The Olympic Green
Trip Start
Oct 07, 2008
1
6
15
Trip End
Oct 25, 2008
Beijing,
China
Monday, October 13, 2008
I decided to go to the Olympic Green to see the Birds' Nest and the Water Cube. I took the subway and then ended up having to walk forever to get there. There were tons of people there. I walked around for awhile and then purchased a ticket to enter the Birds' Nest. They had giant-sized stuffed Olympic mascots, mannequins wearing different outfits from the Olympic ceremonies. They even had--me! I got two picture requests! I'm famous! One of the starers (an old woman this time) smiled at me. When I smiled back she said something and gestured at my hair, and then gestured to take a photo with me. She put her arm around my shoulder, so I did the same. A woman who was with her took our picture. As this was happening, a group of people was passing by, including a young man and another old woman. So the man gestured if I could be in a picture with the old woman he was with! I said okay so he took our picture. He said "Sorry." I told him no problem (I hear the English expression "No problem" a lot in China so I thought he'd probably understand.) I told them my name in Chinese (just in case they needed it for their memory book) but they didn't seem to care.
One thing I notice about the starers today is that besides my face and hair, they tend to stare at my feet and my "chestal area" (I'm trying to keep this blog family-friendly.) It's quite disconcerting.
I haven't mentioned the hocking of loogies that is prevalent in China. I'll fill you in on the details in a later entry, so stay tuned! But there was one spitting incident that spooked me out today. I read (don't know if it's true) that when some old people see a foreigner they hock and spit to get the demons out. One old lady who was selling postcards out on the Olympic green saw me, gave me a stare that freaked me out, and as she followed me, she hocked huge loogie not on me, but close enough to make me uneasy. I turned my head around and she was still walking behind me and staring at me. I thought if this woman hocks a loogie on me, I will end up in a Chinese prison somewhere and never be heard of again. So I stepped to the side and stopped as if I were going to take a picture of something. She stopped too but when I started to walk again she stayed were she was.
Oher people are pleasant. One lady complemented my hair with gestures and expressions so I told her thank you (in Mandarin of course). While I get stared at a lot, people are helpful when I ask for directions or information and when I ask them to take my picture. They suggest poses and help me with lighting. I asked an old man at the Summer Palace to take my picture in a really sunny area and he kept talking to me in vigorous Chinese and gesturing towards his face. I thought he was trying to tell me that I was sweaty. Later I realized he was telling me that my skin was dark so I had to find the right spot with all the sunlight to take a picture to be able to see my face. Today at Olympic Stadium a nice old couple took my picture after a discussion (I think) of who would be the best photographer.
When I left the Stadium at dusk, there were lots of kids and adults flying kites. I took walk through a nearby neighborhood just to see more of Beijing. Oh, by the way, I have now been called the "N-word" on three continents!" In China "ni ga" is a common expression that has nothing to do with the "N-word," but twice in Beijing I've come across a group of teenage girls who've come past me, looked at me, and said "Niga!" One girl even had her head cocked! Too many music videos, perhaps? At least when someone calls me the word in China, I'm not feeling fearful or hated. I just see ignorance. They're imitating what they see without knowing much else about it.
After my walk, I tried to find the subway, but I was extremely tired so I hailed a cab for the ride back to the hotel. I tried to ask the cabbie something but I didn't know enough Mandarin and he didn't know English. I asked the doorman at the hotel to ask for me. He got a kick out of it when I said that I don't speak Chinese. He said "You don't speak Chinese?!" I figure if people are going to apologize for not speaking English, I'm going to do the same about not speaking Mandarin Why not? I am in China!
I ate dinner at the hotel restaurant and went upstairs to pack. I leave Beijing for Xi'an tomorrow but I'll be back!
