I’ve been in China over a couple weeks now (and still only know about five words in Chinese - oops) and thought now would be as good a time as any to give a little rundown on getting setup in Beijing and what life costs here.

• Apartment - I mentioned in a previous post that my apartment is costing 2,200RMB per month which is about $315 USD. Not bad at all especially since my budget was closer to $500 per month. For the cheaper price I have a flatmate but it’s actually pretty good because I can pick his brain about Beijing and he’s always up for a night out. I met him randomly in a bar but most people find their places on the That’s BJ website. There are places for stupidly cheap prices if you’re willing to share, live out of town and rent an older place. My apartment is pretty swish and is located right on the edge of the Central Business District so is relatively central. I had to pay three months plus a deposit up front which is a bit of a shocker but pretty common here I think. Oh and we both hate to clean so we’ve got a cleaner for 30RMB a go, twice a week. She even does the dishes!
• Phone - I already talked about my phone too but it cost 500RMB (about $70) including a SIM card. It was the cheapest, nastiest one they had on display and I didn’t attempt to bargain so I’m sure someone who’s a bit more savvy could have gotten it for less. Calls and texts seem pretty cheap and my pay as you go top ups last a long time.
• Transport - I’ve been taking taxis pretty much everywhere because the subway stop closest to me is about a 30 minute walk away. There’s a new line under construction that I’m hoping will be done in June, like they say. That’s just around the corner so hopefully that’ll increase my use of public transport. Taxi fares are really cheap though. I was in one for about 30 minutes the other day to go from my house to the complete opposite side of town and that only cost about $10. That’s the minimum fare for a five minute cab ride in London! Subway prices are hard to resist at only 2RMB per ride to anywhere. Buses are about a quarter of that price but I haven’t worked them out yet and they’re usually scary busy.
• Internet - The internet was always running in the place I moved into so I’m not sure if there are setup fees for new customers. To top it up for another five months cost 600RMB and my flatmate agreed to pay half. So for about $40 I’m covered for five months.
• Gym - I joined a Bally Total Fitness near my house for 1500RMB for three months (500 per month). I got them down from 1800RMB. I guess that’s around the same price as I’d pay in London and I think it’s meant to be a pretty fancy one. I think the more months you buy the cheaper the per month rate goes and I’m told you should always bargain.
• Food - I keep getting tempted by the Western food store next to my gym and keep buying expensive things like cheese. I haven’t really gotten into a steady routine yet so it’s hard to know what I spend on food monthly. It’s a lot more than it could/should be though especially since I keep ordering from an Italian place that delivers. Tasty but at about $10 a meal it adds up.
• Partying - I’m back into my old habits of late, boozy nights but am trying to exercise a bit of self control and keep it to two or three nights out a week. There are lots of fun places to go here and having a sociable housemate makes it tough. Beers can be bought for insanely cheap at the shop in my apartment. Only 2.50RMB (30 cents!) for a big bottle so drinking at home is cheap. Heading out, beer costs about 15RMB for a small bottle which is still reasonable. Taking cabs everywhere, eating out and drinking too much adds up though and if you’re the sociable type then factor this into your budget. But overall things are still affordable and you can have a meal, drinks and a taxi for around 200RMB (under $30). In London return cab fare alone would cost twice as much as that.

Assuming I spend 200RMB per month on phone top ups then my base costs including the phone, gym, apartment, cleaner and internet come to 3080RMB or about $440 USD. Assuming I keep my taxi rides, Western food and party time under control then I see no reason not to be able to live on $1000 per month which is what I was hoping for. Of course my ultimate goal is to spend less that I’m making each month so that gives me plenty of wiggle room if I decide I want to go a bit nuts with the spending now and then.

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Well I’ve been here for 5 days now, spent two of them in bed hungover (old habits die hard) and have still managed to accomplish a couple of things in the meantime.

I’ve bought a cell phone for 500RMB ($71) with a sim card. It is cheap and crappy looking and I’m sure I could have bargained them a bi tlower but I had an employee of the hostel helping me and I felt stupid bargaining through a translator.

I haven’t been out doing the tourist thing much but I have figured out the subway system after taking a trip out to Wudaokou, the university area. I had originally planned to live out there so wanted to scope it out a bit and see what connections into the city were like. The subway is pretty good but seems to be packed at all times and I’m starting to realise why foreigners tend to cab it everywhere.

As for the apartment hunt, this sounds dodgy, but I met some American dude in a bar the other night and got chatting to him. He needed a roomie sharpish, I needed a place to stay, we chatted some more, I went to look at it and now I’m sitting in the lounge room typing away. My room is huge, the apartment is massive, it’s nice, pretty central in the Guomao area and at 2,300RMB ($330) a month it’s a lot cheaper than what I was expecting to have to pay for my own place. Plus I can stay for six months, he’s ok with me having people stay for the Olympics, he’s been here a while and has lots of connections, speaks a bit of Chinese and is a generally laid back kind of guy. Should be good.

Today’s goal was to suss out the language school scene. There’s a place up the road from me that has a class starting next Monday for $530 for four weeks. I am pretty keen to get started somewhere but this place is four hours per day starting at an agonising 8:30am five days a week. Gadzooks. I’m not sure I want to put myself through that but it’s near to my house, the price seems ok, and if I don’t have a reason to get up in the mornings I can see myself wasting all my time here. Still thinking about it…

I’m also on the hunt for a gym to join and apperently there are quite a few in this area. It’s funny wandering around here because I have no decent maps, can’t read the street names even if there were any, and I don’t even know what to tell a taxi driver if I were to get lost and need to take a cab home. It’s pretty exciting but daunting at the same time.

I’m up for a challenge though so we’ll see how it goes!

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Malaysia doesn’t feel like Asia to me. What Asia is supposed to feel like, I do not know, but Malaysia seems too modern and organised to be a part of the chaos that can be found elsewhere on the continent. I’ve only been to three places this time around and from what I’ve seen so far, Malaysia is a very good spot for mobile working.

Pros

• Wireless internet widely available - Whenever I turn on my computer, wherever I am, there always seems to be at least a couple of wireless connections floating through the air. Hostels seem clued up to the fact that people are travelling with laptops these days and many have wifi, even outside of Kuala Lumpur.
• Internet everywhere - Anywhere without wireless will still have some kind ofnet connection available. I was on an island that only had electricity on for half the day and even they had the internet.
• Mobile connection of your own is possible - I don’t know the details because my crappy Bangladeshi phone busted just as I was leaving the country, but I think it’s possible to set something similar up in Malaysia where you can get a connection through a mobile phone. As mobile coverage here is excellent, that means a connection anywhere you may go.
• Great location for travelling in Asia - Malaysia is in a great spot if you want to get a lot of Asian travel in. KL is a hub for a few airlines including budget Air Asia and travelling from here is cheap and there are lots of great places nearby.
• Friendly people - I really like Malaysians! The ones I’ve met have been very fun loving and friendly on a level that seems more genuine to me than in other places in Asia.
• Access to perks from home - You can find pretty much anything you want from home in KL. It’s a big, modern city with all the perks that come with it so if you’re afraid of missing out on Western goodies while being in Asia then Malaysia will be a good choice.
• Lots of settings to choose from - If you want to work from the beach, you can. If you’d rather an apartment in KL, no problem. Or if you prefer a jungle setting then Malaysia has that as well. The country is varied enough to having something for everyone.

Cons

• Relatively more expensive that other Asian countries - This is me stretching to find a con because Malaysia is still a cheap place to live when compared to the UK (isn’t everywhere?) but it’s not quite as cheap as the Bangladesh and Cambodia’s of the world.
• Too much like home - I feel like KL could be any city in Canada or the UK and driving between towns in peninsular Malaysia feels the same as at home. It’s obviously a very culturally diverse place but if you’re wanting a challenge or a really big change from home then you might want to look elsewhere or try to get off the beaten path.

I’ve only spent about 10 days total in Malaysia visiting KL, the Cameron Highlands and the Perhentian Islands but I’ve liked what I’ve seen so far and could see myself spending some time kicking back on an island here getting some work done. It’s comfortable, connecting and well located and I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up back here in the future for longer than just a few days.

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When I think of earning a living online I imagine my work day will involve sitting on a beach with my laptop sipping strawberry daiquiris listening to waves crashing all around me. I don’t image being holed up in a hotel room drinking tea and listening to the call to prayer but that doesn’t mean it might not be an interesting way to work. I doubt Bangladesh makes anyone’s list as a dream destination for the mobile worker but if you’re up for something different then it might be worth a look.

Pros

• Low cost of living - Everything in Bangladesh is cheap. I think you could live comfortably in Dhaka on well under $500 and cheaper in smaller cities and ridiculously cheap (under $200) if you get away from the cities altogether.
• Internet is cheap and easy to set up - Setting up your internet connection is as easy as buying a mobile phone for about $100, a data cable, and heading into a Grameen store to set up a monthly connection. If you’ve already got a compatible phone, even better.
• Interesting setting - Anyone up for a cultural experience will love Bangladesh. Pretty much everything will be different to what you’re used to and you’ll be amazed by something new each day you spend here.
• Friendly people - The people I met in Bangladesh are among the kindest and most generous I’ve met anywhere. You will have an instant best friend forever in almost everyone you meet and you’ll never be lonely here. In fact i think it’s probably impossible.

Cons 

• Internet can be slow - The net connection, while cheap and reliable, can be pretty slow at times. I’m not sure of the technical stuff but things can slow down to a North American dial-up pace circa 1999 so if you have a need for speed then a cell phone connection probably won’t do it.
• Unpredictable weather - Bangladesh gets battered by cyclones and flooding so if you’re planning a stay in the country it might be a good idea to avoid the rainy season. If you want to stay longer term then you will probably have to weather a few serious storms.
• Constant staring - Bangladeshis have no shame about staring at you for long periods of time and in large groups. This takes some getting used to and, while for the mos t part harmless, it can get annoying constantly being the centre of attention anytime you venture outside.
• Few perks from home - If you arrive and find that you’re not a fan of the food and goods found in Bangladesh you will be in for a rough time because there are very few Western foods and goods around except in the Gulshan area of Dhaka.
• Those few perks are relatively expensive - When I said everything is cheap I meant everything except for Western goods so if you can’t live without Cadbury’s or KFC then your time here will end up costing a lot more.
• No alcohol - Muslims aren’t supposed to drink and since Bangladesh is a Muslim country, there’s no drinking. Well, there’s not supposed to be. It can be found if you know where to look but going down to the pub for a pint is out of the question.
• Women’s issues - Bangladesh is a conservative Muslim country and for women that means you have to dress modestly, can’t get into certain places (mosques at prayer time etc.) and probably lots of other things that didn’t really have an effect on me.

I really loved my time in Bangladesh. It’s a country that is totally outside of my comfort zone but I managed to adapt and feel like a learned a lot living there. Am I in any rush to return? Hell no. But I had a blast there and think that it has a lot to offer any mobile worker who wants a break from beach life and normality and wants to shake things up.

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