The following are excerpts from the interview:

Q: How did you come up with the idea to become a volunteer for the Xicheng district in Beijing?

Crossman: I'm 66 years old, and will soon turn 67. I've lived in Beijing for 26 years.

My major in college was Chinese history and philosophy, and I lived in Hong Kong and Singapore before settling down in Beijing.

In 2017, after living in Shichahai, a scenic spot area in downtown Beijing, for six years, I got to know some locals and was invited by them to become a volunteer for the region.

It seems that I was the only foreign volunteer and I like to be called a Xicheng Dama because I think being a member of them is fun.

Work at the volunteer service booth entails showing lost travelers the way or giving them a glass of water.