Welcome to Wudaokou Watch, where we profile a different Beijing-based student from abroad each week to hear about their life in China's capital. You can read the whole series here.

My name is John Gachunga. I come from Nyandarua County in the central part of Kenya, two hours from the capital city Nairobi.

My first flight was from Nairobi to Beijing, back in 2016 to pursue a master's degree in Quantitative Economics at the Capital University of Economics and Business (CUEB).

Of course, life is different in Beijing. Beijing is a very big city, unlike Nairobi, with a subway, cutting-edge technology, and skyscrapers. I wish we had such infrastructure in Kenya.

Unlike Kenya, Beijing has different seasons, from summer to winter, with occasional harsh weather. In comparison, Kenya is a beautiful country where the average temperature is around 20 degrees throughout the year.

Since my first day in China, the biggest challenge has been to learn Chinese. It has been difficult for me, especially the spoken language due to the different tone variations within the sounds.

I'll never forget the day I arrived in China. I went to a mall and couldn’t utter a single Chinese word. I had to use body language.

I love football, especially the English Premier League. On the weekend, I always go to Paddy's O'Sheas to watch Premier League football. It is a brilliant place that is always packed with fans of all teams, several TVs showing three or four matches, and has good food and drinks. Apart from watching the Premier League, I hang out with my countrymates, chilling together in different parks around the city.

Beijing has many nice parks that I still need to explore this summer.

When I’m feeling homesick, I visit my countrymates at Jiaotong or UIBE, cook African food, and have fun. Sometimes I take part in different activities such as the Chinese Culture Festival here at CUEB.

The rich history of Beijing is just amazing. Despite its development in terms of infrastructure and technology, China has also preserved its ancient buildings like the Summer Palace, the Forbidden City, and the Great Wall.

I have learned to intermingle with people from different backgrounds here in China. Life in Beijing has challenged me and that has compelled me to be organized and disciplined in order to balance my education, budget, cooking, cleaning, and much more.

One thing I love most about China is the work ethic of the locals. Their hard work and the efficiency in their system is so inspiring.

In the future, I plan to share my Beijing experiences. I still have a lot of things to learn and want to continue to explore different job opportunities here in China.

READ: "Chinese Hospitality Makes Life Here Worth Living"

Photos courtesy of John Gachunga