Wudaokou Watch: "China Has Opened Me up to Myself"

In this Wudaokou Watch column, we'll profile a different Beijing-based student from abroad each week to hear about their life in China's capital.

What is your name and where do you come from?
My name is Anastasia Eganova and I am Russian. I'm from the city of Kazan, in the Republic of Tatarstan.

Why did you come to Beijing?
I came to Beijing one and a half years ago, to study Chinese. I experienced difficulty learning this language, so I decided to master it completely here in China. Why Beijing? I had heard about the Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU) back in my country. I decided to apply BLCU because it has a rich history of teaching Chinese to international students.

How is life in Beijing different from your home country?
I always thought that Russia was the coldest country in the world. Because the region of Siberia can get down to -60 degrees Celsius in winter, many foreigners think that Russia is very cold. However, Beijing is colder than my home city. When you measure temperature you cannot just look at the degrees, you have to judge how it actually feels. The wind in Beijing makes it feel twice as cold as the snowy and not-so-windy Russian winter. Because of these weather conditions, my physical life has changed thanks to a newfound positive attitude: I take better care of myself, cook well and eat healthy food, keep up with my immune system with vitamins, etc.

What are the biggest challenges for you here?
I have an indescribable desire to master Chinese. It is my biggest challenge as well. Although I do speak it very well (or at least I like to think so), I always feel that I have not yet learned enough. It is hard, and it takes time, but the result is definitely worth it!

What are your three favorite hangouts here?
In China, it's easy to get lost in hanging out and going to parties. Every day there are many events! You can find anything from social events to intellectual events in any language you wish. My favorite organization, however, is the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR). It's an organization of students and young professionals that have studied Chinese as their major. Participating in SCOLAR events helps me self-develop and hanging out with SCOLAR people makes me feel very chill and relaxed, as I feel I'm where I belong.

What do you do when you are feeling homesick?
I rarely feel homesick, maybe, because I have found “my people” here, but when I do feel homesick, a good way for me to get out of it is definitely going to gym!

What do you love most about Beijing?
Beijing has a good, balanced mix of culture, history, development, and innovation.

What is your most memorable Beijing experience?
Despite the fact that there are many foreigners in Beijing, still, no matter where I will go, there will be a Chinese person asking to take a picture with me because he or she has never seen a foreigner before.

How has the life in Beijing impacted you?
China has opened me up to myself and my potential. I have new educational opportunities, new work opportunities, new volunteering opportunities that I never even knew about before. I am starting my own projects and startups, and I am taking better care of myself generally.

What inspires you and what are your future plans?
I still haven’t figured out my life fully yet [Editor: don't worry, none of us have!]. I follow Chinese style of life: 慢慢走 (màn màn zǒu lit. slow slow walk). In China every day I am finding more and more opportunities for my future. Let’s see where China can take me!

Fancy visiting Anastasia's home country? Here's how to get tickets to the Trans-Siberian railway in Beijing.

Are you a student in Beijing? Let us profile you and your unique experiences here. Drop us a line at editor@thebeijinger.com and we’ll get back to you to schedule an interview.

Photos courtesy of Anastasia Eganova