An Appetite for Adventure

From [08.08.31] First few days in Beijing

I can’t believe a week has passed already. Since my last post, we’ve:

• nailed down a dope pad with views to rival our apartment back in NYC
• made not one but two trips to the local Walmart (yes, our Walmart overlords invaded the Far East)
• dealt with a variety of banking issues (Citibank sucks harder than a Dyson vacuum cleaner)
• discovered my gym has an amazing branch here at which my card works
• seen an English- and vocal-talent-impaired Chinese girl belt out a cappella musical songs at an open mike night
• stuffed our bellies with Korean BBQ and Indian food
• thrown elbows with the masses at the Olympics flagship store
• been scammed near Tian’anmen Square (I was the sucker)
• eaten street meat and hot steamed buns in a backstreet hutong
• learned that nothing in China is official without a red stamp
• procured tickets to the Bird’s Nest for the 2008 Paralympics Games
• haggled prices for bikes
• while waiting for said bikes, tried not to look as a baby popped a squat in the middle of the sidewalk
• made friends from Mongolia, Indonesia, Russia, Bolivia and Miami (exotic, I know)

And finally, today, we began our long and arduous journeys to acquire this most intricate, unique and difficult of languages, Mandarin. After four hours of class this morning, I can pronounce all initial and final vowel and consonant sounds in addition to using the five tones with those sounds. It will take a while to memorize the less familiar sounds (for example, “ang” actually sounds like “ahhng”), but, luckily, the tones are easier to master than I had anticipated. It will be nice to have a few more words under my belt, since all I really know is “hello”, “goodbye” and “thank you.”

Luckily, in our area of town and many others, that’s really all you need to know to get by. In most stores or venues, at least one person speaks a bit of English, and it’s amazing how far hand gestures go to help overcome the language barrier. We’ve also been blessed with Beijing’s most wonderful rental agent. After dealing with overeager property pushers, we found an agent that not only speaks good English, but also is patient and non-forceful. Since signing the papers on the place — for which we did not pay her a fee — she’s helped us get bikes, set up the internet, register with the police — she even received some important mail for me. If anyone is moving to this area, I’m happy to recommend her!

We’re parked in the Wudaokou neighborhood, a student hot spot in Northeastern Beijing. Dappled with cozy coffee shops and restaurants catering to an array of international palates, the area sports a cosmopolitan vibe not dissimilar to NYC. Hence, we feel right at home. In fact, it’s exactly like the Greenwich Village area, minus the brownstones and NYU kids and plus a lot more Asian people. And, of course, Chinese reigns supreme over English. Wudaokou is Beijing’s answer to Koreatown, and throngs of Korean BBQ joints clump together right off the main strip, Chengfu Lu (”lu” means “street”). For all its charms, Wudaokou lacks a nightlife up to my speed. The student bar scene pervades, and I’m a little elderly for hormone-fueled bumpin’ and grindin’ and boat races.

Who am I kidding? I love boat races.

What I really mean is that there are not enough 4/4 beats for my taste.

Segue to our weekend plans: Pier Bucci, a fabulous DJ from Chile, is making his China debut at Beijing club White Rabbit. We’ll be celebrating Sean’s birthday there this Saturday. I’m excited to check out the Beijing party scene, though have I have no idea how I’m going to stay up since jet lag’s iron grip has yet to release me and I’ve been in bed by 11 every night since getting here. I’ll get through somehow; I always do. Be on the look out for a review come early next week!

For now … picture time! Picasa redesigned and now I can’t put in those nice little picture boxes, so you’ll have to settle on clicking the link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/nagrag44/080831FirstFewDaysInBeijing#