Lately, preparing to move to Beijing has meant switching between very different questions. Where should I live? What will the journey to work be like? What do I need to arrange before I leave Hong Kong?
Some days, the move feels like a collection of practical decisions. But behind the flights, rental listings and things to organise is a bigger change: getting ready to build a daily life in another city.
Finding somewhere to settle
One of the main things on my mind is finding a place to live. I’m looking for somewhere affordable, furnished and ready to move into—a manageable space for one person, with a commute that makes sense.
Looking through rental listings has made me think about what I actually need from a home. Price matters, but so does being able to come back after work, prepare a meal and rest. I want somewhere that helps me settle into a routine while I get to know Beijing.
For now, that part is still a work in progress. I’ve moved my practical rental notes into a separate post, “Apartment Hunting in Beijing: Notes Before the Move”, covering transport, viewings, utility charges, extra fees and payment terms.
Culture shock before even arriving
I’ve already felt a sense of culture shock before setting foot in Beijing. Without a mainland mobile number, I’ve found it difficult to register for some of the apps and WeChat mini programs that have become essential to my apartment search. Something as basic as looking for a place to live has meant figuring out how to access the platforms people use locally.
I’ve also been learning how to use Xiaohongshu (小紅書, or XHS) to find apartment-renting tips shared by local people. Alongside the rental listings, I’m trying to learn from their experiences and get a better sense of what to look out for when renting in Beijing.
Another cultural adjustment is finding mainland alternatives to the apps I use regularly in Hong Kong. For me, that means switching from Google Maps to 高德地圖 (Amap) for navigation, from WhatsApp to WeChat for messaging, and from Carousell to 閒魚 (Xianyu) for buying and selling second-hand items.
These are familiar everyday tasks, but I’m having to learn new interfaces and habits to do them. For anyone preparing for a similar move, getting familiar with those apps before arriving is another thing I’d put on the preparation list.
It’s an unexpected part of preparing for the move: I’m already learning how everyday life works there, even while I’m still in Hong Kong.
Taking my work into a different environment
Work is a major reason for the move. As I prepare for my next role in speech therapy, I’m particularly interested in developing my ability to work with children and families in Mandarin and English.
I want to become more comfortable communicating across languages and responding to the different experiences families bring into a session. Working in Beijing will give me a different setting in which to keep learning.
There will be plenty to get used to: a new workplace, new people and different expectations. I hope to give myself time to ask questions and understand how things work.
Making room for life outside work
Alongside the professional plans, I’m thinking about the ordinary parts of living somewhere new. Finding a convenient place to buy groceries. Working out a familiar route home. Having enough time and energy left at the end of the day to enjoy something outside work.
Those things matter to me too. I want to build a routine that includes rest and interests beyond my job, rather than leaving them until everything else is finished.
I don’t have a complete picture of what life in Beijing will look like yet. At this stage, I’m working through the preparations one decision at a time.
Before departure
There are still arrangements to make, and I’m sure there will be things I only work out after arriving. For now, my focus is on getting the essentials in place and giving myself a reasonable starting point.
I’d like to use this blog to record some of that process—the preparations, the adjustments and the everyday discoveries along the way.
The next entry may come from Beijing. This one begins with getting ready to go.
Featured photo: chen zy on Unsplash.
No comments yet