Strange happenings and things I love about Beijing

This is more a list than a blog post. Today, I’m telling brief stories about my time here already and listing things that are special and desirable about living here, even temporarily. Enjoy!

At a conference a few weeks ago, I realized that the drinks on the open bar had almost no alcohol in them. A German filmmaker and I were chatting when we jointly made this discovery. We looked around and spied the bottles of alcohol on the back of a table. We looked at each other, both smiled, and I grabbed the gin to top us off. The Chinese bartender objected in Mandarin. A bystander told us that he said, “Don’t be foolish. The drink won’t taste good.” Gin bottle still in hand, I looked at the bartender and said, “It’s okay. I’m American, he’s German. We can handle it.” The bartender shrugged his shoulders, walked away, and we poured proper drinks. I felt badly about pulling the American card, but it seemed like the right time.

Just yesterday, I was walking through security at the subway station and I said “Ni hao” to the young man at the security station. He laughed and said, in very good English, “You don’t say hello on the subway! Ni hao is only for friends.” One of the young women working the same security station said something back to him in a stern tone and he turned bright red. She said to me, “I told him he can never say hello then. He won’t have friends if he says those things.” She and her female co-worker laughed and laughed. I scurried away before I could draw any more attention to myself.

One of my biggest (like, actually biggest) pet peeves is the way old men stare at me. I stare back and smile. Sometimes, I wave. It appears to make them very uncomfortable. Today, a middle-aged man was riding past me on an electric scooter and he looked away from the road when I entered his field of vision. He stared and continued to stare as he unknowingly veered toward the closed entrance gate. He was within about fifteen feet of the still closed gate when I yelled, “Stop!” He did stop and did so quite suddenly. I don’t know if he understood me or if he was so shocked that I yelled at him that he jammed on his brakes. The security guard came rushing over to him and started yelling. Again, I exited the situation quickly and quietly while being secretly thankful that he was experiencing some sort of retribution for staring.

Things I love about Beijing:

If I’m lost or have a question, people will always help me if I ask for help.

Beijing is an extremely safe place, especially for foreigners. I could travel alone throughout the city and the country without worrying about my physical safety.

People often yell, “Hello” at me as I walk by. I always answer and give a big smile. It makes me happy.

Inexpensive, extremely reliable public transportation built with stops near schools and residential areas. Brilliant. We could do this in the United States. We really could.

Fresh, in-season food available in every neighborhood. Food is grown by people in China, not corporations, and is sold in-season at reasonable prices. Available food varies from region to region for this reason, but it seems to be a healthier way to eat and shop for people and the planet.

The value placed on art and music. Financial support is available for the production of all types of art, and it is highly valued in society. Even young people are interested in and participate in traditional and contemporary artistic pursuits.

I could make an equally long list of things that I miss about the United States or that seem more difficult here. However, while I’m here, the positives are where my focus and interest remain.