(Some ramblings of an expat; someday I’ll get my act together and maybe write this for real.)

I’ve lived in Beijing for almost 11 years. I do not read Chinese. I do not speak Chinese. I can understand little spoken Chinese. I’ve tried off and on to learn. Languages comes hard to me. I am an introvert and don’t really speak that much in English. In fact, my English has gotten worse since I’ve moved here. My main motivation to learn Chinese would be have a decent response to “how’s your Chinese” question I get from Chinese and foreigners whenever I first meet them.

I have few Chinese friends. I have few friends in general. This is not any different than when I lived in the states.

The current events I follow is from English language blogs, newspapers, or what someone posts on weixin. I still follow what’s going on in the states by reading my hometown newspaper online and following social media feeds. I have a moderate interest in Chinese social economics and American social economics. Moderate means I am not a Chinafile nor an Americanfile.

I follow American pop culture. I have almost no awareness of Chinese pop culture unless there is a scandal or I happen to have The Voice on TV. It doesn’t help that I have an impossible time remembering names.

I am more connected to the Chinese art scene than the American art scene since I am dating a Chinese artist.

So, what am I doing in China? I could be anywhere, or nowhere, from the sound of it. I decided to come 11 years ago to “take a break” and then restart my career while supporting my then wife to return home and kickstart her career. We had two under two children and added a third three years later. I found and find Beijing be be vibrant, ever changing in the early days, with comfort and convenience and now normalcy. At some point I decided to stay so my children would learn Chinese as natives and I continue to say this is the reason I stay. As they approach the age when I should consider returning them to the US for a “western” education, I am thinking about finding alternatives to stay longer.

So, what am I doing in China? I’m having a life. That’s all.