Andrea Mella, Beijing Cervantes Institute media coordinator: Link

Andrea Mella, Beijing Cervantes Institute media coordinator

Hello, my name is Andrea. My Chinese name is Mei Ya. I’m Chilean. I’ve been in Beijing for 9 years. Now I am working at the Chilean Embassy in China and Instituto Cervantes in Beijing as media officer.

 The first time I came to Beijing, I was a young lady, and I came alone. 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 live in Beijing for 9 years.  Sometimes I feel like a Beijing Ren, like 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. Kaimener, Dongzhimener,Sanlituner  Xiexie , Dui.

The first time I bought I think is like 360buy (JD.com) or Vancl. Beijing is like a really really big city. With internet, it’s really easy, because you know the brand, you already know the product, you just find the official seller and it just arrive to your home in 48 hours or even less. For example, if you want to buy something online, you can buy on Taobao.com.  You can buy fruits on Tmall.com. If I want to move, I can contact Huolala (a vehicle-hailing platform for cargo). A minivan could come to your home in 1 hour to help you move.

You can pay, I pay, for example, for 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 really convenient. Second is security. China, especially Beijing, I think is really safe for everyone, especially for a woman. In other countries, women are not that much free to walk by themselves.  I love China, I love Beijing