Back in China

Hi everyone !

I am Justine, French volunteer in CANGO, Beijing, for 6 month. I have now been in China for a little over a month. 4th time in China, but 1st time living in Beijing, and I’m loving it! Many things to do, many places to go, many cool people to meet. I am living with the 3 other volunteers, Costanza, Janaina and Capucine. We are sharing a big 2 bedrooms appartment in the city center.

Work has been interesting, in particular the few conferences that I’ve had the opportunity to go take part in. It really helps understanding CANGO’s work, and NGOs actions in China. The team in CANGO has been really nice and caring from day 1.

Among the cool experiences I’ve had during this first month were: going to KTV with a bunch of Chinese students I didn’t know, going ice skating, climbing the great wall, eating amazing food (Beijing roast duck rules), and… buying a scooter to do some sport.

Simple things I’m loving the most here are the food, walking in the small traditional hutongs, local markets where bargaining is always a game, and the fact it is so easy to buy fresh fruits and vegetables everywhere.

So although Beijing is a big, crowded modern city, with big buildings, foreign brands/shops/restaurants and everything, I like the way it is still very “chinese”. And here is a picture to show you an example, among thousand others, of why it is so:

That’s life in Beijing, so far so good!

Justine