IT can be daunting for any newbie expat when settling into life in a new city, especially one as big as Beijing. After moving into your new digs and exploring the surroundings, it then dawns on you that it’s time to meet new people and make some friends - after all, networking is a vital part of getting your name about and building some guanxi, or connections.

Work colleagues are always great to spend time with, but there comes a time, especially at the weekend, when you want to cleanse your mind of work-related issues. Socializing with people outside of your working environment allows for conversations on different topics and fresh debates. With such a diverse mixture of people living in international cities, it’s a great idea to get yourself out there and meet new people who have interesting stories to tell: friendships blossom, name cards exchange, and guanxi grows.

As a keen sportsman, I decided to join a popular expat football team called Forbidden City FC - a decision I have not regretted one bit. From the first day I arrived, all the lads were welcoming and made me feel right at home. The club has around 30+ players made up of all different nationalities and ages. There is a strong team ethic and lots of great banter to get stuck into. This, for me, was the perfect way to meet a large group of expats and Chinese people. Everyone in the squad was a newbie at one stage, so they are all well aware of what it’s like to be a new member joining a long-established community.

The club trains weekly on Wednesday evenings and usually has a game at the weekend. Along with the sporting aspect, the club also fosters in many social events throughout the season - even an annual trip to Bangkok for an international tournament is on the calendar. Spread throughout the two leagues are 24 teams, with each team having a sponsor who provides kit, resources and money for travel: these sponsors are usually a local restaurant, bar or shop within the city.

Typically in the smaller cities of China, these types of clubs and opportunities are rare and hard to find - but that’s not to say they’re not available. The city I previously lived in, Shaoxing, a tiny water town just south of Shanghai, had only a small number of football teams, predominantly made up of locals. I got introduced to the club through a friend, and in a squad of more than 20, only a small handful were Westerners. The whole squad was extremely welcoming and more than happy for me to join in. Needless to say it made for an unforgettable experience and we finished the season as champions!

It doesn’t just have to be a football team, either. Beijing is renowned for its large expat scene and friendly social attitude. Teams and clubs stretch from football to kungfu, whisky tasting clubs to marathon running - it truly does cater for the tastes of every man, woman and their dog. It’s really easy to get in contact with them too. Popular websites such as Time Out Beijing, The Beijinger and City Weekend were all useful places to find information in Beijing - all the other major cities have their versions of these websites as well.

Being away from home can be tough at times - especially during celebratory occasions such as Christmas and birthdays. Becoming part of a team, part of a new family and community, really does set your mind at ease and allows for the transition of moving to a new town, city, country or continent a much more seamless and enjoyable experience. Worries and apprehensions of being lonely soon disappear, the regret of not making an effort to be social quickly evaporates, and you feel proud of yourself for getting out there and making an effort.

So, instead of waiting for people to come and ask you your name - make the first move and make some new friends. It helps to make life in a new city much easier and more enjoyable. CA