A Note to all Visitors to China

I recently found myself in Beijing, feeling very overwhelmed with my inability to communicate, or to undertake even the smallest of tasks, such as hailing a taxi, ordering a meal, or finding a decent hotel without being ripped off.

Just prior to visiting China, I had corresponded briefly with Richard Liu, whom I had discovered by chance on the Internet, and who was a complete stranger to me. Within moments of waking up in this highly challenging environment, it had become obvious that I needed to call this man, with the hopes that he could be spontaneous and spare some time to at least help me with some basics.

As things turned out, Richard and I spent the next two and a half days dodging traffic throughout the Hutong, visiting the Great Wall, riding the subways, and doing a lot of what good friends do just hanging out. We even got a chance to holler and wave at his wife and kids as we sped past in a taxi. Unfortunately for me, time did not allow me an opportunity to meet them in person, but I left Beijing with a definite sense that I was not only leaving a city behind me, but also leaving a new friend. Of the many great qualities I was able to observe in Richard Liu, the few I will make mention of are his ease of temperament, his willingness to be totally flexible and spontaneous, his incredible fluency in both Mandarin and English, and his seasoned familiarity with not only Beijing, but many other places in China. I also found Richard to be very reliably genuine, which is an essential quality in order for me to feel at ease.

If you are considering the use of a guide to help you with your needs in China, I personally could not imagine a better candidate than Richard Liu. During the remaining weeks of my stay in China, I met many other natives who were helpful in varying degrees, but in most cases it was simply a matter of business. Richard was very professional on the business side, but also extremely easy going on the casual side.

I will not return to Beijing without visiting him.

Doug Olson

co-author of

Pick a God, any God

Email: dougolson@pickagod.com