In a place as mutable as Beijing, a little seniority goes a long way. After three years in the city, anyone can wave a hand and sigh: 'I remember when none of this was here ...' But how about real Beijing hands? What city secrets can they divulge?
Jaime FlorCruz, CNN's Beijing bureau chief, has been in China since 1971 - most of the time in the capital. So what can we learn from him? When friends come to visit, for instance, how does he show them what Beijing's all about? 'I try to take them to the homes of some Chinese friends,' he answers simply. 'That's the best way to understand this place.'
Hearing him say it, it seems obvious. Nei and wai - inside and outside - were among the great organising principles of traditional Chinese society. Real life has always gone on indoors, within the walls of the Forbidden City or in plainer, courtyard homes. Even now, Beijing's anthill-like apartment complexes conceal most of the city's activity: there are few welcoming public spaces, and 'outside' is mostly what people pass through on their daily commute.
It may be a measure of Beijing's development that its people are slowly coming out of doors. Unfortunately, this emergence has occurred first on its roadways - with disastrous congestion as a result. But there are signs that Beijingers are learning to enjoy themselves outside the home: local sports fields have proliferated, for instance, and nightlife has evolved from an awkward foreign import to a local fixture.
City planners are also making efforts, though the results often correspond more to the needs of government officials than those of the people. Public squares festooned with Olympic insignia and potted flowers are nice, but meanwhile the recreational dancers are still doing their thing beneath flyovers and in empty parking lots.
But old habits die hard, and even when people get outdoors, they sometimes go right back in again. One of the great pleasures of Beijing residents is karaoke, sung in giant complexes around town. These are essentially a 'fun' version of your own apartment: find your room number and close yourself up with a group of friends, and you can sing all night without worrying about the neighbours or in-laws.