Make no mistake, compared to the other countries in Asia, China is not a convenient country to live in. For whatever reason, whether it’s getting around town or paying for utilities, China seems to go out of its way to drive you up the wall in the process. I would, however like to point out a few perks about living in China. Some are more significant than others but they all help ease some of the frustrations that come along with living in a developing country.
1. Watching Movies
A year ago, upon arrival to China, I was afraid I would be out of touch with American media, especially films. Fast forward to the present, I’ve seen almost every major Hollywood movie released in the past year, as well as popular movies I never watched from the past decade. In fact, when I returned home recently, I found out that I’ve seen more Hollywood movies while in China than my friends who actually live in America. Ironic indeed, but this is attributed to the fact that movies are simply more accessible in China than they are in America, albeit through illegal questionable methods. Yes, movies of all kinds can be found on the streets at the price of slightly more than an price of a can of Coke. You can pick up a movie on your way back from work from random vendors on the streets. And if paying is not your thing, there are multiple programs that allow you to stream and download DVD-quality movies to your computer creating yourself a nice collection in the process. Compare this to the effort needed to watch a movie in America where you need to go to the theaters and pay an unruly price ticket fee, thus making you a lot more selective in what you watch.
2. Apartments Come Furnished
When looking for an apartment in the US, rooms often come empty, meaning you have to provide your own furniture when moving in. Heck, it’s considered a luxury if an apartment came with a washer and dryer. In China, it’s the exact opposite, with apartments being completely furnished, including couches, bed frames and even microwaves. This is a big deal for foreigners who don’t have the time or the luxury of a driving around to buy their own and saving them lots of money if they don’t plan to live here long-term. Granted, the furniture may not be in the best shape nor will it necessarily be to your liking. But landlords are aware of this and in order to close a deal with potential renters, will make a deal to buy completely new furniture for free. It’s quite a convenience considering how much of a pain it is just to find housing in Beijing.
3. Food Delivery
When you think about restaurants that do delivery in America, probably only pizza and Chinese food come to mind. The idea of delivering Chinese food must have come from the motherland itself because just about any restaurant will do delivery here in China. That’s right, not only pizza but even fast food restaurants like McDonalds, KFC, and Subway do delivery. In fact, many fast food chains have motorbikes parked outside ready to do delivery. As if eating fast food was unhealthy enough, getting it delivered to saves you the trip of even walking out the door. In terms of domestic food, Chinese restaurants will often leave a paper menu at your front door hoping that you order from them. Some Hot Pot restaurants even do delivery, bringing the meat and the soup base. All this comes at no cost to you other than the price of your order. That’s because there’s also…
4. No Tipping
Coming from a country where gratuity is expected, it’s a nice convenience to not have to tip, especially considering lack of quality in Chinese customer service. Whether you’re at a restaurant, in a cab or at the barbershop, tipping not customary nor is it really even accepted. Gratuity is only reserved for upscale restaurants and hotels where a “surcharge” is tacked on to the bill. But these are the sort of places where only rich business people go to. So for the everyday expat, there is no need to calculate a standard 15% tip in your head when paying the waitress, bartender or taxi driver.
5. Street Food
In China, you never have to go too far for a quick bite. Think about the hot dog and pretzel stands you see in major metropolitan cities like New York and San Francisco and then multiply that by 100 (and subtract the hot dogs and pretzels) and you have a rough picture of the street food scene in Beijing. Food stands appear at just about every corner of the streets, selling hot meals while you are waiting for your bus to arrive or right before you enter the subway station. Whether it’s roasted sweet potatoes or Chinese pancakes, much of what they offer can be taken on the go. So if you really can’t sit down for breakfast, grab something on the way to work. It may not be the healthiest (nor the most sanitary) option but in terms of convenience, it certainly makes life easier in China.
Koombah 