Back in Beijing Again

I have to admit, it is a little surreal to be back in Beijing so soon after I left, especially since I’m in such an exceptionally different circumstance. Whereas in the Fall I was faced with challenges of my own limits, a language barrier, health issues, and many other issues, now it is so simple and easy. I am fortunate enough to have wonderful friends that are letting me stay with them while I’m here, which makes the experience that much more real in a lot of ways. (Real in a…so this is what it would be like to have my own apartment in Beijing sort of way…).

Despite the fact that this is a working trip for me, in that I am meeting with people, talking to various firms, etc., I have been enjoying myself immensely. There are a lot of very interesting folks who live here, and it is always fascinating to have the “how did you end up here” conversation. I have been taking advantage of the fact that I didn’t have any meetings this week to really get out and about and talk with random people. I have also been pleasantly surprised at how much my Chinese stuck around, though I have these weird holes in my memory for completely random words that I should remember. I am sure that will all resolve itself in time as I use the language on a daily basis. Last night I went to a happy hour with a friend and had 80% of a conversation for about an hour in Chinese…it made me feel really good about the effort I put in last fall. One nice thing is that my instinct from my trip here this fall to always be using Chinese has stuck around, and apparently my accent is still sufficient that people usually respond in kind. Hopefully I won’t totally disappoint my old tutor when I meet her for dinner on Sunday…

One unfortunate item of note: I was going to go skiing with a friend this weekend…which would have been really cool, if for no other reason than I could say I went skiing in Beijing…but it’s been so nice and warm that there’s nothing but ice left on the slopes. So no dice on my big plans for the weekend.

For those of you interested in my job search news, I have spent a good amount of time on the phone with some very interesting people, and I have some meetings set up for next week, so I’m feeling decent about where I am. While I would love something to just fall in my lap, I know that’s just not very likely, so I am just enjoying the experience for now.