Hello from Beijing.
Saturday, December 20, 2003
Hi again. Long time, no see. There are no pictures, mostly because the past week has been a blur of work, work, work, then dinner, then sleep. It is not a pretty schedule, but if the first issue of the magazine is going to come out anytime soon (highly unlikely), it must be done. I have to try at least.
And then it all was capped off by the adventure of this morning: the great wisdom tooth removal. Some of you may recall the saga of the emergency root canal the week before we left for China. I sure wish my dentist at the time would have had the foresight to see that my wisdom tooth was going to erupt seven weeks later. Alas. So today it came out. But truly, it was a party compared to the root canal. And though I am icing my face, and eating ice cream, and generally just lying around, all of that makes for a pretty good Saturday.
Here is a fun story from work. (Which again, I hate talking about on the Internet, but when all you do is work, and when you also want to share fun stories, then it sort of necessitates sharing fun stories from work.) Yesterday, my two co-workers (one of whom is Duncan, of previously-mentioned Willson brothers fame), my boss and I went on a field trip of sorts, to the warehouse in the south of Beijing where they house my publishing company's books. Now, central Beijing is a sprawling metropolis, with taxis, and shiny buildings, and hustle, and bustle. But the outskirts of the city, though still technically Beijing, is a whole other story. Let's just say it's no Brooklyn: it's perfectly common for a horse and cart to trot by. After our book business was completed, we were dropped off by one of the warehouse workers at a busy road to catch a taxi back to the office. Taxis were not exactly in abundance, so we stood around and waited for a bit. I think we pretty much blew the minds of all the locals who walked (or rode) past: three foreigners (clearly not a regular sight in these parts) standing on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere, hanging out, looking for a taxi. The double-takes were incredible.
Thursday, December 11, 2003
You have been so patient. Here is the reward: the long-awaited apartment pictures! But first, the obligatory excuses: Work is going well, but still quite time-consuming, and I have added Chinese classes two nights a week too. Plus, I had to plan and throw the big birthday party (last weekend) and then there were the necessary days spent recovering from it. And on top of all that, our 64 boxes of stuff (okay, junk) arrived yesterday from DC via the Panama Canal and Pacific Ocean. I now live in cardboard box city. I'm thinking of just not bothering with them. I mean, we'll move again in two years, right? What's the point of unpacking?
Luckily, I took some pics of the place after cleaning for the party but before the dozens of boxes arrived. They will only be up for a short while, because, well, it's a little creepy putting pictures of your apartment on the internet where any weirdo could see them. (Hello Anson.) But. Let's take a tour, shall we? [Note: Pictures have been removed and are available by written request only.]
yay for fun sinks!
oh and there's the birthday boy...
Friday, December 5, 2003
Happy December! I know I have been a bit MIA, but believe me when I say the past week has been a blur of working, sleeping, celebrating 30th birthdays (not for me, for the other person in my household), and more working. And, okay, some eating. Possibly a little shopping. All right, fine, a lot of shopping. But that makes for a busy week! I promise to be better in the future. I know how China stories make you happy.
We did also catch the mighty Beijing Ocean battling the Shanghai Sharks (Yao Ming's old team). It is sort of similar to medium-level college ball at home. But. Good times.
the game was actually pretty exciting
but the entertainment highlight was really the cheerleaders
A recap... Thanksgiving dinner, before and after. Yum.
Thursday, November 27, 2003
Happy Thanksgiving! I had to go in to work today for a few hours, but have the afternoon of to give thanks, feel grateful, and eat (we are off to a real turkey dinner shortly. Yay!) My apologies for about not sharing about my new job sooner: You know how I hate talking about work on the Internet. However, most of my co-workers are Chinese, over age 40, and probably have no interest in (or idea about) weblogs. So I think it's okay.
I have joined the staff of a soon-to-be-launched magazine aimed at expats around China. It's nationwide, and will include articles about culture, food, travel and history. I was hired to be a general writer/editor, but it turns out no one had really given any thought to what the magazine would be like, so now I'm sort of in charge of all that (though mostly because no one else has really started yet). It will be pretty time-consuming for awhile (so please forgive me if I'm not responding to e-mails very quickly), but hopefully fun. And that is that.
I went out to buy a (fake) Christmas tree today, but instead I bought a (fake) Hermes Kelly handbag. Um. Sort of tough to hang Christmas ornaments from. Think Mike will notice?
Monday, November 24, 2003
yes, virginia, they do have christmas in china
Here is how the last week has gone:
Monday: bed.
Tuesday: attempted lunch, back to bed.
Wednesday: bed.
Thursday: bed, pharmacy, bed.
Friday: bed, followed by dinner out.
Saturday: bed.
Sunday: photo lesson, followed by long walk, dinner, and then, of course, bed.
Lesson: I fought the cold, and the cold won. But luckily, I am back to near-perfect shape, just in time to start the new job. Which is conveniently located near a market that seems to specialize in plastic Santa Clauses. Whooo.
Thursday, November 20, 2003
So, it turns out that when I said I was "under the weather," I actually meant "pretty darn sick." Boo. Luckily, it's been a week of questionable weather (see below), so I didn't feel too bad holing up with a stash of dvds (but, unfortunately, no internet -- it was down for two days.) I was feeling better and ventured out on Tuesday for awhile, but it may have caused my relapse. Lesson learned: I am now embracing my inner hermit.
Actually, my illness has provided a few classic moments. There are no Western cold medicines readily available in any local drugstores. So, I attempted to go to the Chinese drugstore, which is staffed almost exclusively by young Chinese girls wearing old-fashioned nurse's uniforms and little nurse caps. How (unintentionally) retro. After pantomiming my various ailments (sore throat, achiness, sinus pressure, slight cough), they insisted I take these little Chinese pill packs and sent me on my way. (Believe you me, acting out "achiness" is no easy feat.) I have decided to switch over to the DayQuil Mike found at the Embassy store (you shouldn't mix Eastern and Western medecine, apparently) but it was certainly somewhat amusing.
Here is what I've been up to. In between very long naps, that is.
one of my favorite parts of china: the mod phone booth
the giant beer store: never fails to amuse
i also enjoy the giant tree store
We haven't talked about the pollution: It is probably the most difficult thing to adjust to here. Some days, it is clear and beautiful and sunny. But other days, a dense "fog" descends over the city, and you can barely see 10 feet in front of you. I blame it for the sinus troubles. But rest assured: They're trying to make it much better.
probably as bad as it gets
 luckily, there are a lot of good days
Monday, November 17, 2003
I am feeling a bit under the weather, so I think this will have to be a story-free entry. But enjoy the pics from the past few days. I'll regroup, have some delicious miso soup, and be back in full force by tomorrow or so.
beijing at night
candy!
the aptly named 'le cool', our local ice-skating rink
warning: beware the beijing clothes dryer
duncan (aka the china branch of the willson family) took us out and fed us pig's hoofs. which we ate. hey, when in beijing...
Wednesday, November 12, 2003
the moat at the Forbidden City
The bike and I took a little ride today: about four hours around town (that last hour was very very tough), through busy streets and hutongs and parks. We took a break at Beihai park, in the center of town near the Forbidden City. And now we are tiiiiired.
cheerily posed for a picture
somewhat staged: they were filming a movie of this tai chi class
a little light fishing in the moat
beihei, which is mostly a moat and a hill of temples
painting Chinese characters on the grounds
tourists groups often wear goofy red hats
i like to think he's laughing because they put a crappy souvenir shop in his shrine
the trusty bicycle
Tuesday, November 11, 2003
So today I bought a bike. Everyone in Beijing rides bikes, in wide bike-designated lanes, adhering to the crazy traffic rules -- for instance, lane lines are optional, and so are red lights in some places -- that are the norm here. (I am a very rusty bike rider myself, and require both hands while riding, therefore no pictures today.) We bought the bikes (about $25 apiece -- which is not quite the cheapest you can get, but is pretty close) at Carre Four, the French grocery/Wal Mart-style shopping nightmare popular with both Westerners and Chinese. Problem: The store is about three miles from my apartment, and the only way I know how to get between here and there is the Third Ring Road, i.e. one of the busiest highways through the city. Think of it as bike baptism-by-fire: me, a Beijing bike novice, during rush hour, pedaling along in a large pack of bikes and trying to avoid a terrible collision. The good news: I made it home in one piece. It is actually kind of fun, once you get the hang of it. The bad news: Here is what you need to avoid when riding your bike through Beijing. A) Crazy drivers. They do not care that you are on a little, cheap bike, and they are in a sturdy, enclosed car: they will still cut you off without any notice. B) Other riders in front of you spitting (or, alternately, clearing their nostrils). Ew. C) Open manholes. Seriously.
Monday, November 10, 2003
This weekend was the Marine Ball (very nice and extremely fun, despite the fact that the DJ insisted on playing music by such acts as Kool and the Gang) and exploring in the south of the city, at the Dirt Market (aka Panjiayuan) and the Pearl Market (aka Hong Qiao), plus Longtan Park in between. The Dirt Market is really row after row of some really bad junk (it has established itself as the place for all your ceramic Mao needs) but I can truly say my one purchase was the most unique piece in the whole place: a retro electric fan from 1955 (I'll post a pic once I've cleaned it up). I'm sure the Chinese got a chuckle over my purchase of a broken old appliance, but it's very funky and I love it. So, everyone wins.
Last night, I caved in to my American food craving and went to Pizza Hut, which is in one of the fanciest malls in Beijing (not coincidentally, it was my most expensive meal in China thus far). Also of note: Chinese Pizza Hut serves an escargots as an appetizer. So very odd.
i believe the dj was playing some floor-clearing kenny g at this point
the vendors line up their bikes at the market
the park at Longtan, which was a suprise discovery
it was full of interesting artifacts
including some duck boats!
lo and behold, crustaceans for sale on the street
good quality crustaceans, of course
Friday, November 7, 2003
I woke up to several inches of snow on the ground. It is cold and clear and melting, but slowly. There is a thick layer of gray slush everywhere. Today's lesson: Don't pack your snowboots in the shipment that won't arrive until December. Oops.
I am off to buy ice cube trays. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find them here!
Thursday, November 6, 2003
It's snowing! It's really, truly snowing (which I think is a surprise to the Beijingers too). It's been kind of rainy-sleety all day (read: I stayed home and watched Lifetime Original movies on our satellite TV, which gets all sorts of interesting channels) and when we went to dinner, the frozen rain was really starting to pelt down. But when we came back outside a few hours later, the ground was covered with wet, white snow. It's quite pretty (although the traffic here is already a nightmare, and this is not helping). I'd say we have an inch or two already, and it's still coming down hard. If I can get up before it all melts, I promise pictures of snowballs and snowmen and snow Chinese things tomorrow. Update: Now there is thunder and lightning AND snow, which is just crazy.
Wednesday, November 5, 2003
We have so much to catch up on. There is so much to tell! The trip here was fine (actually, better than fine, as it turned out my itinerary was incorrect and the trip from SF to Tokyo was only 10 hours, not 17 as originally thought. I don't think I was ever so excited for a 10-hour plane ride.) The apartment is great (okay, more than great -- it's amazing. Pictures of my incredible bathroom to come.) Really, the past five days have been something of a blur of trying to figure everything out without looking incredibly inept. Everything is so big! And busy! And Chinese! I don't even know where to start.
I've been spending my days on long walks around the city -- finding the grocery store (well-stocked in gatorade and oreos, not to worry), Prada (just as fun as it is at home), and all the markets (a bag of broccoli will set you back 25 cents.) Everything is so inexpensive here that it's easy and affordable to do/try/buy just about anything. Here's the shortlist of what I've already accomplished: facial and foot massage ($15), manicure ($2.50), big mac meal ($2.15), Ikea (same as home), bar-hopping ($1.25 for a vodka tonic), bargaining for funky Mao bag (just keep saying "ta gui le!" -- "it's too expensive!"), peking duck (yum), part of winning team of local pub trivia contest (just like Pete's Candy Store in Brooklyn!), acquiring Sim card for new cell phone, accomplished solely through wild hand gesturing (quite proud of myself).
Here is what Chinese people think Americans want: a) pirated copies of Kill Bill (which will set you back $1) -- at every corner, five people descend on you asking, "You want Keel Bill? I have Keel Beel!"; b) fried noodles (currently true); c) to help Chinese people practice their English (much easier if you can pretend to be German or something.)
Today's adventures took me to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden Palace, as well as Wangfujing (the shopping district -- also home to TCBY and Outback Steakhouse, just so you know.)
Can you ever get enough of Mao?
You can dress up in traditional costumes at the Palace.
See? Everyone is doing it.
Everyone is also apparently getting keychains of themselves. I did not.
Candied apples and touristy junk are big there too.
The market at Wangfujing.
Home of the skewered raw meat.
You can get anything. Even bugs. Yum?
The Silk Market: home of the Gucci knock-off.
Hmmmmm. OK?
Tuesday, November 4, 2003 (China time)
I'm still working on things, but please sit back and enjoy some pictures of my en-route-to-China trip to San Francisco, which included some lovely hiking in Yosemite and some less-than-lovely terrorizing squirrels. Enjoy.
NOTE: Old images have been removed to save some space. Thanks!
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