An Early Arrival!

Trip Start Jun 18, 2008
1
6
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Trip End Sep 04, 2008


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Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Another day in Beijing! Highlights include finishing my book (we don't have TV here), trying out sushi (I'd been warned it was risky to eat raw fish in China, but this proved unwarranted), and being complimented by a Chinese woman for the dress I'm wearing. Also, today Adam, John and I were wandering around looking for dinner when we bumped into John's roommates who were on the great Peking Duck hunt. (Get it? Duck Hunt?) We wound our way through the neighborhood of xiao chi (small eatery) and finally decided on a nicely air-conditioned restaurant. The six of us were conferring over what to order when Adam gets a phone call from his dad, who should have been in New York departing for China. But surprise! Adam's family had already arrived! The itinerary says they should get in tomorrow, but that's China for you.

So, we pick up and cross town to the hotel where his family is staying. Though Adam's dad found the hotel by simply searching the internet, he'd made reservations at one of the single nicest joints in Beijing. The hotel was very luxurious and Western-friendly: revolving gold doors, plush carpet, and a double staircase. Though Adam's parents are getting a deal now, the same room will cost $800 USD per night during the Olympics. Yikes!

The location of the hotel is also very nice and near Tienanmen Square. Close by, there's a large boulevard that's primarily open to pedestrians and was the first truly modern-Western style commercial retail area I'd seen. Every major designer had a storefront and the electronic advertising was as bright as Times Square (without the skyscrapers, of course).

Observations continue:
Ass-less chaps: Unpottytrained children wear onesies that cover their legs but not their pee pee or poo poo holes. Young babies do their business when and wherever they please and then are praised by their parents. I watched a baby pee on a small, crowded elevator as his grandma cooed at him and tickled his foot. I can't promise I didn't roll my eyes.

Excess Employees: Adam told me that the Chinese have a saying: In China, we are too many! Jobs are created so that people can have jobs. Everywhere has unarmed security guards who provide little to no security-- they are young boys from the countryside who would rather earn pennies in Beijing and send money home then go back to where they came. On the buses, the drivers do not collect your fare. The buses are often packed and still they have a ticket seller who stands on the bus among the riders. At a small department/convenience store (think an old CVS in the ghetto) there was an employee for every aisle just waiting to be asked for assistance with locating your item.
 
Girls holding hands: Homosexuality is still very taboo in China. However, girls in pairs will often hold hands- interlocked fingers and all- as they stroll the streets. Mostly I think they're crazy because some days have been so hot I don't want anyone touching me- no matter a boyfriend or a best friend.

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Keep a lookout for pictures. The internet keeps failing when I try to upload photos, but where there's a will, there's a way!
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