‘I visited in March, lived here by June’

“I WAS working for a European company in Dublin when I heard about the position in China.

I’d been reading about China and its massive development so I decided to apply. I had an interview and they invited me to visit Beijing in March, and after spending a week here, I fell in love with the place. By June I was living here.

“A lot of the attraction was the work. The Irish business was one of the smallest business units in the group and China had the potential to be the largest. So much of the market was untapped and there are many exciting opportunities to target. In Ireland, the market is mature and more difficult to identify business opportunities.

“But Beijing had a lot to do with it, too. What I loved most was engaging with the people. They’re so friendly and naturally curious.

“When I moved over the company provided language lessons but my work schedule was so hectic, I stopped. I’m taking classes again now. Speaking the language goes a long way in terms of building lasting relationships.

“The first two years I worked very hard, but I enjoyed it and was happy to stay on. And then in the third year, I met Yolanda, and we got married last year. She is a local, a Beijinger, one in a city of more than 14 million people. I go back to Ireland on average once a year, usually at Christmas, but I have no shortage of visitors. My parents and other family members have been out on a few occasions and they will be out again this year because although I got married last year, we’ll have the Asian wedding celebration this year.

“Most expats are working for Western companies and, initially, when I moved here my friends were all expats, but as time goes on, you get to know many Chinese people and especially now because of my wife, I know as many Chinese as I do expats.

“The standard of living is different compared to Europe. Your money can go further as eating out and transportation is relatively cheaper, although property is very expensive in the main cities. The government has introduced measures to cool down the market. Everything is high-rise here.

“Typically, buildings have 25-30 floors and almost everyone in the city lives in apartment complexes. It’s different when you travel into inner China. It’s a huge country and there’s a lot of variety. There are also lots of different national holidays, so you get time to travel around China or Asia.

“It gets very cold in Beijing in winter. It can be minus 15 for days. And then you have very hot summers. We’re coming into spring time now and it’s about 10 to 12 degrees.

“Getting around Beijing can be difficult with the huge increase in the number of vehicles on the roads but they are coping despite its size. They’re building more subway lines and they have opened new highways and high- speed train links. It’s also a very bicycle friendly city and it’s flat, so that’s the easiest way to get around.

“The Irish community is quite close here. We have the Irish Network China, whose aim is to promote and encourage exchange of business, cultural and sporting ties between the Irish, Chinese and the wider expat community in Beijing, and I’m proud to be a committee member.

“Each month we have a dinner where we invite somebody to speak on a broad range of interesting business and social topics. It’s a way for Irish people to meet socially and it’s great for people who have arrived in China for the first time. In fact, the Irish Ball celebrated its 20th year on St Patrick’s Day. It’s the largest expat ball in Beijing.

“In most couples, both partners work but the family is a very close-knit unit and what happens is that the grand-parents have a very big role in raising the children. Yolanda’s family have always been welcoming and kind to me and when I brought Yolanda home to Ireland for the first time all of my family loved her.

“Of course there are differences between the two societies. People always find it surprising when I say I have two sisters and a brother as the one-child policy in China for the last 30 years means it is quite common that most families have only one child.

“Then you’d be quizzed on where Ireland is and people would be amazed how small it is. It’s hard for them to imagine a country with just 4m people. Our appearance makes us stand out.

“I’ve grown as a person since I came here. I’m happier than I’ve ever been. It’s a great learning curve and I’m more patient and more understanding of other cultures. It’s the best decision I ever made in my life.”