Adventure Day

Five years ago, I began a family tradition that we call “Adventure Day.” It really isn’t as fun as it sounds. It started because we were a one-car family and two of the kids and I were at home Monday through Friday with no transportation. One day a week, we would ride the city bus to Eileen’s Cookies, a local park, and maybe Kohl’s or the grocery store. This was Adventure Day! Like I said, not really an adventure, but the idea of adventure made waiting for the bus, transferring busses, and the walking more palatable for the kids. I was feeling restless when I woke up today, so I decided that Adventure Day could be a solo effort and could happen in Beijing.

While thinking about my time spent here already and looking forward, I realized that I haven’t done much sightseeing. I was in Beijing for two weeks just a few years ago and visited all the major sights on that trip. It also still feels a little strange to be one of the few non-Chinese people—often the only non-Chinese person—in the crowds. I’m not as confident as my life makes me seem. In fact, I often require a pep talk and bribery (self-administered, of course) to consider engaging in social activities or in anything close to an Adventure Day. Today, however, I made a plan and pushed myself. It was fun. It nearly always is.

I left my apartment around noon and walked to the subway. I disembarked at the Tiananmen East stop and stumbled through Tiananmen Square security with my passport and a smile. After walking around the place, I returned to the subway and went back one stop to Wangfujing. I read about a four-story bookstore with a food court in the basement and had to go. It was amazing! I bought graphic novels written in English and Mandarin for my kids. After eating lunch and walking through the shopping area, I bought a souvenir for my husband and headed back toward the subway. It was 5:30pm and I was nervous about riding the subway, but it wasn’t too bad. I traveled back to the Dawanglu stop, visited the bank, the mall, and bought some fruit and a bottle of wine at Walmart. I was tempted by the three-buck-chuck at Walmart but wasn’t feeling that brave. I settled on a $5 bottle of red something. It’s the first wine I’ve had since leaving the U.S., so I will enjoy it no matter how it tastes.

It was 7:10pm when I walked out of Walmart, and I headed for the subway. I was horrified when the first train arrived and was so full that people couldn’t push their way into the cars. Oh, boy. My greatest fear. I had to board an already-packed train. I squeezed my way into the second train. My route required a change of trains at Sihui, so I pushed out of the train car onto the platform, followed the crowd up three flights of stairs, and down a different three flights of stairs to the platform for the next train. The photo included here is of the crowd waiting for the next train. They are all waiting for one train going in one direction. Wow. The first train came a went. I didn’t make it on. The second train pulled up and I was crushed into the car with thousands of my (physically) closest friends. At the next stop, no one left, but more people pushed their way into the train car. By this point, I was in danger of hyperventilating or vomiting or, if things went really well, both. So much pushing, shoving, and swearing. I really have never seen anything like it. Fortunately, I only had to ride three stops until I was back to where I began my day.

Adventure Day went pretty well. I’m glad I talked myself into getting out and exploring. I’ll do it again next week, but earlier. No more 7pm subway rides for me.