Lisa and I arrived safely in Beijing yesterday around 3:00 pm. The plane ride and the airport reminded us of the true China, the one we lived and loved and laughed about. Then, just, a few jokes exchanged with the taxi driver later, we found ourselves in downtown Beijing, inside the Second Ring Road.
We're currently staying with our comrade from Calvin's Chinese program, Derek. He has a nice little place in the hutongs. The hutongs, for those of you who are curious, are the old alleyways on the north side of old Beijing, winding and narrow. To find his place, we simply asked where the Canadian lived, and his neighbors helped us out.
Everything's been great so far. Although we're still a bit tired, we're both excited to be back in Beijing. Last night, we went to a trendy new street just down the block and had our first taste of meat in ages, yangrouchuar, or lamb ke-bobs. They were delicious.
This morning, I woke up around 5:30 am (jet lag) and walked around the hutong. I had put on the first change of clothes available in my bag - a gray T-shirt and gray shorts. Moving through the alleys, I noticed that I blended in with the local pollution, so thick you could barely see 150 feet in front of you. I feel like there's symbolism in that anecdote, but I'm not sure what.
Anyway, we're currently in an internet cafe, and we'll be exploring more of the city, running errands, and trying to get in contact with our employers in the coming days.
We miss you and hope that all is well in the States, or wherever you may be.
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1 comment:
I am at work, but I still have time to try to figure out the symbolism behind your pollution walk.
I'm glad that you guys made it safely and enjoyed some chuar.
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