Beijing Full of Surprises...

 Last week Foley had a conference in Beijing on Wednesday and Thursday, so we extended the stay, and I tagged along for my first venture into mainland China.  Following Foley's lead in the last blog post, yet unable to keep as concise as him (despite his sincere attempts to train me accordingly), I have a list of five 'surprises' from being in China-proper.

No Naked Flames sign

1 - Mandarin

Welcome you too.

For expats living in Beijing, learning Mandarin is pretty much compulsory.  There is minimal English around and it can be very difficult to shop, order food, or get around without some basic Mandarin (of which we know how to say 'hi' and 'thank you').  Even our classy 'Park Hyatt' hotel had some interesting signs ['Welcome You'] and some staff completely unable to communicate in English (though they always knew which staff member could talk with you, and the RAN to retrieve said person).  Apparently there are essentially zero taxi drivers who speak English, which made the one that we found a rare treat.  It was also a treat to hear his singing talents (though it seemed to be at the expense of watching the road.)  [See the video here.]




2 - Dirty

The smog and pollution in Beijing is pretty gross.  The air quality is very poor, and often it would be difficult to see more than a couple of blocks from our stunning 66-story hotel, thanks to the smog.  Beyond the environmental issues, there are 'human issues' too.  For one, public urination is generally acceptable... gag.  Although I embrace the environmental impact of saving millions of diapers from the landfills, the babies are not put in diapers and instead have a slit between their legs on all pants, for doing their 'business' (number one, or number two) wherever they are.  Even snow suits are made with a slit for their business.

3 - Acrobatics

We went out one night to an excellent Acrobatics show, showcasing various insane human tricks and feats.  The talent was incredible, and yet there were just enough mistakes to make you know that it was all believable and there were no illusions or tricks.  Highlights of the show included a guy who stacked ten chairs on top of a platform and then did handstands on top, SEVEN motorcycles in a ball of death, twelve chinese girls on one bicycle, plate spinning, fan jugging with their feet, and a ballerina who did point on her partner's head!  We were in awe.



4 - Shoppers Welcome

Pearls in the pearl market

From high-end Cartier and Gucci stores to bargaining in street markets, Beijing provides shopping experiences for anyone willing to spend a dollar (or yuan).  I went with a couple of friends to the Pearl Market, which housed an insane amount of jewellery at hundreds of booths.  We also went into a 'back alley shop', when you walk up to the metal door, it magically opens to a small market of knock-off shopping (sport clothing, including Canada Goose jackets, purses, shoes, watches, glasses, etc).  Ironically, this door had a police car parked in front... clearly warranting a photo.

Sword routine

5 - Crowded much?

As a city with ~30 million people, Beijing is huge, by population and by area. The city centre is densely populated, with small living spaces.  Most people don't have houses with yards, so instead they truly use their city parks.  On a stroll through Jingshan Park (across from the Forbidden City) we saw everyday life activities underway.  People were gathered doing everything from line dancing, ballroom dancing, playing electronic harmonicas, tai chi, juggling of sorts, and playing chinese checkers.  It was a wonderful glimpse into the community life.

Walking through hutongs

Gorgeous river through hutong area

In the heart of the city, we visited 'hutongs' which literally mean narrow alleys.  Hutongs are the traditional homes in this area of China.  They are small walled compounds with a courtyard in the middle, and rooms around the courtyard for the family members.  These family abodes are becoming increasingly rare in a city where most hutongs have been torn down for wider streets and high-rises, but I'm happy we got this glimpse into historic living while it's still here.  Driving back to the hotel after seeing the hutongs was a 7km drive, which took over an hour... yes, it's crowded, and traffic here is a bit@&.

The Forbidden City, view from Jingshan Park.

Because they deserve their own entry... stay tuned for photos and stories of our incredible days in the Forbidden City and on the Great Wall.