Digital Addicts by Adhiyanto Goen

“Beijing… a city full of tradition, tradition…” was the opening line by my good friend, during my days with InterContinental. This will probably be my last blog entry… from Beijing. I haven’t given this moment much thought, but 12 years… “Don’t they go by in a blink?”I still remember when I first arrive, Beijing was a city like no others I’ve seen Back in the days, there was no skyscraper, no luxurious shopping malls, no LV, no Prada, no Benz roaming the streets. It was all just bicycle back then, the city has just started to discover itself and rising as fast as a lightning. Today, bicycle population are getting less and less, population and pollution growing by the millisecond.

I’ve lived and worked in five parts of the city, nicknamed ‘JING’:

• Chongwen, back in the imperial days these are the residential areas and not the most upper-scale ones. Here I would often bike my way to Temple of Heaven or other parks in the area. Biggest and probably still the largest shopping mall in the area is New World, where I met my hobby for martial arts.
• Haidian, the silicon and universities area for Beijing. Where foreign students and computers would gather around. The area is always bustling with trading of computer hardwares and it has evolved a lot more than just rudimentary streets back in the days.
• Shunyi, the way to the airport and “luxurious” villas built for CEO and rich entrepreneurs, basically the suburbs area where your kids can bike safely without getting hit by high-speed cars (if only you know the country’s road accident rate). There must be over 10,000 units of villa already in the area, although each are built faster than the previous, as well as lower quality.
• Xicheng, China’s own Wall Street or the government area. Probably one of the most expensive land development ever. The government has not stopped pumping money and inviting foreign bankings to open their branch office in the area, in return for “future partnerships” or lower tax rates when doing business in China.
• CBD… ah the lifeline of the city, where everything revolves. The two tallest skyscraper is located here just opposite to each other, luxurious shopping malls and expensive cars… things people don’t buy. I don’t understand that they keep on building malls and branded stores, but hardly any people ever go in and with the high tax rates of luxury goods in China, yet the development still goes on. I guess the fact that the rich of the richest are concentrated within the city does attract the brands to come in and open their stores. The east area of the city is probably the earliest and fastest part of the city to grow, whether it is land or building development, as well as lifestyle. Most of the trendiest malls are in the east part of the town.

Beijing has been my second home now, I’ve grown accustomed to the lifestyle, the way thing works around and how people go about each others business. Sure its tough due to the nature of the political capital city, like any other political cities elsewhere in the world. One thing I will miss of the city, is the security, unlike back in my hometown - Jakarta, crime rate in Beijing is rather low compared to others, as the government has to ensure stability in their own capital city. Second, the city’s layout is built on squares and blocks, pretty much like NY I guess, where once I know which way is North I’ll find my way around (except for Wangjing, where I always manage to get lost around this area). I’ve enjoyed my life here, met truly wonderful friends that I hope it will be for life and met some of the city if not notorious villains. But it is part of the life natural cycle, I am grateful that the experience granted and given to me has brought me so far until this very day. I am grateful in Beijing I met my beautiful wife and enter a new steps in my life.And like all good things it must comes to an end, a destiny we cannot control, a wheel that turns and a road that will turn and bend like we can’t imagine. But life goes on… look into my new chapter in the coming weeks.

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