Beijing static cling

Well, hello...

Wow, it hasn't even been one month since my last posting, and here I am again! Must be a record for my blog this year. :)

Yes, yes, I finally made it to Beijing. I have now been here just over a month, and I have, I guess, a few things to say about it. I think it would take a long time to really figure this place out.

I arrived early in the Golden Holiday Week at the end of Sept / early Oct. I had only been informed of the holiday the week before I arrived, too late to change my plans. So, I had almost the whole week to myself since the office was closed and my boss was out of town. I settled into the Westin Beijing Financial Street. Needless to say, it was very nice. Especially the on-call bathologist who would draw me a bath with scented oils, rose petals, and a chocolate truffle, upon request. Yea! I tried each of the scented oil combinations but really can't say I found any difference between them.

These are a few of things I discovered during that first few days: I love having cable news again, the Heavenly Bed took some getting used to, a bad smog day in Beijing will make your nose burn just from walking around a little, a McDonald's burger here has some nasty special sauce we don't have at home, this city is HUGE, the tourist maps are terrible for navigating, and the metro is too much for me to take very often. After a few days I finally got tired of being only in my own head, without anyone to talk to, so I called my boss' wife. She was delightful and invited me up for lunch with her lovely daughters. They live in a hutong, or traditional Chinese courtyard house. Their neighborhood is a hutong with a bunch of expats living there with their kids and families. So charming! It was nice to have someone to chat with, and we went out to check out a chic new hutong neighborhood near them, full of cafes and bars. The streets were packed with mostly nuvo riche Chinese taking in the atmosphere; it was my first taste of getting through busy Beijing streets.

Other initial observations: Life would seem pretty normal, and then I would pass through Tienanmen Square or past a Chinese Army soldier standing guard somewhere. At that point it would seem like I was on Mars or somewhere else I had only imagined. Overall, the security infrastructure seems to pale in comparison to places I was hanging out in Jakarta and Bangkok. Although many of the embassies have walls and gates, they don't seem very blast-proof. And the sidewalks next to some embassies are surrounded by green wire fences and poor uniformed soldiers who stand in one place all day. At first the seeming "lack" of substantial security actually made me a bit uncomfortable. Have I already worked for the UN too long?? But then I remember, oh yeah, this is China. They would probably swarm on any suspicious person or vehicle, like ants defending their nest, and crush them. Anyway, it seems pretty safe here.

Language is a huge barrier here, bigger than in Jakarta and probably even Bangkok. Even after the Olympics. Taking a taxi is especially tricky for someone with little or no Mandarin. I highly recommend having the address written out in Mandarin and a cell phone handy to call your destination for directions. The metro can be distressingly jam packed, so I have opted to bike commute.

Bike commuting in Beijing. Lots of people do it, and there are "dedicated" bike lanes on most major streets. I am convinced, though, that the traffic is much more dangerous here than in Jakarta. I saw at least 3 traffic accidents in my first couple of weeks here, a much higher rate than in my year in Indonesia. Chinese drivers DO NOT CARE NOR TAKE TURNS. Everyone is out for him or herself; I have no doubt that the accident rate here is very high. Cyclists do not wear helmets or use lights, unless you are an un-hip foreigner. The most dangerous trend, though, (in terms of probability of having an accident, maybe not for damage likely to be caused) is the folks who ride AGAINST the bike lane traffic, at night and in the evening. Remember, no lights. I admit to doing it, too, (only now I have lights and a helmet) but only because crossing big busy intersections is probably more dangerous than potentially hitting another cyclist. Cars simply don't care, and right on red is their right of way. Even though my commute to and from the FAO office is only 10-15 minutes, my stress level goes right up on my way home in the evening. Although my helmet dooms me to permanent bad-hair days at work, I think I am glad to have it.

What else to say? I haven't eaten much Chinese food yet. Or at least much good Chinese food. I had some at the Westin that was good, but it was so terribly awkward to be the only person in the restaurant - and having the entire wait staff hovering over me - that I didn't eat there again. The other Chinese food I have had has been lunch ordered in at the office (for about $2) and eaten with the staff. Some of it is pretty good, but it is generally kinda bland. And has now lost its charm. I generally dislike eating out alone, although I do it at lunch a lot, so I haven't felt much like exploring. Especially considering the potential of ending up in a restaurant where English is not spoken or on the menu. I am working on my Pimsleur Mandarin language CDs when I cook dinner (pasta! salads!) in the evenings, but I am still stuck on "I don't speak very well." We haven't even come close to the topic of food yet...

I have done a little shopping (including the 2nd-largest Ikea in the world), went hiking twice just outside Beijing, and have tried out the tango scene. Maybe all topics for later.

Cheers,
E