Rule # 1: "Don't talk to strangers"

Does Not Apply In Beijing.

It really doesn't. In fact, it is sometimes necessary to talk to strangers (expats) in order to navigate and survive in a new area. After my aunt's sis and her bf dropped me off at cell phone flea market and basically ditched for the day, I wandered by myself to a nearby cafe. There I started randomly chatting with 2 American expats and an Israeli expat about where to go in Beijing etc.. The result of this chat? I made new friends that helped me get a cell phone number and even lent me a cell phone for the time being (I need to return my bootleg cell phone... not working too well)...introduced me to new restaurants and cafes... and offered to be a contact/friend to hang out on the weekdays/weekends. Even though it's only been four days since I arrived to Beijing, I've learned to be brave and to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. I realized that one have to be proactive in making friends with strangers or contacts you don't know too well -- you never know when these friends will come in handy.

I have to say, as a New Yorker, I always have my guard up. But it's always nice to know that there is always a friendly expat out there somewhere.