Couch Life in Beijing

A couch shared by many.

Illustration by Katie Parrish

Last August, I moved to Beijing for a few months to study Chinese and freelance. I had lived in China before, and I arrived with a week to find an apartment. I turned to online listings with one requirement — I wanted to avoid living in an expat bubble. In the end, I didn’t have to choose; one listing advertised a mix of both local and foreign roommates.

The apartment complex seemed typical of China — built cheaply, constructed too quickly and made entirely of cement. The hallways smelled of leftover cigarette smoke, soaking into cement pores, never to escape. Depending on the pattern of toilets flushing in other units, strange odors came through the bathroom. The developers had named the complex “Wealth and Profit Homes,” which they proudly advertised in large, coral characters above the roof like a miniature Hollywood sign.

When I reached the door though, I did a double take. The character for good fortune － 福 － which hung in entrances of most Chinese home…