Ingenious journey

Tactics traveled up in a changing world

Immerse yourself in deeper: The pedestrian contact with the expatriate community in Beijing. The goal, to gain insights into a variety of places such as the Forbidden City.

Factor expatriates, establish networking with strangers which living abroad gives another color way, by Colleen Kinder, executive summary by darmansjah

Initially, Pico Iyer came to Japan 25 years ago, to study Zen Buddhism of the leaders. Then, the author of this essay is aware of Japanese culture also may he obtained from the expatriates. "I thank the strangers who opened my horizons," said Iyer. Friends with expats benefit the pedestrian. Expatriates who incidentally entrants can provide the same detailed information and well as local residents.

Later, strangers in clubs around the world more and more, until the walker can freely establish networking with expats. Networks can also ask the staff cultural centers in various countries, from Indonesia, the Netherlands, China to Kuwait. This community offers many things, ranging from seminars to historical sights.

"We understand the desire of people west, so we package and present the Chinese culture in a way that is easy for them to understand," said Morgan O'Hara of cultural centers in Beijing Hutong. "It is advantageous pedestrian."

Cultural center is a new variation of expatriate clubs. Two of Australia's tour of the old settled in China establishing a cultural center in the Hutong. They offer courses and workshops that can be followed by pedestrians. Power is nothing but the expatriate teachers, local residents also fluent bilingual.

For newcomers, China is not an easy place to be explored. Expatriate community that facilitated cultural search activity. "Members of the expatriate community is friendly, outgoing, and ready to guide the journey," said Hayden Opie from Beijing Hikers, a group founded by British expatriates and Chinese nationals. They often biked to the corner of Wall of China at the weekend. In 2011, they opened to the public the usual route they follow it.

Agenda for Beijing

Expatriates recommend to writer while in the capital city of China.

I took some courses and tours in Beijing that interest once expand insight into China. Bonus, I can make friends with the expats who know a lot about Beijing.

Market Tour: Rumble 'Taufu.

Not easy for a newcomer like me understand row menu restaurants in China. Moreover, the unique cuisine names and pictures were blurry. Therefore, I joined "Culinary Tour Local Markets" at Hutong. Sophia Du his guide, hunter culinary from Inner Mongolia. It's fun down the aisle, through Beidajie Dongsi Market. Du about 'out incredible. I obtain new knowledge about the black fungus, lotus root, and ‘mi taufu’ - the staple Chinese dishes - and can directly order lunch without having to guess. Price USD11.82.

Cooking Classes: Machete and Frying Pan

I tested the new skill mix Chinese cooking ingredients by following "Beijing flavor cooking lessons." Hutong Communities offer. During the course, participants learn how to use a machete. I love the sensation of holding a large knife in China's favorite. Participants using the apron and made three classic Beijing dishes: eggplant stew, meat sapid an leeks, and tomatoes sauteed eggs. Next I bought a set of knives as souvenirs. Price: USD34.732.

Day Hike: Great Wall of China

The ancient walls of the famous giant is on the list of destinations I visit which mandatory, but use the bus to achieve impressive "tourist-really." Fortunately club Beijing Hikers provide alternative: climb segment ancient walls, stay on agricultural areas, and follow local festivals . Tempted beautiful view during the ascent from Jiankou to Mutianyu, I chose the trip level four (on a scale of one to five). Although not easy, I'm trying to get past the steep route along the ancient walls of the rough sections. On the way home, I met a couple of expats yagn tell where to eat chicken kung pao most delicious in Beijing. Price USD 54.84.

Seminar: China Geopolitics

I want to know the facts in the most populous country on earth, and found him in a seminar on rural-urban migrant workers in the cultural center of China. The participants listened to presentations given that China a graduate student while sipping tea scented flowers. Most participants were expatriates which experts in this field. They diligently recorded and curious. Q & A session turned into a spontaneous debate about social growth in china. The intelligent use of this seminar is to discuss major changes in China and around the world. Price USD8.226

Game: Rules of Mah-jongg

Walking through the alleys in Beijing and you will be captivated to see the elders busy struggling in mah-jongg table. Intrigued, I had to learn the rules of the game this Classical Culture Yard workshops offered. I entered the home page that is hidden behind the town hall and meet Ilya Chermnikh, founder of the community center is a descendant of Russia-Israel. "I offer an interesting experience diving in Beijing," he said. Events range from theater nights China to language courses. The teacher, Joshua Yu, explain a complicated game rules, and threw pieces of mah-jongg on the table. At the end of the first round, then we understand the rules of this classic game. Second round, we managed to win a landslide victory and withdraw money from local residents. Price: USD10.054.

Taste test: All the Tea in China

As a coffee lover, I am less begiut understand tea. Final weekend while "Tea-Tasting Workshop" at Hutong seems fun. Women from Australia, Sofia Curtney, who falls in love while living in the tea plantations in the southern part of China, a two-hour guided exploration of this. I sat with six others on a wooden chair. We pay attention to the teacher poured five different types of Chinese tea into the cup on bamboo tray. Curtney let kam iuntuk smelling tea-oxygen it gave off a sense of tea, he also distributed black sesame cake. I was able to directly differentiate floral oolong tea from Guangdong Province and the famous Pu'er tea from Yunnan Province, as well as ways of making the leaf. It is a soothing and energizing to spend a Saturday afternoon. Price: USD22.85

Final Course: Added insight.

Hanging out with the expats and locals meet is an opportunity to know many new things. I find Peking duck restaurant, local music festivals, museums Communist propaganda, latest train to one of the cities in China, and the race defecate unique way that makes me go jogging track seedy alley. I cutting by climbing a giant wall of ancient China twice. It's exciting. Before returning to the home country, I have visited three dozen friends in China, which in have different views in politics Yunnan China or taste the best restaurants in Beijing. Arguably, they are the tour guides were great.

Interlace Connection

Expats Club and Cultural Center in the World.

The best way to find the center fatherly expatriates are browsing destination and "cultural center." Term "expatriate" is less popular in the virtual world, because of the large commercial site for expatriates which complicates the process of browsing or clogging the network. If you are interested in following a particular activity or course-like, taste-test workshop tea-try browsing activity also. You can also browse the "meetup," either through Meetup.com or Internations.org which is a networking and socializing tool for expatriates. Here are a few centers that have developed expats and offers cultural events and services.

Courses are offered by the Community Services Association in Cairo Egypt, ranging from guitar to Ramadan dishes.

International community center located in Jakarta offers daily tours to the tea plantations and bamboo forest villages.

Tillburg International Club in Holland sponsoring educational activities and social gatherings for the foreign tourists in more than 30 countries.

The American Association of Malaysia offers a number of agenda of activities, ranging from tour tracing Little Indiain Kuala lumpur to the course to make.

In Singapore, the volunteers at the Friends of the Museums organizes weekly lectures and gallery tour led by expatriates.

Located in Kobe, Japan, The Community House and Information Center maintains more than 80 trips and courses, from the trip to the manufacture of sake to Japanese calligraphy workshop.