has been a good time. Amazing food has been eaten, some very Chinese
things have been done and witnessed and I am generally glad for many
of the events that have occurred.
On Friday, I finally got around to purchasing my own 滑板, hua1ban,
which I hold to currently be one of China's most popular toys. Girls
and boys alike are constantly seen using these skateboards. (Just look
at the background of this picture). From parks to sidewalks and
certainly all over campus, you're likely to see some kids using these
things. I was intrigued when I first saw them and my curiosity and
desire to try (maybe jealousy would be appropriate) has only grown
since then. I was also curious because I'm pretty sure that I've never
seen anyone much over 4 feet using one and I want to know if it's
possible.
Is it? I'm still not certain. My efforts led me to about 3 or 4 total
spills, which really only means a bruise on my elbow and a scrape and
bruise on one of my knees (which I'm praying won't get infected
because it was a while before I got a chance to wash it out). But by
the time that I stopped, I had definitely figured out the fundamentals
of how to not fall off and turning. I'm still struggling with the
nature of adding speed and I'm not sure if it's because I am not doing
things right or if it simply won't work with someone of my size and
weight. However, coincidentally, later Friday evening, I glimpsed a
girl of 15+ years of age using a huaban with little hullabaloo, which
will lead me to continue my attempts. There was also some good bonding
with the little kids who were around and watching me try to learn.
They make it look easier than walking. Don't trust them.
Friday night's events included eating 新疆 Xinjiang food. Xinjiang is
one of the most western provinces (technically in the same status as
Tibet � an autonomous region associated with China) and has a lot of
large cultural differences from the mainstream eastern Han Chinese.
Recently/right now there have been some problems with ethnic minority
terrorist groups and tension. According to my friend's sources, the
150 reported dead is a very low estimation of around 800 dead from
these events. However, political reasons and strife were not on our
plates Friday night � only a lot of excellent, very satisfying food.
Last Sunday we had also eaten Xinjiang food when we had decided to
choose the night's restaurant by hopping a random bus and getting off
at a random stop. Nevertheless, I could go for a third time. And
fourth…
Saturday morning, I accidentally assumed that one of Beijing's classic
attractions, 琉璃厂 Liulichang would be open pretty early. It's a place
for a lot of buying and selling of things, and I had some
misconceptions about the format of the market. I thought that it was
much more like 潘家园， which I hear opens at 4 am. However, Liulichang is
apparently a bunch of shops and because it's much less free-for-all,
they can wait until 9:30 to open. In conclusion, at 6am it was not a
happening place. I'd like to get to go back, we'll see if I have a
chance, I guess. Afterwards there was a great deal of walking around.
We visited a true 网吧wang3ba1, an internet café, (unfortunately I
didn't take any pictures because it was just too skeevy at 8 in the
morning). I'm also going to just put it out there that that was the
scariest bathroom that I've gone to while in China.
We then paid a visit to 毛主席 Mao zhuxi, or Chairman Mao. Near the
center of Tiananmen square is a large, fairly unattractive rectangular
building hosting the preserved remains of one of China's greatest.
毛主席纪念堂, Maozhuxi ji nian tang, or the Mausoleum of Chairman Mao is
open for free viewing from 8 until 12 which makes it really
inconvenient. However, as my personal recommendation for something not
to miss if you're ever in Beijing, you can tell that I thought it was
well worth it.
Why?
First off, it embodies so many aspects of China. We can start with the
obvious fact that it is none other than Chairman Mao's dead body. And
by that, I mean "dead body", given the very high likelihood that it is
in fact, not really his body or a real human body at all. The urge to
view it and pay respects to it and bow to it (as I witnessed various
people doing today) is also something that seems to be a particular
Chinese attitude. Perhaps it is a combination of patriotism and the
strong societal practices of ancestor acknowledgement and honoring.
And very importantly, the manner in which the viewing occurs is very
Chinese.
(I'm realizing that I could write a great deal of detail about this
but I also need to get to bed because I have not recovered from my
cold. Dilemma.)
The first picture is a picture of Tiananmen today. When I went before
at night, there were lots of people about, but it had a different air.
During the day today, there really did seem to be a lot of people who
were just hanging out, eating food and sitting around the square as a
leisurely activity. It was not what I was expecting the common use of
the square to be. (Also, note how hazy it was today. Right now my
lungs are telling me that they give up on life with this pollution and
the cold combined � it's unpleasant. Today and yesterday were both
"stare straight at the sun in broad daylight" days.)
We waited in line for about an hour to get to see Mao, the whole of
which was unmistakably a Chinese experience. Lines are not something
that Chinese people are fond of. Our American customs were far too
docile and polite compared to the jostling and cutting that was
occurring with great urgency the whole line. My American viewpoint was
"really now, is Mao going to be getting up and going so soon that you
need to be pushing in such a manner?" There was also a particularly
strict repeating recorded announcement in English and Chinese
describing proper behavior, attire and line formation technique. If
that wasn't enough, there were people every fifty feet whose sole job
was to yell at people to stay inside the yellow line, which would be
obeyed for about 10 seconds until the cutting and jostling required
stepping over the yellow line again.
My friend was wearing sandals, which were said various times to be
inappropriate attire. But then again, so were about half of the people
in line � considering that it is summer in Beijing and maybe a little
bit hot and muggy. We decided to try to then act as foreign as
possible as though we didn't understand any of the Chinese that was
being said. ** We passed the time by trying to say Chinese phrases
with horrible American accents, which was surprisingly hard,
(something that would make our teachers proud, I hope.) But in any
case, sandals were not a problem. Also, foreigners were pretty rare,
compared to some of the other places I've been to in China.
Alright, the mausoleum itself 呢? Entering it after waiting outside �
don't take that waiting for a passive action, it was intense
competition for the whole time � was stepping into an airconditioned
haven, silent haven. Although no cameras were allowed, I snapped a
picture of the first chamber with my cell phone. In front of a large
statue of Mao are thousands of fresh flowers which you can buy outside
to give to him. Word is that they are recycled, which is not only
convenient but makes a lot of sense. The next chamber held the coffin
itself. And the body? Tell me about the body?!
It looked very fake. Although I'm no expert on embalming bodies, it
was pretty strange looking and certainly did not appear to once have
been Mao. The face was very orange and looked very hard and stiff,
somewhat like amusement park animatronics people. We shuffled along
and stared ad this orange-faced human figure for about a minute or two
and then were released back into the heat and noise of square. (Not
before passing a souvenir shop or two, of course…)
** My glorious minute looking at Mao was interrupted by one of the
many security guards asking me where I was from in Chinese. I
immediately answered, clearing blowing our
don't-understand-that-Chinese-words-stuff cover.
Afterwards, we ate the best dimsum I've eaten in my entire life and
spent about 50 RMB a person. Highly excellent, the skill and quality
and complexity and delicacy of every dish made us want to cry a little
� also a great contrast to last night's hearty and tasty dinner. Also,
I've eaten a variety of street vendor foods within the past couple
days (without ill side-effects!), which are certainly of the simple,
but very, very tasty category of foods.
Alright. To bed!
