Spouses.
Your spouse is working, the kids are in school, and you’re stuck in a strange city with no knowledge of the local language, and nothing but time on your hands.
This isn’t every spouse’s experience in Beijing, but if it sounds like yours, it’s time to turn a sacrifice into an amazing opportunity for social, personal, and professional development. Beijing has a lot to offer expat spouses, starting with language lessons at private institutes located throughout the city. Take a daytime group class, and you’ll be sure to meet up with others in the same situation, as well as gain some familiarity with the local lingo. In Beijing, even a little Mandarin goes a long way towards making the city feel more livable.
For spouses concerned that they’ve put their careers on hold to come to Beijing, an internship with a local company can be an innovative way to keep professional skills sharp, or might even be the first step in changing your career path. Beijing abounds with internships, so why not take the opportunity to test your old skills in a new environment, or try an entirely new field?
Socially, Beijing is an opportunity to mix and mingle with professionals from across the world. See if your alumni association has a branch in the capital, and check out the plethora of cultural and national groups if you have the urge to see a familiar face. A budding network of NGO and charity groups is the perfect outlet for the civic-minded set.
Just be careful, the day may come when your spouse’s Beijing assignment is up, and you’re too involved in the community to leave!