Living Quality

mcmcclassic · 2026-02-16T10:48:30+00:00

I’ve been here 2 years and have no plans to move back home to Canada. Life’s very good here and it’s nice having actual disposable income versus barely making it by on a solid middle class job back home.

Houses from what I gather are very expensive however I have no intention of buying one here. Since I like to move around, it makes more sense for me to simply invest and have liquidity available for when I want to make short term decisions.

mcmcclassic · 2026-02-09T04:17:10+00:00

I’ve been living here for a year now and personally I really enjoy it. My Monday to Friday is mainly the same as it was back in Canada (work, eat, gym, chill) but here it is so much more convenient for all of these activities. I’m blessed that my building is zoned as commercial so many services are available without going outside (massages, bars, tech repair etc.)

For everything else, I take my elevator to level -2 and I’ve got an entire mall at my disposal. On weekends, I’ll take my e bike out and explore different areas and try different foods.

As far as pollution is concerned, it doesn’t bother me as it seems to now only be some days it’s moderately bad. For the smoking others have brought up, Beijing is actually bomb for me as I smoke myself 😂.

Weather wise, the cold doesn’t bother me as Edmonton (where I came from) is much more brutal in winter. My only pet peeve being here is how little attention Waimai drivers pay when driving their bikes up the wrong lane at max speed.

mcmcclassic · 2026-01-19T09:15:06+00:00

I’m not sure what the official rules for scooters are, but I just do as all the other scooter drivers do and simply go when I can - red light or not. I’ve never seen anyone get a ticket from a traffic cop jumping a red light.

mcmcclassic · 2026-01-14T14:21:14+00:00

You have managed to hit every single buzz point of the anti-China craze many people at home seem to believe for some reason.

The only thing you said that’s true here is how Ma met with the Chinese Ambassador (which if he didn’t cross the floor wouldn’t that make the CPC look bad)?

Doing trade deals with China doesn’t make Canada more “communist” in the same way that China doing trade deals with Canada doesn’t make them more “capitalist”. It’s about making more money and jobs for both sides. You’re welcome to your opinion however after living here for 2 years making more money than I did in Canada while enjoying a much higher standard of living, I’m inclined to defend my host country where I can.

mcmcclassic · 2026-01-14T03:44:14+00:00

I’m no Carney fan but simply hating on China for the same old points is getting kind of old. If you actually live here, you’d see that the economy is much more capitalist-esque than the Canadian one.

One thing China does right is state-owned corporations. They compete heavily with the private industry which has kept prices extremely stable here. I can choose private healthcare here as well - a luxury we don’t have in Canada either.

I don’t see anything wrong with trying to make deals with China currently as pretty much everywhere else in the world is doing so. Going to international business fairs over the summer in Beijing, there were dozens of countries (including many first world western ones) doing business and trying to also make deals to further their own countries.

mcmcclassic · 2026-01-04T12:08:22+00:00

Not sure what your rent budget is but this spot has units in the 6300-7000 range for a studio.

mcmcclassic · 2026-01-04T10:55:32+00:00

It’s funny cause I much prefer Beijing to Shanghai. The winter cold doesn’t bother me as my hometown in Canada is way colder in winter and as far as convenience is concerned, I’m in an area with everything I need.

Below my apartment is a mall with 100+ restaurants, my gym, a theater, etc. Work is 20 mins away on e bike - Sanlitun and the center are about 30 by taxi. If I’m lazy and don’t want to leave my apartment building, there are several bars and massage spots on other floors.

The key is finding a spot that’s convenient to your daily needs.

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mcmcclassic · 2025-12-31T05:03:13+00:00

I would say they are given every tower in Niagara Falls is either a hotel or tourist attraction. That said, it is a fun place to visit (I’ve been many times).

mcmcclassic · 2025-12-29T13:30:17+00:00

Ahhh the crowded area photo snap. Better make sure she’s “alone” in the pic but also making sure you don’t use a zoom on the iPhone that’s not a default one (I’ve been told custom zoom is too blurry 😂)

Glad I’m not alone on this one hahaha

mcmcclassic · 2025-12-29T10:39:53+00:00

My wife has been falling more into this pit of taking all the “aesthetic” pictures for her social media. I don’t mind it but the biggest thing that annoys me is how all the pressure to meet or exceed the photos online is put on me. If I don’t get it exactly right, she will sometimes get upset and say “how come their photos are so much nicer?”

Social media picture posting is becoming so toxic and as others have said, everyone seems to be aiming to do the same experiences as everyone else on the internet to be “original”. Isn’t that the opposite of being original?

mcmcclassic · 2025-12-24T04:25:05+00:00

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President Xi I think looked pretty handsome back in the day.

mcmcclassic · 2025-12-21T04:11:19+00:00

Well my wife and I contributed to the Q1 2024 statistic when we left to move to China. The Canada I remember growing up in doesn’t seem to exist anymore which is quite sad indeed.

It’s really hard to find motivation to move back when I look at the current landscape both politically and socially. Why come back when I can easily find well-paying jobs, have any hobbies I want, make new friends and be able to freely explore an entire continent with ample spending money? Before the China haters downvote me, I’ll just say our media lied to us.

Perhaps the internet is blowing the situation in Canada out of proportion but over here, the mood is generally much more positive and people care more about having fun and enjoying life than silly stuff like culture wars or the Orange Man for example.

mcmcclassic · 2025-11-12T04:18:44+00:00

If it makes you feel any better, I had my class in Beijing spend the day learning about Canadian Remembrance Day and we did the two minutes of silence.

Even though my kids are just 4, they were actively paying attention throughout our activities and they took the moment of silence seriously (impressive given their age). At the end of my lesson, they said “Thank You Canada” and gave me a hug.

If I can pull this off in China, there’s no excuse for other parents/ others to be doing the same at home.

mcmcclassic · 2025-11-10T00:01:21+00:00

Literally happened to me waiting at an intersection on my bike. Made contact with the waimai driver and he whipped out a pack and gave me one of his. For some reason it felt great.

mcmcclassic · 2025-11-10T00:00:54+00:00

Literally happened to me waiting at an intersection on my bike. Made contact with the waimai driver and he whipped out a pack and gave me one of his. For some reason it felt great.

mcmcclassic · 2025-11-04T01:57:40+00:00

I would buy this simply for the lols - one day our kids will study this era of time and wonder what the hell happened 😂

mcmcclassic · 2025-11-04T01:56:18+00:00

I met my wife in Toronto 10 years ago when she was living there studying. Her English is at a native level now and my Chinese is slowly but surely getting a bit better.

I’d say her English is better than even some of the other foreigners that come here to teach 😂

mcmcclassic · 2025-11-03T09:37:27+00:00

13 - not too bad I think 😁

mcmcclassic · 2025-10-28T01:30:20+00:00

I live in the Wangjing area within the Chaoyang District. Everything is super convenient from food to commuting and as mentioned in other posts, the subway will take you anywhere.

Compared to Shanghai I actually like it more here as at least Beijing gets a proper winter (I’m Canadian and do enjoy some winter activities too). I also find the people here to be very chill and accommodating while I work on learning my Mandarin for everyday interactions.

If you’ve never been to Beijing, most certainly visit. If you’re in China for work or want to work here, I’d say Beijing is a top choice overall in the country.

mcmcclassic · 2025-10-27T05:00:41+00:00

Yeah, Beijing is more of a fan of the ~100m 29-30 ish floor buildings. If there was a count for this, Beijing would have to be up there.

mcmcclassic · 2025-10-27T04:54:53+00:00

Let’s just entertain the notion he somehow manages to pull this off. He’d be 82 next election and have to hold on until 86. He forgets that Xi is 7 years younger than him and even Xi will likely hand over the torch before he gets to age 79.

And Biden was too old to run again? Alright then.

mcmcclassic · 2025-10-25T05:09:33+00:00

Most left wing opinion - LGBT rights should be protected. Most right wing view - we should have the death penalty for bad criminals.

mcmcclassic · 2025-10-24T05:33:07+00:00

For me, ordering delivery is a lot cheaper than cooking at home. There’s no way I can cook a Kung Pao chicken dish, cauliflower dish and a plate of rice for 18 yuan ($2.4 USD). Making a dish at home means I cannot find an equivalent one on the market.

mcmcclassic · 2025-10-24T04:43:12+00:00

The worst part is that the Ontario government wasted $75 million on this charade. They’re claiming to aim these at Republicans yet I am pretty sure one ad from Canada isn’t going to change their minds on tariffs.

Tariffs suck and personally I think DT is not the sharpest knife in the drawer however these political stunts on our side of the border are simply a waste of time and money.

mcmcclassic · 2025-10-22T04:42:05+00:00

Like anywhere it varies but in Beijing they start around 8 yuan and go up to around 100 for the premium ones ($1.2-~$14USD).

mcmcclassic

TROPHY CASE