But the street is my school. I learn Chinese from taxi driver from restaurant. So that’s the reason my accent is so Beijing. It’s two main staff of Beijing language. The “Er” some sentence you have to end with “Er”. Guangqumen er, Sanlitun Er. You have to make it long. Xi’an when I said I want to huotui Er (火腿), they said it’s not a standard Chinese. It’s Beijing style Chinese. Another is “xiexie a ~” it’s a symble in Beijing that you should have a long strong pronunciation.

I think for me for the normal life the air pollution problem change a lot. When arrive in Beijing, we didn’t know about air pollution, I thought it’s foggy it’s winter. 2013 january or Febuary, I travel back to Beijing I feel the difference, then I realized the pollution is really heavy. Then everyone talk about the air pollution problem. People start to use Xinfeng system in their home to how much the PM 2.5. we start to learn how to deal with the pollution. In the last winter, I think it’s only one or two days the pM2.5 is more than 200. So it is changing in the past five years. Air information will send to your phone and your friends will talk about the air a lot. They changes buses. There are more electric buses. They promote more share cars, they promote more public transportation. Government is still working, not every government can do it so good in only five years. Now we see the numbers, Beijing is much better than other cities. Even in shanghai. So I really appreciate it because I living in Beijing.

With internet，you just find the official seller, and the products will arrived to your home in 48 hours or even less. I have the opportunity to take no cash with me in one week because everyone could pay in Wechart or Zhifubao. From the bike on the street, the super market.

You can pay the gas, the internet and some utilities. For example you don’t have to go to electricity company and spend four hours, just do it through your wechat.

I used to flea market to bargain and you never know how much is the final price. II think the first time I buy something on the internet, is Fanke, there are two website, one is clothes and shoes, the other is for technology, including camera, cellphone, computer, usb Another reason I chose buy something online is Beijing is so big city, if you want to buy something on other place, you should spend one hour in subway, find the place find the products, then back to home. So it will takes you maybe six hours at least to doing the whole process. If you want to change something you have to go back. You waste time. With internet, you just find the official seller online, and the products will arrived to your home in 48 hours or even less. My Chinese friends help me to open a account and try to help me how is working. It’s a good opportunity to learn Chinese. Because you have to answer the phone chart with them tell the direction when you’re not at home.

Now we have a different website, Alibaba, also Taobao. You can buy everything Taobao, such as food, clothes. I also have Jingdong, only for technology. You can have different APP for different stuff. Dangdang for books. Jingdong for technology, Tmall for super market. You can have fresh fruit and food in one day or less.

If I have to leave the city, personally I will miss a lot. I met my husband in this city. 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 women. In other country, women are not much free to work by themselves.

I think for me for the normal life the air pollution problem change a lot. When arrive in Beijing, we didn’t know about air pollution, I thought it’s foggy it’s winter. 2013 january or Febuary, I travel back to Beijing I feel the difference, then I realized the pollution is really heavy. Then everyone talk about the air pollution problem. People start to use Xinfeng system in their home to how much the PM 2.5. we start to learn how to deal with the pollution. In the last winter, I think it’s only one or two days the pM2.5 is more than 200. So it is changing in the past five years. Air information will send to your phone and your friends will talk about the air a lot. They changes buses. There are more electric buses. They promote more share cars, they promote more public transportation. Government is still working, not every government can do it so good in only five years. Now we see the numbers, Beijing is much better than other cities. Even in shanghai.