Staying Power Long-term expats on why they remain in Beijing by Kyle Mullin
Clockwise from top left: Reuben Bathgate, Kristen Billings, Henry (age 5) and Esme (age 1)
photo: judy zhou
K
elly Crysell has lived in Beijing for over a decade, but still finds herself wide-eyed at the more intangible side of this sprawling city. “Even mundane tasks like getting a bike tire fixed are infinitely more interesting in China,” she says. “Going to the men on the street in a nearby hutong is such a different experience from going to a big superstore in your home country.” Crysell, a third grade teacher at the Western Academy Beijing (WAB), says that Beijing’s everyday quirks have deepened her love for her adopted home rather than detract from it.
July 2013
beijingkids
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