Wherever those last 12 months went, it's a new year now. We're already back to work, but there is still plenty of time to create a new, better version of yourself in 2011. Beijing is a great place for that: this is where otherwise non-descript Canadians become TV stars and journalist hacks turn into underwater explorers. In Beijing, anything's possible, and 2011 is the year to make it happen. See our list below of ideas for the new you.

1. Go on the Great 
Chinese Road Trip

Driving in Beijing can be a nightmare, but open roads beyond beckon. With 75,000 km of expressways, China is a motorist’s paradise. First you’ll need a Chinese driver’s license, and FESCO is one agency that walks foreigners through the application and testing process. To rent a car you may need a to enlist a guarantor with a Beijing hukou; check the latest requirements from one of the many rental chains near Capital Airport. For a local option, try Beijing Beiqi Taxi. The hassle will be worth it for the surreal feeling of blasting down a freeway in Gansu with the windows down and the Easy Rider soundtrack on the stereo.

Click here for FESCO; Beijing Beiqi Taxi (28 Xizhimen Nandajie, 西直门南大街28号官元桥东北角, Tel: 800-810-9001)

2. Get the body you’ve always wanted

Are endless Chinese business dinners taking a toll on your midsection? The Regent Health Club (¥5,500 for a one-year weekday membership-¥9,000/year for full membership) boasts a 26-meter heated pool, excellent trainers (¥150/hour) and a range of classes. On a budget? Powerhouse Gym offers one-year memberships from ¥3,680.

Regent Health Club (99 Jinbao Jie, 金宝街99号, Tel: 8522-1888); Powerhouse Gym (Dongzhimen Wai, Kenzo Center, Floor C, 东直门外大街48号, 东方银座写字楼C层, Tel: 5139-6208)

3. Learn Chinese -- for real this time!

Stating your name, age and nationality in Chinese gets half the city complimenting you on your superior speaking ability. But if you learn a bit more and try to have an actual conversation, be prepared for blunt declarations that your Chinese is “unclear” (the indignity!).

Private language schools are often the best solution to this problem for working people with busy schedules. Check out the basic Mandarin classes at Juncheng (¥540–1,200/month, ¥150 registration fee) and The Bridge School (¥3,950 for 72 hours) for starters.

Juncheng Chinese School, East Road of 
Beijing Railway Station, 北京站东街 北京君诚语言学校 and additional locations, 
Tel: 6525-9932); The Bridge School 
(new location in Shunyi, Tel: 8046-6114, additional locations in Liangmaqiao and the CBD).

4. Stop kidding yourself, learn French instead

You’re not sure when you realized this whole Mandarin thing had gone too far. Maybe it was when you fell asleep at your desk studying for the HSK, and the next day realized you’d copied out three pages of the same character. Maybe it was when you told the cab driver how long you’d been living in China and he burst out laughing. Or maybe it was when your language partner told you he was leaving you for another white person.

Anyway, you’ve had enough. Chinese is a cruel mistress, but French is the language of love. Reinvent yourself as a continental savant with French classes at the Alliance Française (starting at ¥1,250 for 50 hours of class). If nothing else, it'll make trips to Shanghai much more bearable.

Alliance Française de Beijing 
(
info.beijing@afchine.org, 
Tel: 6553-2678)

5. Become a cinephile

Do you think the sixth generation is a kind of new iPhone? It might be time to brush up on your film knowledge. Get a BC MOMA membership (¥100/year) and enjoy discounts on film screenings, invitations to special events, a library membership, discounts at the café and other perks.

Broadway Cinematheque MOMA (north area of Dongzhimen MOMA, 1 Xiangheyuan Lu, Dongzhimen, 东直门香河园路1号, 万国城北区东直门香河园路1号当代MOMA北区T4座, Tel: 8438-8257, 8438-8008)

6. Expand your 
horizons beyond the Fifth Ring Road

The Municipality of Beijing has 16 districts — how many have you been to? Traipse through the hills with Beijing Hikers. Upcoming hikes include one of the city’s highest Great Wall towers (15 January, ¥280, difficult) and Intelligence Valley (16 January, ¥320 adults ¥200 children, easy).

Beijing Hikers (
Tel: 6432-2786)

7. Start your own 
business

You’ve got a great idea for a business, but you need to bounce it off people who’ve been there. Rub elbows with seasoned entrepreneurs and young strivers through China Entrepreneurs, which organizes networking events and runs a business incubator space for start-ups.

China Entrepreneurs (Tel: 6569-1321)

8. Abandon all desire

Seek the Middle Way at weekly meditations and special events hosted by the Beijing Zen Center. The center’s weekly meditation sessions (¥150/class or ¥400/month) offer a holistic introduction to Zen, including samples of its music, stories, art, rituals and martial arts.

Non-believers seeking nothing more than stress relief should not be put off.

“Zen is about developing a sense of serenity and calmness around you,” says Feng Cheng, founder of the China Culture Center. “Anybody who is interested in meditation, relaxation or Buddhism is welcome.”

Beijing Zen Center at China Culture Center (Kent Centre A201, Anjialou, 29 Liangmaqiao Road, 亮马桥路29号安家楼肯特中心院内, 
Tel: 6432-9341)

9. Get a totally 
new hairstyle

A radical change in your ’do is guaranteed to turn heads, but not necessarily in a good way. For peace of mind, turn your locks over to the pros at Eric Paris. “2011 will see curls of all kinds,” says Katy Sinnott, the salon’s CEO, “from long and wavy styles to over-the top raging curls.” French stylists at Eric focus particularly on color (from ¥500) and claim the mantle of Beijing’s “resident blond experts.” Most clients are women (cuts from ¥230), but men also frequent the salon (cuts from ¥215). In January, they have special packages for facials, blow-dries and waxing.

Eric Paris (four locations in Beijing, Tel: 5126-6637)

10. Redecorate your apartment

I tell you this because I’m your friend: those retro propaganda posters you bought at the Silk Market were funny for a while, but the irony was lost on your Chinese dinner guests. You’re an adult now; let’s get you an adult’s apartment.

Dongyi Rising-sun Co. Ltd. is a full-service design firm (20/F, Shangdu International Center, 8 Dongdaqiao Lu, 东大桥路8号
尚都国际中心20层, Tel: 5863-7766), 
DIY types can try the interior design 
class at the Expat Learning Center

11. Take the plunge

Why is January a good time to take up scuba diving in a frigid, inland city?

“We have access to one of the world's most unique dive sites,” says SinoScuba managing director Steven Schwankert, “the Great Wall.” Start your training now, and when summer dive season arrives, you’ll be ready to explore the underwater Great Wall and more. Thankfully, SinoScuba’s 15-hour theory and pool training (¥2,800) takes place indoors. An additional four open-water dives in a warmer locale will finish off your certification.

Schwankert is also planning a SinoScuba 8th anniversary celebration for January 20, at Union Bar & Grille. It's a great opportunity to get in touch with Beijing's divers, score discounts on scuba courses and enter to win a free dive at the Blue Zoo.

SinoScuba (steven@sinoscuba.com, 
Tel: 135-0116-3629), SinoScuba 8th 
Anniversary at Union Bar & Grille, 
Thursday, January 20, 7pm

12. Meet the one

Beijing is cold, and space heaters kind of suck, so why not stay warm in the company of another human? One fun way to meet humans is at speed dating, organized by Fishbowl Events (January 16, ¥150 includes a drink and appetizers).

Speed Dating (speedatingbj@gmail.com)

13. Spiff up your closet

Oscar Wilde called fashion “a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months.” But he sure knew how to rock a frock. If you’re looking for a more 21st century look, try The Source for the latest in premium streetwear for both men and women.

The Source (E128, World City, 8, Jinhui Road, 金汇路8号世界城E128号, Tel: 8590-7872)

14. Come out of the closet

If straight people had a flag, it would probably be beige. Why settle for boring in 2011 when the other team is having all the fun? Adding to Beijing’s growing gay nightlife scene, Gayographic has teamed up with the folks at The Other Half for a “slutty and sultry” new Thursday dance party. If you still insist that your heterosexuality is not a choice, then come along for the ride and prove you’re “straight but not narrow.”

Gayographic; The Other Half 
(International Wonderland, 39 Xingfu Ercun, 幸福二村39号首开广场, Tel: 8444-4464)

15. Learn to dance

You never know when something you try on a whim will turn into your life’s work. Emma Xu was studying in the U.K. when she happened to catch a glimpse of people dancing in a Latin bar. “At the beginning I was just curious,” she says, “but after taking some classes I got really addicted to it.” When she returned to China, she founded the Latino China dance studio, which offers instruction in couples dances like salsa, bachata, tango and cha-cha-cha.

Once you catch sight of the couples dancing, says Xu, “I am sure you would feel passionate and romantic straightaway.” Beginners can try out the classes for one month (¥399), and the studio is offering a January promotion on a three-month membership (¥888).

Latino China (1905, Bldg A, Ocean Express Plaza, Sanyuandongqiao, 东三环北路三元东桥运洋新干线A座, Tel: 136-0119-3825)

16. Get back into analog photography

You digital camera is great, but don’t you miss having actual photos that you can hold in your hand? Lomo cameras were invented in Saint Petersburg and chronicled many a happy summer dacha retreat before cool hunters rediscovered them. For an earlier generation, the cameras’ “low quality” might have symbolized the failure of Soviet communism, but today the garish colors, lens distortions and light leaks will make your next (scanned) profile pic look that much more “authentic.” To start, visit a workshop at the Lomography Store in Sanlitun (every Saturday at 3pm, free).

Lomography Gallery Store Beijing (two locations: Sanlitun Beijie, 三里屯北街30号楼2门101室, Tel: 6416-1868 and 9 Longtoujing Jie, 龙头井街9号 Tel: 6657-2769 and 101, Door 2, Block 30), Fisheye Café (S1-18, Sanlitun Village South, 19 Sanlitun Lu, 三里屯路19号三里屯Village南区S1-18号, Tel: 6417-2588)

17. Help the less 
fortunate

Consider changing your own life by helping to change the lives of others. There are millions of needy people in China, but just as many ways to help, whether you’re passionate about migrant rights, animal welfare or AIDS activism. Here’s a good place to start your search.

The Lasso Guide to Charity in China.

18. Keep up with the China insiders

The sleeping Chinese dragon has awakened and is flexing its economic muscle. If that sentence made you throw up in your mouth, you’re ready for a fresh perspective. Enter the Sinica podcast. Hosted by rock-star-meets-tech-whiz Kaiser Kuo and featuring a rotating panel of the toast of China’s laowai commentariat, Sinica is a free half-hour of cliché-free analysis of politics, economics and international relations.

Sinica podcast at Popup Chinese.

19. Start a band

Your revolutionary idea to fuse Mongolian throat singing with Manchester acid house is either interesting or terrible, but one thing's for sure: it will piss off your neighbors. Solution: practice space!

Snake Pit (Andelu, basement of Bldg 14, 100m north of Andingmen subway station, 安德路14号楼地下1层, 安定门地铁站往北100米, Tel: 8412-4753)

20. Get a tattoo

People get tattoos for many reasons, but Mummy Tattoo founder 
Xiaodong Zhou says a common motivation is having recently “experienced a major change in life.” Dong Dong, as he is more commonly known, wants his customers to experience a feeling of “boundless imagination” when they contemplate his work.

“I built up my reputation over many years, so people just trust me,” says Dong Dong, whose main artistic influences come from aspects of Chinese traditional culture, such as brush painting, architecture and fairytales. To maintain focus on his work, the artist prefers not to chat with customers during sessions (¥800–1,500/hour). Dong Dong is currently considering guest artists from Germany, Australia and Italy for 2011.

Mummy Tattoo (Tel: 6417-8480)

21. Tie the knot

Maybe things are going very well with the girl you met at speed dating (see above) — go you! Why not get engaged? Head to I Wish Wedding for help with all the excruciating details (We mean: All the lovely touches, honey, you’re so good at this stuff).

I Wish Wedding (info@iwishwed.com, 
Tel: 5869-1917)

22. Cook your own gongbao jiding

Is re-heated takeout food your idea of a home-cooked meal? Take a cooking class to jump-start your culinary creativity.

Morgan O’Hara of The Hutong says the most exciting part of learning Chinese cooking is “the realization that this seemingly very challenging cuisine is actually quite accessible once you learn the basics.”

Some of The Hutong’s most popular courses include dumplings and hand-pulled noodle making. Regional cuisines are also a focus.

“If you can meet someone from Yunnan,” says O’Hara, “and then begin to speak with them about some of the minority dishes that characterize Yunnan cuisine. That is such an inroads intro breaking cultural barriers and connecting with people.”

Try "Chinese Ethnic Minority Cuisine" (¥240, January 12) or "Fresh Is Best" (¥240, January 16).

The Hutong (1 Jiudaowan Hutong, Beixinqiao, 
九道湾胡同1号, Tel: 159-0104-6127)

23. Become a martial arts master

Thinking about getting into traditional martial arts? It starts with mental discipline. “Some foreign friends may only see the surface of Chinese kung fu, for example cool forms and powerful movements,” says Milun School of Traditional Kung Fu founder Zhang Yuxuan, but “learning kung fu is not only practicing fists and forms, but also practicing your mind.”

Zhang says the Milun School has taught more than 10,000 students a curriculum that combines martial arts, traditional culture and philosophical study. He tailors his teaching methods to Western learning styles. For example, Zhang sometimes tells students that one movement “feels like you are cleaning glasses at home.” The fun approach helps students remember the move, and keeps them coming back to learn more.

Beijing Milun School of Traditional Kung Fu (33 Xitangzi Hutong, Wangfujing, 王府井西堂子胡同33号, Tel: 158-1070-8207)