Another Little Canadian’s thoughts on Beijing
I am very much a list person, so here is a list of the highlights and interesting tidbits from the Dignin’s first Spring Festival (aka Chinese New Year) in China.
· People (and animal) watching: This was one of my favorite things to do while in Beijing. I was greatly rewarded for my wide-eyes: a poodle donning baby blue pajamas and catching a ride in a bike basket, countless children with butt-less pants, children using parts of pagodas as slides, a mule that likes apples, a guy collecting Valentines blessings for his girlfriend, a flock of sheep in the woods and plenty of ladies in leather shorts.
Apparently people-watching is cross-cultural, as many Beijingers thought we were interesting (or more likely funny-looking) enough to watch and photograph. One man even took video of us eating at a restaurant on his phone and texted to share the laughter. And I thought we were doing alright with our chopsticks.
· The GREATEST part: My favorite part of the trip (besides seeing Steve, of course) was the Great Wall. It was so majestic and old and impressive and steep and…great. We even got to see it decorated with snow (after the Chinese government shot chemicals in the clouds to make it snow to alleviate the drought). Steve has some great pictures on his Picasa site.
· Security: Every subway stop has an x-ray scanner machine that you have to put your bags through (I can’t even imagine such a scenario in Chicago). The morning after New Years the man watching the bags go through was definitely sleeping on the job, literally. He didn’t even stir when we sent our suspicious-looking bags through.
· Fireworks: Everywhere. Everyday. In the streets. On the sidewalks. Under cars. If the purpose was to scare away evil spirits in the new year…I don’t think the people of Beijing have anything to worry about. They did add a festive feel to our visit though.
· Steve’s new abode: I loved getting to see Steve’s apartment (and neighborhood and school as well) so that now when he talks about different places, I can picture it. His new apartment is pretty great. The best feature of Steve’s new place might be the light fixtures. The living room has this twisty-ended chandelier and Steve’s room has a moon and star made of wires. It casts some terrific shadows on the pastel pink walls.
· Food: Ordering food was always an adventure. Twice the wait staff recruited an English-speaking diner to help us order. Some favorites included a haystack pile of potatoes, spicy green beans, this swirly bread that tasted like a croissant, sweet potato chip-thingys, this crunchy wrap with egg and onion from the cart on the corner, and warm milk tea. I have yet to feel any regret for passing on the squirming scorpions on a stick.
We took the noodle class at the Black Sesame Kitchen. If you happen to be in Beijing and enjoy cooking I would highly recommend it. The afternoon featured four types of noodles and two tasty sauces, the chance to play around in the kitchen (But not with the cleavers. You don’t play around with cleavers), views of my dad in an apron and a chef named Chairman Wang would offered a coveted “very good” from time to time.
· Toilets: There were public restrooms all over. The facilities offered varied in amenities offered (toilet paper or not, Western toilet or squatty potty, barriers between users or not) and odor. But it was nice they were there, especially after enjoying some of that delicious milk tea.
· REALLY old buildings: We saw scores of historical sites (the Temple of Heaven, the Forbidden City, the Drum and Bell Towers, the Ming tombs and Llama Temple). While they all had their own features, purposes and importance, they most impressive part of all of these sites was how OLD they are. They gave us a little window into ancient Chinese culture. And since it was festival time, we got to see lots of people making their offerings at the temples.
Obviously this list doesn’t describe every moment of our Beijing adventure (although you might be thinking it couldn’t possibly longer by this point). I’ll just conclude by saying if you happen to have a chunk of time off work and some bonus money for a plane ticket, Beijing is a brilliant city and Steve is a great host!
