Student name: Mr. Daniele Stenico
Nationality: Italian
Time in Global Exchange Center: 7wees from Oct. 24, 2011

A few years ago Katie Melua was singing 'There are nine million bicycles in Beijing' and with the song in my mind I landed at Beijing Capital Airport. I do not know whether it is because of the excellent and continuosly expanding subway network or because of the freezing temperatures, but you can hardly see people on a bike at the moment.
 
From a certain point of view Beijing is similar to other large metropolis. People are very busy. They work hard, they walk fast, they eat fast and hardly rest. But a more trained eye can notice important differences. Many peoples moved recently to Beijing and the city expanded at such a high pace, you can hardly control. Newly built skyscrapers, luxury resident areas, high speed highways and huge shopping malls are replacing areas, where a few years ago farmes where planting crops. Rich areas mix with poor areas and so does the Beijing population.
 
People in Beijing are being very successfull. In fact they prefer driving powerful BMWs and polluting SUVs rather than three wheels bikes. Young people plays with their smartphones while sitting on a long bus journey and young ladies love buy ARMANI and D&G clothes. On the weekend it is difficult to move around in the malls, even if these stay open everyday from early in the morning until late in the night. I often ask myself where people go to relax and evade from so much stress.

Close to my host family there is a path leading to a forest uphill. I regularly go jogging there, breath fresh air and look at Beijing from the top. But the only ones I met on the way are elder people walking, singing and sometime screaming (which is a healty tradition here in China). I wonder whether and where the younger people find the time to stop and think, to lay on a park and hear the wind. Is the progress here in Beijing more important than traditional tea drinking or practising Tai Chi?
 
Economic and social improvements are good and positive. However I believe that it is important to preserve the identity, the traditions and the history of the city and the peoples. Ones Beijing has been know for the number of bicycles on the street. I wish the young generation here in Beijing could rediscover how nice is to ride a bicycle, on the park, on the way to school or to work. And maybe one day Katie Melua will sing again 'There are nine million bicycles in Beijing'...