That Beijing Grit
Posted by Joshua Williams | Filed under Uncategorized
There is no doubt that the Beijing people are tough. In Beijing, one has to keep moving or get out of the way. To quote the famous Jesse Ventura, “They don’t have time to bleed.” I thought I would take some time to share some interesting tidbits and stories.
Since I’ve been here the temperature has been pretty hot. I’ve been pretty tempted to take my shirt off while out and about; however, I haven’t noticed anyone walking around shirtless. There is an interesting fashion here that I like to refer to as the “Beijing Bikini.” It’s quite simple and anyone can do this to keep cool while looking the same. All you have to do is pull up the bottom of your shirt and tuck it into your collar. Voila!
The other day when heading to a very nice restaurant in the Houhai district, we had a horrible cab experience. The max number per cab is 4. Since our group consisted of six people, we split into two cabs. Keep in mind, this is around a 35 to 40 minute walk from campus, but we always figured that cabs are quick and cheap. Traffic was terrible and we went about 15 minutes in the wrong direction before we could take a U-turn. Our taxi driver knew the way to our destination, but the other cab driver was oblivious. In order to give the best directions, we got our cab driver on the phone with the other cab driver. He was insulting the other cab driver asking him if he was new to the city. It was quite hilarious. We finally made it to the restaurant 45 minutes later, and it was well worth it. The food was delicious.
Overstimulation
Posted by Joshua Williams | Filed under Uncategorized
Wow a whole week has already flew by! It’s hard to remember exactly what occurred. Almost everyday I have been around the town to see the myriad of sights Beijing has to offer. For most of these excursions, I took the subway. It is not as dirty or crowded as one might assume. They are air-conditioned and if you head to the front or back of the train it is easy to find an open car.
My first exotic destination was to Tian’anmen Square. It was an enormous place. There are many courtyards of multiple football fields in size. The place had been repainted to look as it was thousands of years ago. Intricate designs of tigers, dragons and other creatures adorned the walls and ceilings of underhangs. There were Chinese military men in groups of 8 or 9 all over the place. They were either working out or jogging in groups. I was able to see the thrones of the emperors of times long past. It’s amazing to think that for only 60 years that place had been opened up to foreigners. Before that, only the elite class of Chinese entered those halls.
I also ventured out to the Olympic Green. Here is where they hosted the 2008 Olympic Games. Here is where they have what is called the Bird’s Nest, which is the stadium. Also, they have the Water Cube, and that hosted the water related sports. Along the walk from the subway, my group ran across a paper airplane competition. It was very fun. We were told to write our names and a life goal on the plane. Mine was world peace. I assumed the idea meant that the life goal of the plane that flew the furthest was accomplished. I helped some people make some planes who didn’t know how to make them. A Japanese guy from our group was the winner and he received an external hard drive. Further onto the Olympic Green, we came across a large tent with different cuisines. The vendors were vigorously trying to get customers to buy their food. To get food, one had to get a reloadable card and pay a deposit. The deposit was returned upon returning the card. I purchased some rice with mushrooms and meat, but my friends were more daring. One girl had some shrimp dumplings. Another had what was called cat ears. His only concern was whether or not they had much protein! I tried some and they weren’t bad. Later, we found out that the dish was only pasta shaped like cat ears.
More to come…
As the dust settles…
Posted by Joshua Williams | Filed under Uncategorized
Goodbye United States and Hello China!
I left from Charlotte at 9:30am EST and traveled through Atlanta, Seoul, and then made it to Beijing around 9pm local time. It was a total of 28 hours in flying! I was wiped out after the flight because I was unable to sleep in the cramped quarters of my seat. Luckily, I watched some movies provided by Korean Airlines to keep me busy. They served some good food on the flight. I ate some Bipin Bap, which is a traditional Korean meal. It’s made with rice and vegetables and a spicy paste that comes in a tube. Mix it all together, YUM!
My first experience being outside the airport and in a new country took my breath away, literally. The air was very hot and polluted. I got in a cab and headed for my dormitory. My taxi driver did not speak any English, but I showed him a brochure of the dorm and it had a number where he could call for directions. Driving in China is maddening. Regular rules of the road are thrown out the window into oncoming traffic. Turn signals are not used, the car horn is used more than the gas pedal, and tailgating is commonplace. I would be frightened to be behind the wheel of the car, but the driver seemed at ease. There may be a method to the madness, but then again the method may be the madness.
Finally, I made it to where I am staying, Luyin Apartotel or the No. 3 International Students Dormitory. I paid some fees and got my room card and went up to my room, 1029, and unpacked all my belongings. I met my roommate. He is Korean, I forget his name, and he did not know what to say when I shook his hand and introduced myself. I figured that Koreans must not shake hands when meeting. Well, maybe I can communicate with him through my Besta translator.
More to come…
