This is my last full day in Beijing, and I am catching up on this blog at nice little cafe called "Bookworm". It is in a sort of trendy (my guess) part of town near one of the clusters of Embassies. It is located between the Second and Third Ring Roads. Beijing is ringed by and increasing number of Beltways called Ring roads. There is no First Ring Road but it might be around the Forbidden City and surrounding parks (it does lie in the center of the city). The Second Ring Road surrounds what is left of the old city. It runs basically where the old city walls used to be. Only a very small length of it is left and three or so gates. Beijing is trying to remake itself as fast as it can, with a rough goal of next years Olympics as its coming party.
I know that lots of people are planning on being in Beijing for the Olympics, I'm sure it will be some party. I for one am planning on not being in town. I am excited to be in China during the Olympics, everyone in the whole country will be tunned in I'm sure. But I know that it will be far too crowded, hot (it will be in August), and expensive (it is hard enough to find cheap housing now). So go if you want to but it sounds awful to me.
Tomorrow I will be heading out on an 8 hr train ride to Zhengzhou the capital and transport hub of Henan Province. Then it is an hour by bus or (probably for me) cab to Kaifeng. As I mentioned before (I think) there is a group of students from Beloit who will be doing their study abroad in China this semester. There are 5 in total, two will be studying in Kaifeng (with me) and the others will be in Jinan in Shandong (one province to the east). But until the semester starts they are in Kaifeng with the two Beloit profs for a two week intro seminar. I was invited by Daniel to tag along for it. They are finishing up their first week in Kaifeng and I will meet up with them for a week or so excursion around Henan to local sights of interest. Henan being the cradle of Chinese civilization they should be interesting sights indeed. Daniel didn't know where we will be going yet when I had dinner a few days back. I'll let you all know though where we go.
Beijing is a nice city, lots of places to explore and sights to see, but I am getting restless. I am very eager to start my studies and start getting to know Kaifeng. It is much smaller 400,000 compared to Beijing's 13 million or so. Also it is much less developed, which in Chinese eyes is a bad thing, but for the westerner it means charming old buildings and a glimpse of a fast disappearing world.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
China smells
In traditional Chinese thought the world is divided into fives. The five directions: N, S, E, W, and center. The five senses. Five major colors, tastes, internal organs, creatures, etc. There are also five smells (I forget which they are, I'll have to look them up again).
In modern China though, there are three smells: Food, Putrescence, and Chemical. They are everywhere and intermixed all over the city. It is hard to get a true sense of the place only through pictures and words.
The smell of food is everywhere and is always good. People grilling kabobs, deep frying dough sticks for breakfast, stir fry smells wafting from street side vendors and fancy restaurants, and unidentifiable tasty smells from home kitchens.
The putrescence is from garbage rotting in the street, filthy water in puddles that you have to step over, 'night soil' either on the street itself or coming from various public toilets. It is everywhere.
Their are horrible acrid smells of various chemicals used in the building of a 'modern' Beijing. I am currently reading White Noise by Don DeLillo and I think of his "airborne toxic event" all the time here.
In modern China though, there are three smells: Food, Putrescence, and Chemical. They are everywhere and intermixed all over the city. It is hard to get a true sense of the place only through pictures and words.
The smell of food is everywhere and is always good. People grilling kabobs, deep frying dough sticks for breakfast, stir fry smells wafting from street side vendors and fancy restaurants, and unidentifiable tasty smells from home kitchens.
The putrescence is from garbage rotting in the street, filthy water in puddles that you have to step over, 'night soil' either on the street itself or coming from various public toilets. It is everywhere.
Their are horrible acrid smells of various chemicals used in the building of a 'modern' Beijing. I am currently reading White Noise by Don DeLillo and I think of his "airborne toxic event" all the time here.
Views around the Forbidden City
This is the actual entrance to the Forbidden City. There are three gates to pass through before you even get in. The first gate is Tiananmen (gate of heavenly peace) this is the one which faces the square and has Mao's picture on it. There are of course tons of people queuing and milling about to get into the Forbidden City. Most of them are Chinese tourists.The increased prosperity of the people has given them the opportunity to travel and see their country.
People milling about in between the main gate and the middle gate. There are of course tons of vendors and hawkers selling postcards, buttons, stamps, slices of melon on sticks, popsicles, and frozen bottled water.
A close up of one of the towers. I didn't actually go in the palace, I'm sure when people come to visit me they will want to go so I can go see it with them. (hint hint)
You can see all the people sitting down in the shade of the gate and inside of it. It is over 90 and very humid. August is the most popular and the worst time to visit Beijing, heat and humidity wise. Also most of August falls during the Ghost Month according to the Chinese lunar calendar. There is a list of things not to do during the Ghost Month, one of which is travel. No wonder.
A view of the moat and side of the gate.
Coal hill pictures
Here are some views from Coal Hill park, directly north of the Forbidden City. All of Beijing is totally flat so this hill was build from earth dredged up from the moat surrounding the palace.
This is a view south over the Forbidden City. To give you an idea of how large it is this would be the only the East half of it.
These were taken on a clear day (the only day of blue sky since I've been here). You can see that Beijing's famous smog is still in view. Or obstructing views rather. But this is China and you take what you can get.
Further off in the distance beyond the palace complex are the Stalinist buildings surrounding Tiananmen square. The round gleaming half sphere is the new National Theater building.
(Click on the images for an enlarged view)
A view west to Beihai (lit. Northern Sea) Park.
The north side of the park and beyond are the sky-scrapers of new Beijing.
This is the entrance to the park, over to the right near the lower pavilion is the tree where the last Ming emperor hung himself as the conquering Manchus entered the city.
This is a view south over the Forbidden City. To give you an idea of how large it is this would be the only the East half of it.
These were taken on a clear day (the only day of blue sky since I've been here). You can see that Beijing's famous smog is still in view. Or obstructing views rather. But this is China and you take what you can get.
Further off in the distance beyond the palace complex are the Stalinist buildings surrounding Tiananmen square. The round gleaming half sphere is the new National Theater building.
(Click on the images for an enlarged view)
A view west to Beihai (lit. Northern Sea) Park.
The north side of the park and beyond are the sky-scrapers of new Beijing.
This is the entrance to the park, over to the right near the lower pavilion is the tree where the last Ming emperor hung himself as the conquering Manchus entered the city.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Hey brother!
A man passed me on the street and shouted; "Hey brother! Are you Polish?". I really didn't know how to respond.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Hot hot hot pot
Yesterday I rose early (my clock is still off) at 5am and decided that I would check out the Sanjaichuan market. It is Sunday flea market which my guide suggested that you get to early. So I hopped in a taxi and we went out to the outskirts of Beijing (well outskirts might not be the best description, as there are still skyscrapers in the outskirts and then more skyscrapers beyond them). I arrived at 5:30 and before most of the vendors had arrived, but they were all pouring in to set up their wears. Most of the merchants had bicycle rickshaws piled with lacquer boxes, statues, and furniture. I must have been the only person there who was fully awake. Everyone was still bleary eyed as they unpacked their stuff. And oh what stuff it was. Paintings, scrolls, knickknacks, porcelain, statues, brushes, posters, jars, etc... And in every imaginable style and material. From red and black Banpo culture, Shang bronzes, porcelain in three color Tang style, white and blue Ming, and Multicolored Qing, to Cultural Revolution and Mao memorabilia, all brought together by the most capitalist of all venues, the flea market.
I wandered about looking at piles and piles of crap. I guess if you really, really wanted a souvenir this was the place to go (or really wanted to haggle). I said I'd only buy nice little Tang three color vase to hold my pens, or a print of the Qingming festival, but I didn't find either to my satisfaction. I saw pictures documenting that both Hillary Clinton and Denis Hastart had patronised the place. But I came away empty handed. As I left a tour group from some Eastern European country, everyone of them was wearing these big baggy colorful flowing genie pants that they'd bought at some other crap store.
Later that day I went to the Beijing zoo. I took a long hot crowded bus ride out to the zoo. Everyone wanted to go there I guess. It was pretty depressing, especially to see the people feeding the bears soft drinks and buns. I did briefly see the Pandas but you had to push through a crowd ten people deep just to glimpse them before being pushed away. I was glad to hop in a taxi (and avoid the miserable bus) when I left. But not after exchanging expletives with a vendor outside the place who wanted to charge me more for water because I was a foreigner.
Foreigners are generally charged more for things by giving you the English menu at the restaurant which has higher prices. Or just quoting you the higher price when you ask how much something is. Usually I can tolerate it, its all so cheap. But this man was calling out "yikuai, yikuai, yikuai!" (one kuai) when I pulled out my yikuai he said "liangkuai" (two kuai). Not like I couldn't afford it 2 kuai is very cheap. I just couldn't stand for blatant discrimination. I swore at him in English (he didn't understand) only because my Chinese isn't good enough. Daniel Youd (one of my Beloit Profs) said that when being cheated he would tell people (in Chinese) that "he was sorry, that he mistakenly had thought that China was a civilized country" (the government has lots of signs and banners proclaiming that once should do this or that because China is a civilized country). Of course my Chinese isn't that good yet.
That night I went out for Mongolian Hot pot at a sort of chain hot pot restaurant. Perfect for the single eater. Everyone sits at a bar in which there are little hot plate sunk into it at each place. They give you a pot full of your choice of base (spicy is really the only way to go) then you choose from a menu or ingredients to order. I ordered mutton (a must for hotpot) and veggies and little sausages which tasted exactly like those little party wieners. They then bring these out to you on plates where you cook them in the pot a few at a time then fish them out with your chopsticks and dunk them in a small bowl of sesame sauce before eating. Every one sweats profusely when eating, as a sweaty foreigner (most Chinese people don't sweat as easily as white people so) I came away pretty wet.
Why go get boiling spicy food on a boiling spicy day, well aside from being tasty, I guess the Chinese believe that when it is hot out it is best to induce sweating by eating hot things. When in Beijing, do as the Beijingers do.
I wandered about looking at piles and piles of crap. I guess if you really, really wanted a souvenir this was the place to go (or really wanted to haggle). I said I'd only buy nice little Tang three color vase to hold my pens, or a print of the Qingming festival, but I didn't find either to my satisfaction. I saw pictures documenting that both Hillary Clinton and Denis Hastart had patronised the place. But I came away empty handed. As I left a tour group from some Eastern European country, everyone of them was wearing these big baggy colorful flowing genie pants that they'd bought at some other crap store.
Later that day I went to the Beijing zoo. I took a long hot crowded bus ride out to the zoo. Everyone wanted to go there I guess. It was pretty depressing, especially to see the people feeding the bears soft drinks and buns. I did briefly see the Pandas but you had to push through a crowd ten people deep just to glimpse them before being pushed away. I was glad to hop in a taxi (and avoid the miserable bus) when I left. But not after exchanging expletives with a vendor outside the place who wanted to charge me more for water because I was a foreigner.
Foreigners are generally charged more for things by giving you the English menu at the restaurant which has higher prices. Or just quoting you the higher price when you ask how much something is. Usually I can tolerate it, its all so cheap. But this man was calling out "yikuai, yikuai, yikuai!" (one kuai) when I pulled out my yikuai he said "liangkuai" (two kuai). Not like I couldn't afford it 2 kuai is very cheap. I just couldn't stand for blatant discrimination. I swore at him in English (he didn't understand) only because my Chinese isn't good enough. Daniel Youd (one of my Beloit Profs) said that when being cheated he would tell people (in Chinese) that "he was sorry, that he mistakenly had thought that China was a civilized country" (the government has lots of signs and banners proclaiming that once should do this or that because China is a civilized country). Of course my Chinese isn't that good yet.
That night I went out for Mongolian Hot pot at a sort of chain hot pot restaurant. Perfect for the single eater. Everyone sits at a bar in which there are little hot plate sunk into it at each place. They give you a pot full of your choice of base (spicy is really the only way to go) then you choose from a menu or ingredients to order. I ordered mutton (a must for hotpot) and veggies and little sausages which tasted exactly like those little party wieners. They then bring these out to you on plates where you cook them in the pot a few at a time then fish them out with your chopsticks and dunk them in a small bowl of sesame sauce before eating. Every one sweats profusely when eating, as a sweaty foreigner (most Chinese people don't sweat as easily as white people so) I came away pretty wet.
Why go get boiling spicy food on a boiling spicy day, well aside from being tasty, I guess the Chinese believe that when it is hot out it is best to induce sweating by eating hot things. When in Beijing, do as the Beijingers do.
The Chatty Chinese
Yesterday I was very politely accosted by on three separate occasions by Chinese people who wanted to practice their English on me.
"Hello, hello. You are English, American. Where are you from?"
"Have you been to the imperial gardens? I think it is very beautiful. Perhaps we go there to speak English together."
Occasionally I am happy to chat a little bit but I generally detest small talk and I know that people get paid to do this. Besides the whole point of me going to China to learn Chinese is that I'll be able to practice my Chinese out on the street, not to be a study guide, or a really bland conversationalist in English.
My first two days here most people who shouted hello at me were kids who wanted just wanted to say hi. I'm glad there wont be so many people eager for boring conversations in Kaifeng, or those who want them can hire me.
Last night I was heading back to my hostel after a very long and exhausting day when two you women stopped me to speak English with me. They were nice enough but I was totally beat and sweating in the evening heat. I kept telling them I was going back to my hostel. Once suggested that we go to the lobby of my hotel and have conversations over tea. I laughed to myself at the absurdity of that suggestion. She must have assumed that this dirty, sweaty, poorly dressed waigouren (foreigner) must be staying in some plush 4 star hotel. Wouldn't they be surprised to learn that the lobby to my hotel consisted of a skinny security guard sleeping on his desk an a dirty elevator. No tea to be had at all.
They let me go and I went to bed.
"Hello, hello. You are English, American. Where are you from?"
"Have you been to the imperial gardens? I think it is very beautiful. Perhaps we go there to speak English together."
Occasionally I am happy to chat a little bit but I generally detest small talk and I know that people get paid to do this. Besides the whole point of me going to China to learn Chinese is that I'll be able to practice my Chinese out on the street, not to be a study guide, or a really bland conversationalist in English.
My first two days here most people who shouted hello at me were kids who wanted just wanted to say hi. I'm glad there wont be so many people eager for boring conversations in Kaifeng, or those who want them can hire me.
Last night I was heading back to my hostel after a very long and exhausting day when two you women stopped me to speak English with me. They were nice enough but I was totally beat and sweating in the evening heat. I kept telling them I was going back to my hostel. Once suggested that we go to the lobby of my hotel and have conversations over tea. I laughed to myself at the absurdity of that suggestion. She must have assumed that this dirty, sweaty, poorly dressed waigouren (foreigner) must be staying in some plush 4 star hotel. Wouldn't they be surprised to learn that the lobby to my hotel consisted of a skinny security guard sleeping on his desk an a dirty elevator. No tea to be had at all.
They let me go and I went to bed.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
a photo!
This post is mostly just for me to test my ability to upload photos.
This is a homeless man eating his dinner on a bench in the park out side the Ming Dynasty City walls. Actually very little of the city wall in Beijing remains. It was torn down by the communists in the 50s and replaced by the 2nd Ring Road.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Beijing Dispatches
This would be my second night here in the capital of the middle kingdom. And I am spending it, like so many other nights in the east at an internet cafe. Yesterday when I arrived at the airport, at 3 am, I stepped through customs (a very empty hallway marked: nothing to declare) I was swarmed with taxi drivers looking for fresh meat. Of course I would get a taxi, of course I would possibly pay through the nose for one, but I'm just not ready haggle straight off the plane. I tried to escape the yelping drivers by driving my cart full of baggage into the bathroom. It sort of worked. As I was washing up one of them had followed me in and handed me his business card. I would have to take some taxi into the city. I guess he would be the lucky one to drive me in.
We drove into the city through a pall of mist and smog listening to chinese dance music weaving our way along the expressway. The driver was not familiar with my hostel, obscure as it is. And he had to stop twice to ask fellow taxi drivers where the place was. he then dropped me off at an abandoned plaza behind the Ritz. I wandered around it till I realised exactly where I was and where my hostel was. When I got there they only had a double room free so I took it. The woman at the desk asked if I wanted to see it first. I said why not (I probably should not have as it hadn't been cleaned yet) The previous occupants it seemed had spend the night(s) before eating instant noodles and spitting sunflower seeds all over the floor. I said I would take it (if they cleaned it first) even though my mind said to reject it and go somewhere else. But it was 5 in the morning and I was over loaded with bags and was really, really done traveling at that point. Hey, this is China and this is an adventure. Did I mention that the hostel is in the fourth floor of the basement, well it is which is why I could pay so little for the same location as the Ritz, the Plaza and a half dozen other huge hotels all abut a half mile from the Forbidden City.
I walked then to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen square, everything still bathed lightly in haze. I knew what to expect but still when the roofs of the Tiananmen gate with Chairman Mao's picture on it came into view from behind the trees I got chills. wow. This really is China! Mao looks across a six lane street and over the square to the monument to the people's heroes. Beyond that lies the great helmsman himself, entombed and mummified in a giant mausoleum. Even so early in the morning the square was filled with people and PSB (Public Security Bureau) vans. Their snoozing inhabitants keeping careful watch for any Falun Gong or pro-democracy protesters who might appear.
I decided not to go into the Forbidden City just then. I needed something to eat and was just too tired to properly take it all in. I wandered north along the eastern wall of the FC past hole-in-the-wall stores (yes, some of them were very, very much like holes). I found breakfast eatery serving an old favorite of mine. I still don't know the name of it, but it is a very thin tortilla/ pancake with egg, scallions, and spicy sauce all wrapped up in it. It is served still quite hot in a thin plastic bag; and I had to walk around blowing on the bag before I could touch it long enough to get a bite. The rest of the morning I spent wandering around the hutongs, old style courtyard housing and very close meandering alleyways. More on these later. They probably will require pictures...
Well tonight I just got done having dinner with two Beloit profs (Daniel Youd and Natalie Gummer) who are in town to meet the Beloit students for this semester's study abroad. We shared spicy Sichuan (aka: Szechwan) eggplant, dofu (tofu), and twice cooked pork (mostly twice cooked pork fat) and Yanjing beer. (thanks for the meal Beloit College!) I then tromped off in search of a 24hr internet cafe (harder to find than they used to be). The one I wanted, or the hostel it was above didnt seem to exist any more. Even though my brand new guide book said they were brand new. But new doesn't stay new long in today's China. Both seemed to have been bulldozed for a skyscraper or some other monstrosity going up around town. I did find one not too far for the original's location. Though it was all full I waited till someone stopped playing their video games to gave me a seat (what else could I do but wait.)
Tomorrow I think I will get up early and rent a bicycle. I also bought batteries for my camera so I will be taking pictures to post as well.
We drove into the city through a pall of mist and smog listening to chinese dance music weaving our way along the expressway. The driver was not familiar with my hostel, obscure as it is. And he had to stop twice to ask fellow taxi drivers where the place was. he then dropped me off at an abandoned plaza behind the Ritz. I wandered around it till I realised exactly where I was and where my hostel was. When I got there they only had a double room free so I took it. The woman at the desk asked if I wanted to see it first. I said why not (I probably should not have as it hadn't been cleaned yet) The previous occupants it seemed had spend the night(s) before eating instant noodles and spitting sunflower seeds all over the floor. I said I would take it (if they cleaned it first) even though my mind said to reject it and go somewhere else. But it was 5 in the morning and I was over loaded with bags and was really, really done traveling at that point. Hey, this is China and this is an adventure. Did I mention that the hostel is in the fourth floor of the basement, well it is which is why I could pay so little for the same location as the Ritz, the Plaza and a half dozen other huge hotels all abut a half mile from the Forbidden City.
I walked then to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen square, everything still bathed lightly in haze. I knew what to expect but still when the roofs of the Tiananmen gate with Chairman Mao's picture on it came into view from behind the trees I got chills. wow. This really is China! Mao looks across a six lane street and over the square to the monument to the people's heroes. Beyond that lies the great helmsman himself, entombed and mummified in a giant mausoleum. Even so early in the morning the square was filled with people and PSB (Public Security Bureau) vans. Their snoozing inhabitants keeping careful watch for any Falun Gong or pro-democracy protesters who might appear.
I decided not to go into the Forbidden City just then. I needed something to eat and was just too tired to properly take it all in. I wandered north along the eastern wall of the FC past hole-in-the-wall stores (yes, some of them were very, very much like holes). I found breakfast eatery serving an old favorite of mine. I still don't know the name of it, but it is a very thin tortilla/ pancake with egg, scallions, and spicy sauce all wrapped up in it. It is served still quite hot in a thin plastic bag; and I had to walk around blowing on the bag before I could touch it long enough to get a bite. The rest of the morning I spent wandering around the hutongs, old style courtyard housing and very close meandering alleyways. More on these later. They probably will require pictures...
Well tonight I just got done having dinner with two Beloit profs (Daniel Youd and Natalie Gummer) who are in town to meet the Beloit students for this semester's study abroad. We shared spicy Sichuan (aka: Szechwan) eggplant, dofu (tofu), and twice cooked pork (mostly twice cooked pork fat) and Yanjing beer. (thanks for the meal Beloit College!) I then tromped off in search of a 24hr internet cafe (harder to find than they used to be). The one I wanted, or the hostel it was above didnt seem to exist any more. Even though my brand new guide book said they were brand new. But new doesn't stay new long in today's China. Both seemed to have been bulldozed for a skyscraper or some other monstrosity going up around town. I did find one not too far for the original's location. Though it was all full I waited till someone stopped playing their video games to gave me a seat (what else could I do but wait.)
Tomorrow I think I will get up early and rent a bicycle. I also bought batteries for my camera so I will be taking pictures to post as well.
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