Wudaokou Watch: "I Do Not Feel Homesick in Beijing"

In this new Wudaokou Watch column, we'll profile a different Beijing-based student from abroad each week to hear about their life in China's capital.

What is your name and where do you come from?
Hi! I’m Svitlana Kutia, and I'm from the country with a great history, spectacular landscapes, off-the-map experiences, rich in colorful traditions, warm-hearted people, delicious food, the charming smell of chocolate and coffee, with 87 types of liquor and hundred types of beer. I’m from the Motherland of [retired footballer] Andriy Shevchenko, boxing brothers Klitschko, tennis player Elina Svitolina, Hollywood stars Milla Jovovich and Mila Kunis, many famous artists, musicians, engineers, and scientists. I’m from the country that was proclaimed the next startup nation and is one of the largest states in Europe – Ukraine.

When and why did you come to Beijing?
In 2017 I came to Beijing to do my MBA. My first long-term move was at the end of 2016 to Changsha, Hunan. I worked there in remote access for the same European IT company that I worked for in Ukraine.

How is life in Beijing different from your home country?
I’m not picky by nature, that’s why the food and habitat here in Beijing are fine for me. However, I was surprised at first at the decorum of some locals, who would eat on public transit for instance. But now I hardly notice it. The only thing that worries me is the ecology, but it is nice that every year the authorities are taking measures to reduce pollution.

The main positive difference for me is the numerous opportunities here, which encouraged me to move faster and cover more and more scope. Besides, I’m a Sagittarius and I was born in the year of Golden Dragon. Chinese people told me that it means a lot because it's reflected in my character. Who knows, that could be why China is quite close to my heart.

What are the biggest challenges for you here?
In the beginning, the biggest challenge for me was learning to adapt to Chinese cultural traditions in doing business, including making important decisions during dinner and building a network of beneficial guanxi relationships. The Chinese dining etiquette was also rather challenging, during which I needed to know where to sit, and to come individually and greet each guest, whom I have never met before and probably will never meet in the future. Then there's clinking glasses and saying “Cheers!” during the dinner, and showing respect to the host.

What are your three favorite hangouts here?
I am not a clubber and when I decide to visit a club it should be something related to Latin music – I was a professional ballroom dancer previously. The perfect place for me to have fun is art-café Modernista. They have a unique atmosphere with diverse programs for each day, and you will never know how they will surprise you the next time. I chose this place for hangouts with friends on my first birthday in Beijing.

Perhaps it’s surprising for some, but Zhongguancun is a hot place for hangouts as well, thanks to StartupGrind community who are shaping the startup ecosystem in Beijing and making it attractive for foreigners. I am passionate about the tech and startup world, which is why tech events, meetups, hackathons, fairs and so on are great places for hangouts. Thanks to these events I met my future team members. We are currently running the UkraineTechPool company, which I founded this year.

And the third place is Sanlitun. You can find almost anything in that vibrant and bustling neighborhood, including some tech events I love like Global Shapers and Rotaract (Rotary) events.

What do you do when you are feeling homesick?
I do not feel homesick in Beijing thanks to the Ukrainian community. It's nice that there are a lot of interesting and informative events, organized by the Ukrainian Embassy and the Ukrainian House in Beijing. There are also Ukrainian restaurants with delicious food and great entertainment. Thanks to the information on the Beijinger, I had a chance to discover the Ukrainian restaurant Kyiv for the first time.

What do you love most about Beijing?
Beijing is a foreign-friendly city with many contrasts, and I love it firstly because of that. This city uniquely combines history and culture, education and science, business and technology. I’m always happy to meet new awesome people in this great mix.

READ: Wudaokou Watch: "I Cannot Survive on Chinese Food Alone"

Are you a student in Beijing? Let us profile you and your unique experiences here. Drop us a line at editor@thebeijinger.com and we’ll get back to you to schedule an interview.

Photos courtesy of Svitlana Kutia