Looking Back on Beijing: Reflecting on My Time in China

Hi Everyone,

I hope this final blog post of my Astronomer in Beijing blog finds you well. Whether you’re partaking in post-Halloween celebrations, preparing a voting plan for the US elections (Please vote if you’re eligible and haven’t already, this election is vitally important and knowing where & when you can vote is very important), or just enjoying the start of November, I hope you’re all safe, happy, and healthy. I’m doing well here in Padova. Goldie and I have been moved into my new apartment in the city center for about a month now. It’s about double the size of what I lived in in Beijing and I have windows! Real actual windows (not skylights)! Goldie has been enjoying looking outside at birds and bugs (and maybe some outdoor cats that hangout on the balcony across the street) and I’m so glad she gets to bask in the sun. So far, I’m really enjoying living in Padova (a little of what I’m enjoying will be sprinkled into this blog post). Although this is my final blog post, I do want to emphasize points – 1) if you have any plans to visit Beijing (or really anywhere in China) and you need travel advice, please don’t hesitate to ask me & 2) if you’re planning to visit Italy, particularly Northern Italy or the Venice area (I’m about 30 minutes from Venice), please let me know! I’m hoping to be able to show more people around Padova than I got to show around Beijing. As I promised in my previous blog post, I wanted to do one final post reflecting on my time in Beijing and looking at things that I liked and things that I didn’t (or things I hope to improve on). But before I begin, I want to thank you all for reading this post and all of my previous posts. I really enjoyed constructing this blog and getting to share a bit of my life with all of you.

To start with, I want to emphasize that I really did enjoy my time in Beijing! While the China that I entered in August 2021 drastically changed during the nearly three years (I arrived in Shanghai on August 4, 2021 and left on June 22, 2024) that I was there (mostly do to COVID restrictions and the eventual collapse of COVID-Zero protocols), overall I think it was a good experience. To start off with, I think I need to say that moving is hard. I remember thinking that loading up all of my stuff into my car to move to Boston and then back to Saratoga (thanks Dad for driving that van, too!) was tough, but it’s really hard to navigate everything basically solo (thank you again to my cousin Dave for helping me get everything to the Detroit airport and my friend Richard for helping me get everything to the Beijing airport), especially with a cat in tow! It’s also really stressful, hard, and scary to find yourself in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language (and I’ve now done it twice) and basically alone. A lot of my friends in Beijing who worked at the embassy were amazed that the university’s don’t really do anything to help facilitate the process (yes, they helped get me a visa, but nothing in terms of actually moving stuff, finding places to stay – especially in Beijing, or packing things up). It’s hard to find communities and make friends. I’m glad I was able to do that in Beijing and that I’m starting to do it here in Padova, but even doing it for a second time is tough.

When I think about my time in China (which happens often, especially since Goldie represents my time in China and I’m so glad that I have Goldie – she will forever be my favorite China memory), I remember the highlights first and foremost.

Obviously, there was the grand-scale adventure of it all – I got to visit the Forbidden City, Great Wall of China, Old Summer Palace, New Summer Palace, Terra Cotta Warriors, the pandas, the Bund, and so much more. I’ve included some of my favorite pictures of sites below!

But I also think back mostly on the different communities that I was a part of. I really miss spending every Friday night celebrating Shabbat with Kehillat Beijing at Roberta & Ted’s home. I think I missed seven Shabbats over the course of the three years – though there were a few months when it was all on zoom. It was a warm and welcoming community and one where I made close friends (Miriam, Kevin, & Sam) and was also a nice little foreigner bubble (something I’ll discuss a bit later). I found a community literally upon my arrival to Beijing (thank you again to Roberta & Ted for letting me stay with them when I first arrived) and it made my time in Beijing that much more enjoyable. I’m still in the Kehillat Beijing Wechat group, so I get to see updates from the community and the different themes that Ted thinks up, but it’s not the same as being there in person. And it isn’t just the amazing meals, I also really miss the communal Liberal-style Jewish prayer that I got to co-lead. Although I’ve found a Jewish community here in Padova, it hasn’t been able to replace Kehillat Beijing in my heart. Don’t get me wrong, the traditional Italian synagogue, which dates back to the 1500s is amazing and beautiful, but the community, though welcoming, is far more Orthodox-style Judaism than what I’m accustomed to (for those of you not familiar with the different branches of Judaism, my preferred style includes far more communal singing). While I expected there to be no English (I am in Italy), it’s hard to follow along sometimes and since the community is small (we had ~ 60 people max at Yom Kippur – which included a nearly 11 hour day of prayer, feel free to message me about that if you’re interested in the differences between the Italian rituals and Ashkenazi Judaism), I haven’t found a group of friends yet. I’m still forever grateful for the amazing community that Roberta & Ted fostered in Beijing, but that just makes it harder to now be a visitor and not a member.

Outside of the Jewish community, one of the other communities that I was a part of was the Vegan community in Beijing. I loved doing the monthly cooking classes with Chef Chao (and I think many of you liked see photos), going to vegan markets, and hanging out at vegan events with my different friends from the Vegans of Beijing community (Andrea, Jennifer, Alex, Lionel, & Mariya).

Also, there were so many amazing Buddhist Vegetarian restaurants in Beijing (I haven’t been willing to try the Chinese food here because I just don’t have high expectations). I got to eat baozi, jiaozi, jianbing, and so many noodle, tofu, & mushroom dishes and have so many fun meals with friends! Here are a few of my favorites dishes!

While functionally being a vegan is significantly easier in Padova (the green V for Vegan is pretty prevalent in Italy, I’ve gone to a few vegan and vegetarian restaurants, eaten a ton of vegan gelato – nearly all sorbetto is dairy free and I’ve found other vegan flavors, too, and have access to way more vegan products in grocery stores – including some amazing artisanal vegan cheeses that I got last weekend), there isn’t that social aspect (at least that I’ve found). I am happy to report that there is a large Asian grocery store in Padova (much like the Western import stores I visited in Beijing), so I can get literally the same exact brands of many things I was getting in Beijing, which means I’ll continue my own Chinese cooking. However, now that I’m in Italy, I do hope to learn to make pasta, too!

The last community that I was a part of was obviously the Astrophysics community at Tsinghua. As I think you all know, this was my first postdoc and looking back, while I’m happy with what I accomplished, I do wish I’d been able to get more done. It’s hard to not look on the research side of things and feel a bit mixed. I really liked working on Project Radio, my study of the spectral index of bent AGNs with LOFAR, but that project has yet to be cited one year later and while I think it was interesting, it might have been a bit too niche. Additionally, although it’s now almost done (hopefully it will be sent to co-authors by the end of the month), Project Morphology has been a struggle. Getting scooped made the project really challenging to work on and it took me a while to figure out just how to frame the research in a way that made it feel relevant. Thankfully, thanks to some really useful feedback from one of my new supervisors here and one of my close collaborators, I think I have the framing device to make the paper stronger. Ultimately, I think I grew as a researcher in China, even if not everything went perfectly. Working with Zheng gave me a lot of freedom to pursue what science interested me and I think in having that freedom, I’ve realized the importance of asking questions and deciding early on what the attainable goals are so that I can effectively use my time. I’m hoping to use this technique to write shorter and hopefully more impactful papers in Padova. Also, I realized that while working from home can be good for some people, I really need a proper workspace if I’m going to do it regularly (speaking of, I really need to get a work table for my apartment in Padova – it’s the one thing it’s missing). Thankfully, I really like my new office, which is in a 14th Century castle (don’t worry, there’s internet and AC), so I usually work from the office. Also, as I think I’ve mentioned, one of the hardest things for me as a postdoc in Beijing was that because the Astronomy department was in the process of moving buildings (they finally moved into the new building in August 2024), the postdocs during all but the first two months of my time in Beijing, were in a separate building. As such, I never really felt like I was part of the department. Every time I came to the main building, I felt like I was just stopping by. I had to schlep my entire backpack and coat and while there were a few events to try to keep us connected, most days, I felt like I was on my own. I’m happy to say that this is not the case here in Padova. While the building is a bit complicated to navigate, we’re all in one of two buildings (the other is right next door to the castle) and we have a number of large all department events, including Astro Pizza (who says no to free pizza in Italy). So, it’s nice to feel a bit more connected to the department.

Beyond my science, I obviously miss my amazing cohort of foreign postdocs that I hung out with all of the time (Paulo, Richard, Tom, Pablo, Daniele, & Josh – and also David & Chris, too)! I miss meeting up at vegetarian restaurants (thank you all for always being willing to accommodate my eating, hanging out, and going to so many tourist attractions around the city. It was really amazing to have such a wonderful cohort. I’m hoping as people either visit Europe or move closer to Italy, that I’ll get to see some of them soon (I did get to see Pablo, Daniele, and David for the EAS conference here in Padova in July, which was awesome). I am so glad that everyone, myself included, was able to go to Richard’s wedding and give us one last hurrah as a group. Although the cohort of foreign postdocs isn’t as tight-knit here in Padova as in Beijing, I do like the other postdocs I’ve met so far and I have visited some really cool sites here in Padova!

As I said, I really did have an amazing China experience, but it wasn’t without its hardships. As I mentioned above, moving, especially across an ocean is really hard and doing it during a COVID lockdown didn’t help. The 14 days in quarantine in Shanghai were definitely rough and something I hope to never experience again. Additionally, the 12 days when my hutong locked down (yes, I know this pails in comparison to what Jesse experienced) were really difficult. While I know some found a zen calmness in being locked into a room, I look back and can’t remember doing anything other than sitting in my apartment, watching tv, and maybe trying to do a workout. I’m so glad that for the quasi-lockdowns in late 2022, that I had Goldie to keep me company. It’s hard to not let that color my time in China. As someone who is a bit of a hypochondriac, living in post-COVID-Zero China really didn’t help my mental health. Basically all of 2022 was impacted by COVID restrictions. I did hundreds of COVID tests and each was stressful given the fear of getting sent to a COVID “hospital.” That and the way seemingly any COVID cases in China were blamed on westerners made it difficult to feel welcome at times. Additionally, it was really tough to be in the same country as Jesse and not get to see him for ~ 18 months of my time here. Furthermore, I couldn’t see my parents for ~ 2 years because of the expense and difficulty flying into and out of China (though I’m so glad they were finally able to come last May). Having the COVID-related travel restrictions really put a damper on my first year and a half in China, but I’m glad that ultimately, I did get to visit Shanghai, Xi’an, and Chengdu. Though, one of my major regrets is that I didn’t get to visit other cities while I was there.

Beyond that, there are definitely lots of things that I enjoyed and a few things that I won’t miss. Some of the things that I didn’t realize I’d miss was digital pay, but not for the reason you think. I was lamenting to Jesse that it was so nice to not have to clean out my wallet of paper receipts every few days. While using a credit card in the rest of the world is easy, I did get used to not having to deal with receipts for the most part. Additionally, I do miss how easy it was to order groceries. While I love actual grocery shopping and going to the local fruit & vegetable market here in Padova, it was nice to be able to order things spur of the moment if I ran out. Also, cabs are so much cheaper in China! I’ve only take a cab here to take Goldie to the vet, but the cost was ~ 5x what I paid in China. Thankfully, Padova is super walkable (one of my favorite things about the city) and there is good public transportation, but it was nice to have cabs as an affordable option in China. Obviously, I miss (and still worry about) all of the street cats. I loved seeing them wander around the hutongs. While I’ve seen what appear to be a few outdoor cats here in Padova, I’m also kind of glad that there isn’t such a street cat problem here in Italy.

And of course, I miss all of the fun statues and anime/comics/manga figurines that I used to see everywhere! I have seen a lot of anime paraphernalia hear (Lupin III is unsurprisingly super popular – it’s an anime by Monkey Punch featuring the descendant of the gentleman thief Arsene Lupin), but it’s usually in comic stores, book stores, or the occasional gift shop, not just randomly around Padova – though there is lots of cool graffiti.

I also really miss the neighborhood and the Shichahai Lakes/Drum Tower/Bell Tower that I lived around. While my apartment wasn’t perfect, it was my home and I miss running around the lakes and strolling to my apartment.

Additionally, I miss the foreign enclaves that I was a part of. I think (and this is my opinion), but because foreigners represent such a small fraction of the Chinese population (and because most are ethnically not Chinese), there is a lot of inherent stress in being a foreigner in China and I think a lot of my friends from the Jewish community, the Vegan community, and at Tsinghua were just looking for spaces where they felt they belonged. Whenever I got on the subway, it seemed like everyone was staring at me. While I stand out in Italy a bit (I’m 6ft 2in with a man bun and a red beard, it happens), I like the anonymity. Not everyone knows I’m a foreigner when I’m walking to work. I don’t have random people come and take selfies with me just because I’m here. However, the flip side is that it’s been a lot harder to find a foreigner community in Padova. I still haven’t met any Americans who live here (and it’s been almost 5 months) and I miss the support system that this provided in China.

Obviously, China isn’t perfect. I definitely don’t miss having to try to find a proper western (non-squat) toilet when I need to use the bathroom. I also really like that pedestrian right of way is a thing in Europe and the US (basically motor bikes go at anytime in China, even when you have a walk sign). While I miss all of the amazing vegan Chinese food, I don’t miss random mystery meat that seems to hide everywhere (pork floss is a real thing). It was also really frustrating to need to use VPN connections just to access my gmail, or more frustratingly, to download some of the publicly available Astronomy data I needed for my research. Additionally, I don’t miss all of the visa issues and paperwork nightmares that I had while I was in China (especially having to register with the police any time I went anywhere). While Zheng and Limei were able to help for the most part, there was just so much paperwork. Unfortunately, Italy has its fair share of paperwork and things move much slower here. As an aside, if you’re wondering why I arrived in late June, but didn’t move into my own apartment until late September, it isn’t just because the housing market in Padova is tough, it’s because I didn’t get my Italian work visa until late August. If you know anyone who needs an Italian work visa, it’s really tough to go through the NYC Italian consulate (I was number 700 on the waitlist, but thankfully my supervisor wrote an e-mail in Italian and sped things up). I definitely leave China with a newfound respect, understanding, and empathy for what its like to leave your home country and enter a new environment. I know how hard logistically, mentally, and physically it can be to uproot your life and enter a new foreign environment where you stand out all the time. It was eye opening to experience life as a minority and I can see how exhausting and stressful it can be. I hope I can bring these experiences to help me be a better mentor and ally in the future.

Ultimately, although my China experience is over, I’m glad that I spent the last three years in Beijing. I was able to make some amazing friends, see some amazing places, try so many amazing foods, and do some pretty cool science. While I don’t know what my future holds in terms of China, I’m glad I’ll have the memories and will look back on it all fondly. But for now, I’m an Astronomer in Padova and I’m enjoying that adventure. While I won’t be having a blog this time around because the amount of time it takes really started eating into my work productivity and my goal is to be as productive as I can as a scientist, I’m glad I have this blog as a memory of my time in Beijing. Again, please let me know if any of you plan to visit the greater Venice area. And of course, thank you all for going on this journey of being an Astronomer in Beijing with me. Hearing from all of you was so nice, especially during the rougher times and as always, please feel free to write or comment below. I hope you enjoyed seeing Beijing through my eyes.

In Peace,

Emmet