Lu-Hai Liang

I arrived in Beijing last Thursday, 25th February, and have been back for six days.

Right now I am staying on a friend’s couch, while I look for an apartment.

I’ve partied quite a bit since I’ve been back, catching up with friends and meeting new people. It’s been a good welcome back.

I’m also quite poor. I have enough to survive. But surviving in Beijing is a different level of survival, compared to say Paris or London. But I am worried about a few things: whether I’ll have enough cash to pay for apartment rents in advance plus the deposit and all that malarkey; whether I can make more money.

On Monday, I had an interview at a PR firm. I already have a freelance contract with said PR firm but I went to their office to discuss full-time work. I do not even like mentioning the letters “PR” on this blog, but in the interests of honesty I do so.

I mainly edit their copy, for this firm. It pays okay and still gives me plenty of time to freelance for journalism.

I haven’t done any more work on my novel since I’ve been back. But I’ve been trying to think about it and will, I hope, write more chapters soon.

This year I will try to move more into writing, rather than journalism. I’ll elaborate on that in another blog post.

I’ve had two good conversations since I’ve been back in Beijing: one with a young American girl and one with an older young Chinese girl.

It made me think about the promises and problems that arise from the idea of youth. How the promise lies in possibility and optimism and potential which gives youth that irresistible charge.The problem of youth comes from the feeling that you might be wasting it. 

I won’t get all philosophical. Although I’m fairly clear about what it might mean. But I’m just living day by day right now, starting to send out pitches and trying to reestablish myself in the city. This city which I’ve come to know as a second home.