Some expats consider staying in the Middle Kingdom for good

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After living in China for some time, some expats have decided to stay in the country long term. Photo: Li Hao/GT

Cynthia Santana, an American who works for a Beijing-based educational firm, has been living in the capital for three years. From being completely ignorant about WeChat, Santana has made great leaps in using the app and is pretty active in 10 WeChat groups.

Living far away from her hometown in Massachusetts, Santana said she sometimes feels lonely. However, all kinds of WeChat groups created by other expats help to temper the sting of loneliness. The WeChat groups she is in include BLKGEN, an empowering group of intellectuals and creatives that promotes positivity and growth, and Fiestas Latinos where she can view posts in Spanish and connect with other Spanish speakers.

"There is always someone to talk to or an event being advertised where you can go and mingle with other expats. For the mere fact that WeChat exists, I don't think there is ever a reason to feel alone," she told Metropolitan.

Fascinated by Beijing's hutong culture, Santana went to live in the Guanshuyuan residential community in the Yongkang Hutong. For her, Beijing is big but somewhat insular, and it has been easy to gain a sense of community through the lifestyle in the hutong and the ever so helpful expat community.

"I am very content here," she said. "I don't see an end date as to when I am leaving China."

Like Santana, many expats who live and work in China fall in love with the country because they started their exploration here. Whether it is due to their love of Chinese culture, job and advancement opportunities or the safe environment here, they have shown a strong willingness to stay for good.

A helpful growth-oriented community

What attracts Santana the most in Beijing is the developed expat community co-existing with the Chinese community.

Although in her own country she is surrounded by old friends and familiar faces, she still prefers the expat community in Beijing. 

"Just because they (people in her country) are your friends and familiar doesn't mean they are serving you well," she said. "Sometimes you need to look beyond that comfort zone in order to grow."

She said that in Beijing there is a lot of support; everyone is positive, and the community wants to see each other succeed. 

"Everyone is helping each other to grow," she said.

Santana has a good group of friends in the Yongkang Hutong area who are easy to access if she is feeling down. 

"There is always a dependable person in the local expat community who can assist me with achieving career goals or making my way around the city. I am growing and have gained my independence because I have become well equipped to maneuver through life's daily challenges," she said.

Lindsay Carrigan, who is in her early 30s, came to Beijing two years ago with a bachelor's degree in communication from an American university. 

Like many foreigners who first come to China, Carrigan got a job as an English teacher for a soft landing. But before long, she found that there are lots of job opportunities in her field in Beijing. She applied for one and soon got a job at a media company as a reporter and editor with a satisfying salary.

She feels that being in China provides her with the opportunity to be in a market where her skills are needed. By contrast, if she were back in her home country, she would probably have worked in industries like the food and beverage (F&B) sector and earn between $25,000 and $30,000 a year, which would only cover her bills.

"In the US, the market is oversaturated," she said, adding that if she were to apply for a job in the US doing what she does now, the competition would be so fierce that she would never be able to get it. 

"It is almost a requirement to have a bachelor's degree in the US just to be a receptionist. So, I was looking for jobs in F&B as a promoter or brand ambassador, using a skill set that I didn't even go to school for to get a job," said Carrigan.

She now cherishes her current job very much, saying that she knew this was a special opportunity and she would use it to help her grow. 

The past is the past

Another reason Carrigan has decided to stay in China is that she doesn't think she can go back to the same lifestyle back in the US. 

She said in the US, if she made the same money she makes here, she would not be living as well as she does in China.

Carrigan shared a list of her expenses in the US. Her cell phone bill is $100 a month, utilities can be around $150-$200 a month and the rent in big cities there is similar what one would pay in Beijing or other big cities in China. She said most of her friends back home are just working to pay their bills. But in China, she can live a much better life.

"I have an ayi who comes once a week to help me clean, I can go out with friends and get dinner or lunch four to five times a week and not worry about money, and I can travel to destinations that would only be a dream otherwise from the US," she said.

Carrigan feels that it would be impossible to go back because it would seem like she is going backward instead of forward in terms of having a successful and fulfilling life.

"The 'American Dream' is not my dream," said Carrigan. "I once heard that life is not living the same day over and over again for 75 years, and I won't live that kind of life. Every day in China is an adventure to me."

China's safe environment, job and advancement opportunities and satisfying lifestyle are some of the key reasons more and more expats want to stay. Photo: Li Hao/GT

Safety matters

Andrew, a 42-year-old South African, has been in China for 14 years. He works at an international school and has settled down well in the capital. As he puts it, he was one of the lucky few who managed to buy property around 2004 when the housing price was not this high. The purchase was a key part of his decision to make Beijing his home.

Besides job opportunities, the level of safety in China is also what captured Andrew, who has two children. For him, China is a very safe place to raise children much unlike his home country. 

"South Africa is a violent place where people get mugged and killed, and rape statistics are very high. Children are kidnapped a lot. Houses also need to be protected because of robberies," he said. "Here, expat children grow up not having to experience violent crime."

Josh Bernstein, a 33-year-old American who has been in China for 14 years, also speaks highly of the safety in China. He said China is safer than the US and other parts of the world in that there is a lot less crime in general. 

"In the US, especially in larger cities, it's more dangerous for people, especially women, to be alone at night in certain neighborhoods," he said.

Bernstein hopes to live here long term. When he first came to China with his high school class, they traveled to more than 20 places all over Southern China for a month. Since then, he has felt like China is where he belongs and has developed a passion for Chinese culture and language. Bernstein is now fluent in the language and has a Chinese wife.

The trade-off

A common thing that many long-term foreigners would face is the transience of some of their expat friends in the country. 

Having already been in China for so many years, Bernstein has had to say goodbye to many of his foreign friends. However, he said, he has many Chinese friends and that he can still keep in contact with his foreign friends by email, phone or other methods after they leave. 

For Andrew, it is more difficult being away from his family, especially for important occasions like birthdays and deaths. 

The air quality is another thing that bothers both Bernstein and Andrew.

When the air is smoggy, Bernstein develops a sinus infection and has to take medicine to fight it. 

Andrew mainly finds it a headache because he has to plan according to the air quality, especially with kids. But he said he has seen an improvement in the air quality over the past year and is watching the new initiatives that promise to further improve the capital's air quality.

Andrew said that a good aspect of living in China is that he is able to witness the development of China as an insider.

"The country is moving on the global front. The 'going out' policy and the Belt and Road initiative are very great to watch from inside China. The 2022 Olympic Games and the football development initiative are both interesting," he said.

"I watched China go from a 'where is that?' country to one that influences almost every aspect of global trade. I've watched China grow confident." 

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