Week 8: Back Again in Beijing
It was strangely comforting returning back to Beijing from Shanghai. The familiar high-rises, the sterile lighting in the subway stations, and the small mom-and-pop shops outside of my apartment in Chaoyang, these sights all let my body know that I had returned home. This was strange as I had long considered Shanghai my home city in China. Maybe it was because of how much Shanghai has changed in the last decade, or the length of time I have now lived in Beijing. Nonetheless, I think the act of returning reminded me that “home” is not always a fixed location but can shift with time, routines, and the people you encounter along the way.
Back in Beijing, I found myself back in my familiar routine. I would wake up and get ready, walk to Jintai Xizhao Station, and take the morning subway to the office. At the office, my only responsibility remaining, was to right a paper on worker classification so that the firm could use it for future projects. This paper became an opportunity to synthesize everything I had been researching throughout the summer—California’s ABC test, the hybrid models emerging in the U.K. and Germany, and the unique challenges posed by China’s rapidly expanding gig economy.
Drafting the paper felt less like a discrete assignment and more like bringing closure to a thread I had been following since the beginning of my internship. Each case study, comparative law framework, and policy proposal had to be distilled into something practical and accessible, a resource that my colleagues could return to after I had left. In many ways, it marked the transition point between my own learning process and my contribution to the institution’s future work.
At the same time, I appreciated how the structure of my daily life in Beijing grounded me as I worked through this final project. The predictability of the subway commute, the rhythm of office hours, and even the small routines after work. Whether it be grabbing noodles from a corner shop, or walking through Chaoyang’s crowded evening streets, made the task feel less daunting. Just as my sense of “home” had shifted between Shanghai and Beijing, so too had my role shifted: from a student absorbing knowledge to a contributor shaping how that knowledge might be applied.
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This week I was also able to break my daily routine by taking a trip to the Beijing Aquarium. Being a long-time fan of the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, my expectations were high. The aquarium is located inside of the Beijing Zoo, so I the walk from the Didi drop off point to the entrance to the aquarium was quite the trek. Today was another hot one, and with no shade and the white pavement reflecting the sun back into my face, we pushed onwards towards the entrance of the aquarium hoping to find air conditioning. However, I was sorely disappointed.
After entering the aquarium, the first exhibit was their amazon and freshwater fish exhibit. While the A/C was running, it did little to combat the humidity rising off of the numerous tanks before us. However, despite the sweat running down my back, my attention was quickly diverted to the exhibits. As a child, I was an avid home aquarium enthusiast, and I had a long dreamed of upgrading my small 55-gallon aquarium to house some of the fish that I was now looking at. They had a schools of Silver Arowana and Peacock Bass. Large gars from my home state of Florida and some of the most stunning discus I have ever had the chance to see in person. What really stole the show though, was the Asian Arowana. They had a variety of super reds and golden cross-backs. Their eye-catching colors and graceful demeanor really drove home the reason that they are called dragon-fish. I have never been able to see them in person, as they are banned from the pet trade in all of the U.S., so I was overjoyed to see so many and at such impressive sizes.
A little reluctantly, I moved on from the freshwater exhibit into the main lobby area where we were greeted by a large tank containing some reef sharks, rays, and numerous other smaller fish. A pretty common type of exhibit for aquariums, but impressive nonetheless. After grabbing a quick bite to eat and a cold drink, we decided to check out the Chinese sturgeon aquarium. As we first entered the dark exhibit, we were met with a blast a cold air, a welcome relief after dealing with the heat and humidity for so long. The tank was enormous. While the window was not as tall as the one at the Georgia Aquarium, it stretched almost as wide, past my field of view. Through this window, a dozen or so of these gentle ancient beasts drifted serenely, larger than any of the sharks outside. Truly strange looking creatures, it is crazy to think about how they haven’t changed in millions of years.
We decided to next head to the dolphin and sea lion show to find a place to sit down. I haven’t been to one of these shows since I was a little kid, so it was almost nostalgic when they closed the shutters and began. They first had some sea lions come out for a comedy and audience engagement portion, then came the dolphins. The dolphins did some acrobatics and some swimming tricks with their trainers. It was a pretty standard show from my point of view, definitely nothing to write home about, but I still enjoyed it anyways.
By the time I made it back home that night, I felt both exhausted and content. The week had been a mix of routine and surprise. Days spent finishing up my paper at the office, and moments like wandering through the aquarium that pulled me back into old childhood fascinations. Returning to Beijing after Shanghai reminded me that “home” doesn’t have to be fixed in one place, that it can shift and grow with each experience. For now, home feels like the quiet familiarity of my Chaoyang neighborhood, the steady rhythm of my commute, and the little adventures I find when I let myself step outside of routine.
That’s it for this week! That’s it for this week! The past 8 weeks have flown by so quickly. With only a short time left, I’m starting to feel both grateful for all I’ve experienced and a little nostalgic knowing my time here is winding down.
