Before I start writing about my various journeys throughout the month of September and October, I suppose I should briefly wrap up my accounts during the Olympic summer. Unfortunately these wild memories are already becoming hazy.
Like I had stated in my earlier posts, my old Beijing schoolmates had made the return to partake in the festivities and much of my excitement was rooted in the fact that they were there to accompany me to many of these events and parties. My brother was also with me during the whole spectacle and only God knows what he had recorded on his video camera – especially while getting lucky with a Chinese girl named Ai (meaning love).
One memorable night came after the Dutch field hockey team had won the gold. The Heineken House was infamous for being the craziest of all the Olympic houses (others including the Bud House, the English House, and the Australian House) and being there the night of their victory was incredible. After walking into Beijing’s agricultural exhibition hall, we were confronted by a sea of tall people in orange (the Dutch national color) and of course, kegs upon kegs of Heineken. We drank, we danced, we sang local Dutch songs and American classics, and although cups of beer would go airborne every 30 seconds, it didn't matter – the place smelt like sweat, beer, and pure adrenaline. Finally the field hockey girls came on stage to receive a thunderous applause – and to the tune of a national favorite, the whole team decided to go crowd surfing with their gold medals hanging around their necks. European camaraderie, rooted in a deep passionate love for their country and countrymen, is something that I have never experienced living in Connecticut. When growing up in the States, competition with another country, especially on the sports field, was nearly nonexistent outside the Olympics or World Cup. Because I more akin to rooting for the New York Yankees or the Philadelphia Flyers rather than the USA, I will never be able to associate drinking with singing nationalistic songs with my neighbors. Don't get me wrong - I’m just as patriotic as the other guy, but I just can’t recall any instance when the whole country of America would celebrate at the expense of another nation’s loss (post WWII). Sometimes, I am amazed at how massive our country really is, and how fractured…For the remainder the night, we rocked out with our inebriated European cousins and it was glorious.
There were many other jovial occasions throughout the month, some blurrier than others, but all in all it was a wild and crazy time – by brother’s Olympic documentary will lay testament to this. Despite the controversies and scandals, the Olympics in Beijing, I believe, will go down in history as a great success. How has the world changed? How has Beijing changed? How has my life changed? I guess we will see.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Olympic Memories - Part 2
Although the Olympics is about much more than just sports, I think it would be insensitive not to mention them in my blog. A few days before the start of the Games, I was able to scrounge up a few more tickets from one of the websites that had bought a slew of leftovers and were now trying to unload them with haste. I was also lucky enough to get invited by friends and coworkers to a few of the events. Here is a list of Olympic events that I saw in no particular order:
Handball: This sport will forever remain one of my favorites of the Olympics. This unsung hero is packed with intense physical play, insane vertical jumps, and the stirring suspense associated with games where a single possession can make the difference between a win and a loss. The first match that I attended was between South Korea and Germany. Because of its relatively small court, the crowds at handball matches are more directly linked to the play than usual – often setting the tone for a run in goals or by assisting in energizing their teams. Both Germany and Korea had brought a presence to administer such fervor, however, Germany smuggled in a secret weapon sitting not more than a few seat behind me – Dirk Nowitski (Dallas Maverick’s monster center, winning the MPV Award in the 06-07 NBA Season). Dirk used to play handball in Germany before making his transfer to the NBA and is figuratively and physically their biggest fan. After cheering Germany to victory, Dirk and his teammates tried to flee the scene as dozens of Chinese NBA enthusiasts began to swarm their seats, and in the process ran by me to get to the closest exit – let’s just say that it was interesting to feel like a hobbit for a few fleeting seconds.
The second handball match I attended was between the Norwegian and Croatian (I think) women. Because this is something of a national sport to Norway, it wasn’t surprising to see the stadium mostly filled with red shirts and hats. They also had the most animated cheer of the Olympics, similar to the Florida State Seminole’s tomahawk chop, but instead this chop was more suiting for a raping a pillaging Viking. It was a close game to the very end, but very much to the liking of practically everyone in the stands including the king and queen of Norway, the Norwegian women pulled out with the win.
Weightlifting: Not exactly an action packed event, but it was…interesting. After stocking up on refreshments (they never had hotdogs, even though they are advertised, making popcorn the next best thing), my brother and I found our seats in this spanking new gymnasium on Beijing Aerospace and Aeronautics University’s campus. After learning how the scoring worked (taking up half of the time we were there), we spent the remaining time we had trying to guess which women lifters are better suited for the snatch and which are better suited for the clean and jerk. We concluded that shorter girls are better at the snatch (like this little Mongolian brut) and that all-around massiveness helps girls with the clean and jerk (like this Mexican giant). The American girls competing seemed the most jovial and always smiled and waved after a lift – this was a stark contrast to some of the surly-looking Soviet-block girls with coaches that seemed to be breathing down their necks.
Archery: This event was pretty cool. For one, I had no idea that the target was so far away. I found it incredible that they were even able to hit the target, much less the bulls-eye (I suppose these state-of-the-art bows and arrows perform a lot better than Robin Hood’s ever did). When my brother and I first arrived, the stands were full of South Koreans rooting for their star competitor. I found out later that the Koreans have excelled at this event for the past few Olympics and that their archers were expecting to nab a few golds. In fact, their best archer (last name Park of course) set a world record while we sat there, getting perfect 10s for ten of his twelve attempts. The crowd was wild. During the next round, an American kid easily beat his Chinese completion, but was later edged out by a Canadian lumber jack (he had a beastly beard). Even though the Koreans had chosen for some reason to side with the Canadian and thus, making a ruckus superior to ours, it was a blast to be able to cheer for the good old USA with my fellow compatriots. WOOW - USA!!!
Field Hockey: This was probably the least interesting of all the events that I attended during the Olympics. After finding our seats among a crowd of Chinese fans with some crazy face paint, we sat their for about 20 minutes looking at men running around with field hockey sticks before deciding to leave the game and walk around the park for a bit. In a team sport like field hockey, who would have thought China had a men’s team.
As a side note, at all of the Olympic events that I attended, the staggering number of empty seats was shocking – I thought everything was sold out. This stems from the fact that a large swath of China’s corporate sponsors and government officials chose not use most of their free tickets. This result was also exacerbated by speculators who bought the cheap tickets trying to make an extra buck from the over demand, but in the end failed to sell them. A few days into the events, the empty stands shown to TV viewers all over the world started to reflect poorly on the Games. The embarrassed Beijing Olympic committee hastily bused in annoying Olympic volunteers to fill in the empty seats. The unison cheer was always “JiaYou” (Turn on the Gas) and more often then note, they cheered during all the wrong times – these robotic cheerleaders may know how to smile, but you’d be lucky to find one that knew anything about the sport they were watching.
Boxing: There is nothing better than getting off work and heading straight to a boxing match with a bunch of guys where beers is less than a dollar and bets are exchanged after every round. This coliseum atmosphere was very much conducive to a rowdy crowd full of hecklers and popcorn throwers. Often I took blind bets with my friends (picking red or blue before knowing where the competitor was from) and because of this, I mostly lost, and was therefore relinquished to beer duty during most of the night. Strategically, I found that it was safe to pick a boxer from a –Stan country, and to never underestimate the pale white guys – they’re wiry. The night was full of “amazing” and “terrific” matches (those words flashed on the big screens almost every other round), but the icing on top was the last match when the American murdered the Russian – the group I was with began humming the Rocky soundtrack all at the same time. It was glorious.
Baseball: The first game I went to was between the Dutch and the Japanese. Baseball games in general are pretty slow but I suppose it’s better than watching them on TV. The enjoyment I derive comes from sitting amongst a rambunctious crowd taken in by the suspense behind every pitch. On my right I had Dutch families with everything orange (their national color) dancing to music. To my left there was a large Japanese cheering squad repeating chants one after another without pause. The Japanese cheer captains had whistles and overpowering voices, which to my surprise lasted for all nine innings (I felt exhausted just looking at them). Minus the fact that I was in Beijing and the teams weren’t American, the experience was no dissimilar that those I’ve had at baseball stadiums at home - the 7th inning stretch, the wave, fighting over foul balls, constant heckling. I just wish they had ballpark hotdogs – that was a little frustrating. The Japanese ended up winning the game, but I think everybody was in high spirits on that beautiful night.
Thanks to a coworker who had a few extra tickets, I was able to score a game between the Japanese and the United States. Having your team on the field definitely added an extra element of excitement. The funny thing is that the Chinese spectators sitting around us chanted USA more often then we did (If you know anything about WWII history and the historical prejudices the Chinese have yet to overcome, this actually makes perfect sense). The game in itself was very uneventful. At the top of the 11th inning, the score was nill to nill. In a new Olympic rule, if you the score is tied going into the 11th, the batting team can start the inning with two runners on first and second base. This seemed like a crazy rule to me, but luckily it worked in our favor. The Americans scored four runs which was enough to hold back the Japanese team, only able to bring home three runs. It was an exciting 11th inning – I just wish I hadn’t wasted my time for the two hours that had proceeded.
The gold medal game which I was able to see on a big screen at a Korean owned bar was between Korea (naturally) and Cuba (the powerhouse). This was an amazing game that had everybody on the edge of their seats up until the end. The Koreans were up by one going into the bottom of the 9th but the Korean pitcher suddenly choked and before you knew it, the bases were loaded with only one out. All the Cuban batter had to do was hit a fly ball and they could at least tie the game, and even possibly win… smack, grab, toss, out at 2nd, throw, catch…OUT at first. DOUBLE PLAY!!! Korea wins!!! I, everybody at the bar, and I am sure the whole nation of South Korea sprung out of our seats consumed with pure ecstasy. It was so beautiful. Funny enough, this event that wasn’t even televised in China (the stream was coming from a Korean internet site) will go down as one of my favorite moments of the Beijing Olympics.
And Others: Of course other great athletic achievements and moments helped to define this Olympics: Bolt (fastest man ever), Phellps (8 golds), Liu Xiang (couldn’t take the pressure), Chinese women gymnasts (more like 14 year old girls), and of course the ReDeem Team (so sick). Naturally, I was disappointed to see the Americans achieve fewer golds than the Chinese, but in the end, we won more medals. The overall winner – debatable – but all in all, the Beijing Olympics brought about some of the most amazing moments in the history of athletic prowess and I feel extraordinarily fortunate to have been apart of them.
Handball: This sport will forever remain one of my favorites of the Olympics. This unsung hero is packed with intense physical play, insane vertical jumps, and the stirring suspense associated with games where a single possession can make the difference between a win and a loss. The first match that I attended was between South Korea and Germany. Because of its relatively small court, the crowds at handball matches are more directly linked to the play than usual – often setting the tone for a run in goals or by assisting in energizing their teams. Both Germany and Korea had brought a presence to administer such fervor, however, Germany smuggled in a secret weapon sitting not more than a few seat behind me – Dirk Nowitski (Dallas Maverick’s monster center, winning the MPV Award in the 06-07 NBA Season). Dirk used to play handball in Germany before making his transfer to the NBA and is figuratively and physically their biggest fan. After cheering Germany to victory, Dirk and his teammates tried to flee the scene as dozens of Chinese NBA enthusiasts began to swarm their seats, and in the process ran by me to get to the closest exit – let’s just say that it was interesting to feel like a hobbit for a few fleeting seconds.
The second handball match I attended was between the Norwegian and Croatian (I think) women. Because this is something of a national sport to Norway, it wasn’t surprising to see the stadium mostly filled with red shirts and hats. They also had the most animated cheer of the Olympics, similar to the Florida State Seminole’s tomahawk chop, but instead this chop was more suiting for a raping a pillaging Viking. It was a close game to the very end, but very much to the liking of practically everyone in the stands including the king and queen of Norway, the Norwegian women pulled out with the win.
Weightlifting: Not exactly an action packed event, but it was…interesting. After stocking up on refreshments (they never had hotdogs, even though they are advertised, making popcorn the next best thing), my brother and I found our seats in this spanking new gymnasium on Beijing Aerospace and Aeronautics University’s campus. After learning how the scoring worked (taking up half of the time we were there), we spent the remaining time we had trying to guess which women lifters are better suited for the snatch and which are better suited for the clean and jerk. We concluded that shorter girls are better at the snatch (like this little Mongolian brut) and that all-around massiveness helps girls with the clean and jerk (like this Mexican giant). The American girls competing seemed the most jovial and always smiled and waved after a lift – this was a stark contrast to some of the surly-looking Soviet-block girls with coaches that seemed to be breathing down their necks.
Archery: This event was pretty cool. For one, I had no idea that the target was so far away. I found it incredible that they were even able to hit the target, much less the bulls-eye (I suppose these state-of-the-art bows and arrows perform a lot better than Robin Hood’s ever did). When my brother and I first arrived, the stands were full of South Koreans rooting for their star competitor. I found out later that the Koreans have excelled at this event for the past few Olympics and that their archers were expecting to nab a few golds. In fact, their best archer (last name Park of course) set a world record while we sat there, getting perfect 10s for ten of his twelve attempts. The crowd was wild. During the next round, an American kid easily beat his Chinese completion, but was later edged out by a Canadian lumber jack (he had a beastly beard). Even though the Koreans had chosen for some reason to side with the Canadian and thus, making a ruckus superior to ours, it was a blast to be able to cheer for the good old USA with my fellow compatriots. WOOW - USA!!!
Field Hockey: This was probably the least interesting of all the events that I attended during the Olympics. After finding our seats among a crowd of Chinese fans with some crazy face paint, we sat their for about 20 minutes looking at men running around with field hockey sticks before deciding to leave the game and walk around the park for a bit. In a team sport like field hockey, who would have thought China had a men’s team.
As a side note, at all of the Olympic events that I attended, the staggering number of empty seats was shocking – I thought everything was sold out. This stems from the fact that a large swath of China’s corporate sponsors and government officials chose not use most of their free tickets. This result was also exacerbated by speculators who bought the cheap tickets trying to make an extra buck from the over demand, but in the end failed to sell them. A few days into the events, the empty stands shown to TV viewers all over the world started to reflect poorly on the Games. The embarrassed Beijing Olympic committee hastily bused in annoying Olympic volunteers to fill in the empty seats. The unison cheer was always “JiaYou” (Turn on the Gas) and more often then note, they cheered during all the wrong times – these robotic cheerleaders may know how to smile, but you’d be lucky to find one that knew anything about the sport they were watching.
Boxing: There is nothing better than getting off work and heading straight to a boxing match with a bunch of guys where beers is less than a dollar and bets are exchanged after every round. This coliseum atmosphere was very much conducive to a rowdy crowd full of hecklers and popcorn throwers. Often I took blind bets with my friends (picking red or blue before knowing where the competitor was from) and because of this, I mostly lost, and was therefore relinquished to beer duty during most of the night. Strategically, I found that it was safe to pick a boxer from a –Stan country, and to never underestimate the pale white guys – they’re wiry. The night was full of “amazing” and “terrific” matches (those words flashed on the big screens almost every other round), but the icing on top was the last match when the American murdered the Russian – the group I was with began humming the Rocky soundtrack all at the same time. It was glorious.
Baseball: The first game I went to was between the Dutch and the Japanese. Baseball games in general are pretty slow but I suppose it’s better than watching them on TV. The enjoyment I derive comes from sitting amongst a rambunctious crowd taken in by the suspense behind every pitch. On my right I had Dutch families with everything orange (their national color) dancing to music. To my left there was a large Japanese cheering squad repeating chants one after another without pause. The Japanese cheer captains had whistles and overpowering voices, which to my surprise lasted for all nine innings (I felt exhausted just looking at them). Minus the fact that I was in Beijing and the teams weren’t American, the experience was no dissimilar that those I’ve had at baseball stadiums at home - the 7th inning stretch, the wave, fighting over foul balls, constant heckling. I just wish they had ballpark hotdogs – that was a little frustrating. The Japanese ended up winning the game, but I think everybody was in high spirits on that beautiful night.
Thanks to a coworker who had a few extra tickets, I was able to score a game between the Japanese and the United States. Having your team on the field definitely added an extra element of excitement. The funny thing is that the Chinese spectators sitting around us chanted USA more often then we did (If you know anything about WWII history and the historical prejudices the Chinese have yet to overcome, this actually makes perfect sense). The game in itself was very uneventful. At the top of the 11th inning, the score was nill to nill. In a new Olympic rule, if you the score is tied going into the 11th, the batting team can start the inning with two runners on first and second base. This seemed like a crazy rule to me, but luckily it worked in our favor. The Americans scored four runs which was enough to hold back the Japanese team, only able to bring home three runs. It was an exciting 11th inning – I just wish I hadn’t wasted my time for the two hours that had proceeded.
The gold medal game which I was able to see on a big screen at a Korean owned bar was between Korea (naturally) and Cuba (the powerhouse). This was an amazing game that had everybody on the edge of their seats up until the end. The Koreans were up by one going into the bottom of the 9th but the Korean pitcher suddenly choked and before you knew it, the bases were loaded with only one out. All the Cuban batter had to do was hit a fly ball and they could at least tie the game, and even possibly win… smack, grab, toss, out at 2nd, throw, catch…OUT at first. DOUBLE PLAY!!! Korea wins!!! I, everybody at the bar, and I am sure the whole nation of South Korea sprung out of our seats consumed with pure ecstasy. It was so beautiful. Funny enough, this event that wasn’t even televised in China (the stream was coming from a Korean internet site) will go down as one of my favorite moments of the Beijing Olympics.
And Others: Of course other great athletic achievements and moments helped to define this Olympics: Bolt (fastest man ever), Phellps (8 golds), Liu Xiang (couldn’t take the pressure), Chinese women gymnasts (more like 14 year old girls), and of course the ReDeem Team (so sick). Naturally, I was disappointed to see the Americans achieve fewer golds than the Chinese, but in the end, we won more medals. The overall winner – debatable – but all in all, the Beijing Olympics brought about some of the most amazing moments in the history of athletic prowess and I feel extraordinarily fortunate to have been apart of them.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Olympic Memories - Part 1
WOW.WOW...WOW
You know that piercing feeling you get when walking into the glaring sun after spending what seems like an eternity at a matinee where you had just experienced all the sensations of life in an orderly yet chaotic stream of consciousness. This is how I would currently describe my state of being as my body, mind and soul recovers from what has been the most unruly month in my post-college years characterized by an unrelenting flow of hearty house guests, all night merrymakings, and of course, Olympic madness. (Lack of articulation seems to be a side effect so bare with me today.)
Because I have not written anything in over a month, I believe it would be more appropriate to run through a few select highlights of the Olympic Season. But before I do that, I would like to thank all the visitors who shared these experiences with me in Beijing, namely by brother, Dan, Chris, Jessica, Scott, Clara, Ben, and Ray. And of course, I would like to thank Beijing, despite all the mafan (trouble) it throws at me, for giving me the opportunity to experience the only Olympics I will probably ever be part of. The following are some Olympic memories and afterthoughts:
The Opening Ceremony: On the eve of the Olympics the city was anything but relaxed. There had been warning signs that terrorists were ready to strike, dissidents were being thrown into dark vans, rainstorms were brewing, and one simple question seemed to be on everybody’s mind: will Beijing really be able to pull this off?
Although most Chinese stayed at home to watch the ceremony on their televisions, my friends and I had decided to celebrate this festive occasion and citywide holiday (no work that Friday) at one of the city’s 18 big-screen outdoor TVs. The plan to watch on the big-screen inside Chaoyang Park was thwarted when we learnt that there were technical difficulties in getting the image to appear – this only made me more skeptical of China’s ability to hold the world’s biggest party. Finally, we decided to relocate to the big-screen outside the Worker’s Stadium near Sanlitun. By the time the countdown began at 8 pm, the pavement outside was covered with curious locals and jubilant foreigners. “Curious” because their eyes were fixed on the screen. “Jubilant” because we were making toasts, dancing, singing, and inviting all around us to join us in drinking games. Flags of various nations began to appear throughout the crowd and at first I, along with my Chinese counterparts, were taken back by this unprecedented loud show of foreign nationalism on Chinese soil. Foreign flags do not set well with a society that was plagues by wars and foreign invaders for over a century. Naturally, this was non-issue once the Olympics started.
To be honest, I only saw bits and pieces of the opening ceremony. I spent most of my time running amuck. The climax of my night came when the American Olympians finally entered the stadium – the order of teams this year was determined by the number of strokes in the first character of each country’s Chinese name, rather then using the trusty old Roman alphabet. At the sight of the American delegation, a boisterous guy with a large American flag emerged in front of me, and in my semi-intoxicated state I ran up to him to hold up the other end. Overflowing with utter excitement and the sheer pleasure of fulfilling our patriotic duties, we ran around the square waving the grand old red, white and blue high above the crowd. When we returned, we found ourselves being surrounded by dozens of young Chinese with digital cameras and a few real photographers (I was hoping to see a pic in the newspaper the next day). At this point, my brother also posed in front of the flag as the three of us began to sing the National Anthem. It was a glorious moment for all Americans everywhere.
After that, the program seemed to lag on and on. Hungry as a bear, most of us skipped across the street to dine in a small but scrumptious hole-in-the-wall Xinjiang restaurant, and on their TV, we were able to watch the lighting of the torch. The Olympics had officially begun, the fanfare was breath-taking, the performances were beautiful, the government had prevented rainstorms, terrorists, and any major screw-up… and the whole country exhaled that night as billions all over the world watched in awe – this night will be remembered by generations as China’s (much anticipated) coming out party.
(to be continued...)
You know that piercing feeling you get when walking into the glaring sun after spending what seems like an eternity at a matinee where you had just experienced all the sensations of life in an orderly yet chaotic stream of consciousness. This is how I would currently describe my state of being as my body, mind and soul recovers from what has been the most unruly month in my post-college years characterized by an unrelenting flow of hearty house guests, all night merrymakings, and of course, Olympic madness. (Lack of articulation seems to be a side effect so bare with me today.)
Because I have not written anything in over a month, I believe it would be more appropriate to run through a few select highlights of the Olympic Season. But before I do that, I would like to thank all the visitors who shared these experiences with me in Beijing, namely by brother, Dan, Chris, Jessica, Scott, Clara, Ben, and Ray. And of course, I would like to thank Beijing, despite all the mafan (trouble) it throws at me, for giving me the opportunity to experience the only Olympics I will probably ever be part of. The following are some Olympic memories and afterthoughts:
The Opening Ceremony: On the eve of the Olympics the city was anything but relaxed. There had been warning signs that terrorists were ready to strike, dissidents were being thrown into dark vans, rainstorms were brewing, and one simple question seemed to be on everybody’s mind: will Beijing really be able to pull this off?
Although most Chinese stayed at home to watch the ceremony on their televisions, my friends and I had decided to celebrate this festive occasion and citywide holiday (no work that Friday) at one of the city’s 18 big-screen outdoor TVs. The plan to watch on the big-screen inside Chaoyang Park was thwarted when we learnt that there were technical difficulties in getting the image to appear – this only made me more skeptical of China’s ability to hold the world’s biggest party. Finally, we decided to relocate to the big-screen outside the Worker’s Stadium near Sanlitun. By the time the countdown began at 8 pm, the pavement outside was covered with curious locals and jubilant foreigners. “Curious” because their eyes were fixed on the screen. “Jubilant” because we were making toasts, dancing, singing, and inviting all around us to join us in drinking games. Flags of various nations began to appear throughout the crowd and at first I, along with my Chinese counterparts, were taken back by this unprecedented loud show of foreign nationalism on Chinese soil. Foreign flags do not set well with a society that was plagues by wars and foreign invaders for over a century. Naturally, this was non-issue once the Olympics started.
To be honest, I only saw bits and pieces of the opening ceremony. I spent most of my time running amuck. The climax of my night came when the American Olympians finally entered the stadium – the order of teams this year was determined by the number of strokes in the first character of each country’s Chinese name, rather then using the trusty old Roman alphabet. At the sight of the American delegation, a boisterous guy with a large American flag emerged in front of me, and in my semi-intoxicated state I ran up to him to hold up the other end. Overflowing with utter excitement and the sheer pleasure of fulfilling our patriotic duties, we ran around the square waving the grand old red, white and blue high above the crowd. When we returned, we found ourselves being surrounded by dozens of young Chinese with digital cameras and a few real photographers (I was hoping to see a pic in the newspaper the next day). At this point, my brother also posed in front of the flag as the three of us began to sing the National Anthem. It was a glorious moment for all Americans everywhere.
After that, the program seemed to lag on and on. Hungry as a bear, most of us skipped across the street to dine in a small but scrumptious hole-in-the-wall Xinjiang restaurant, and on their TV, we were able to watch the lighting of the torch. The Olympics had officially begun, the fanfare was breath-taking, the performances were beautiful, the government had prevented rainstorms, terrorists, and any major screw-up… and the whole country exhaled that night as billions all over the world watched in awe – this night will be remembered by generations as China’s (much anticipated) coming out party.
(to be continued...)
Thursday, August 7, 2008
One Day To Go
With the opening ceremony for the Olympics only one day away I thought I should write a brief post. What is the situation on the ground. As of right now my building is surrounded by Chinese SWAT, Bush will be arriving this evening, pollution looms over the city, traffic is horrid, protesters are already up to their stunts (2 Britons and 2 Americans scalled an electrical line to wave a Free Tibet banner), I have been harrassed constantly about my residency permit, and the police dogs are all over the city.
Security is tighter I have ever seen it and many diplomats are even comparing it to war zones they have lived in like Kosovo or even Iraq. Many of my favorite bars are closed because of "security reasons" and outside seating has been banned to prevent confrontations between foreigners and locals. Nerves are high, everybody has basically arrived , rain is in the forecast, and it's completely chaotic.
I thought Beijing was going to be a little more prepaared than this. Perhaps the official's only measure of success is not allowing terrorists to ruin the Games. Pollution, traffic, bad PR from throwing dissendents in jail or blocking websites, a no-fun Olympics - these matters although troubling to me do not seem particulary threatening to the organizers.
I am so anxious to see how the Games turn out. How the media reports it. And how the Dream Team performs. I recently went on a ticket buying spree, picking up tickets for Archery, Weighlifting, Boxing, Handball, Baseball, Field Hockey, and the last stretch of the Women's Marathon (as long as it's not delayed because of poor air quality.)
I have been typing this stream of consciousness for about 5 minutes now and its allready 6pm. Time to go home and get the party started. No work tomorrow. Citywide holiday for all. Rock on and lets see how this movie ends.
(I will talk to ya'll after the end of Olympics since I will be hosting family and friends and mainly because I will be having to much fun to post). One World One Dream --- ha ha!!!!
Security is tighter I have ever seen it and many diplomats are even comparing it to war zones they have lived in like Kosovo or even Iraq. Many of my favorite bars are closed because of "security reasons" and outside seating has been banned to prevent confrontations between foreigners and locals. Nerves are high, everybody has basically arrived , rain is in the forecast, and it's completely chaotic.
I thought Beijing was going to be a little more prepaared than this. Perhaps the official's only measure of success is not allowing terrorists to ruin the Games. Pollution, traffic, bad PR from throwing dissendents in jail or blocking websites, a no-fun Olympics - these matters although troubling to me do not seem particulary threatening to the organizers.
I am so anxious to see how the Games turn out. How the media reports it. And how the Dream Team performs. I recently went on a ticket buying spree, picking up tickets for Archery, Weighlifting, Boxing, Handball, Baseball, Field Hockey, and the last stretch of the Women's Marathon (as long as it's not delayed because of poor air quality.)
I have been typing this stream of consciousness for about 5 minutes now and its allready 6pm. Time to go home and get the party started. No work tomorrow. Citywide holiday for all. Rock on and lets see how this movie ends.
(I will talk to ya'll after the end of Olympics since I will be hosting family and friends and mainly because I will be having to much fun to post). One World One Dream --- ha ha!!!!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Shenyang
Finally, a free afternoon to do nothing but relax and update this Beijing blog that is becoming increasingly more difficult to sustain – don’t expect another post any time in the near future. During the last two weeks, my time has been fully occupied, spending a few days each week on different business trips to the city of Shenyang.
Shenyang is the provincial capital of Liaoning Province and the transportation hub for Northeast China. This city of 7 million people was once the “Industrial Center” during China’s industrialization movement in the 1950’s focusing on steel production and chemical processing. After Deng Xioaping’s opening reforms, as the nation began to privatize, most of the state-owned enterprises in heavy industry went bankrupt in the region. This rust-belt city suffered for some time until the central government launched a set of initiatives and policy reforms to help “revitalize the Northeast” This “Pittsburg of China” is currently experiencing tremendous growth as MNCs expand into the city and as the disposable incomes of those living in the metropolitan area climb at an astounding rate.
My job is to research about Shenyang’s real estate markets (retail, residential, and office) and in doing so I have absorbed an incredible amount of information about the city. For example, Shenyang has become the retail hub for northeast China with currently more luxury and high-end retail space than Beijing. Since 90% of the companies in Shenyang are domestic firms that prioritize price of office space over quality, the majority of office buildings are crap – ugly low Grade B strata-titled towers. However, considering that all quality space is basically occupied, every developer and their mother has a Grade A office project in the works. And on the residential side of things, huge complexes are being erected to the south of the Hunnan River that bisects the city, where land is cheaper and where the Olympic Stadium (for soccer preliminaries) has been built. This second-tier city is going through a transformation that Beijing experienced maybe only 5 years ago. For someone like me, and especially for someone in real estate, this dynamic and fast-paced city is rather exhilarating. I prefer not to elaborate much further on property market activity and trends in Shenyang (mainly because that’s what I write about all week) but rather a few observations I made during my stay.
First of all, Shenyang gets a bad rap throughout China for its notorious organized crime syndicates and corrupt political leaders. In the past, I had heard of numerous shady business deals that were rooted in Shenyang, I had met a group of Shenyang gangster’s during a drunken escapade in Sanlitun (Beijing’s bar street), and before I left for the airport, my colleague advised me not to look at anybody directly in the eye unless I was indeed looking for trouble. I was expecting the worst… and was delighted to find the exact opposite. My encounters in Shenyang left me with a positive impression of the laobaixing (ordiary folk) of the city – in fact, they were friendlier and more hospitable than their Beijing counterparts. I spent a lot of time wondering the streets alone, exploring many run-down neighborhoods, chatting with old men playing chess, receiving smiles from xiaomaibu (convenient store) girls, and discussing my adoration for Shenyang with taxi drivers. One night, I stumbled upon two guys running a hole-in-the-wall chuanr (meat on a stick) joint, and because I was starving, I pulled up a stool and ordered 10 mutton chuanr. An hour and a few beers later, I found myself in a heated discussion over China’s new visa restrictions, Chinese soccer, and the pros and cons of living in Singapore. Before leaving, I told them that I would stop by during my next trip to the city and they said that a free bottle of Zero Beer (Shenyang’s local brew) would be waiting for me.
Shenyang may not be as international or as culturally dynamic as Beijing and thus the nightlife for an expat like myself may be limited to chuanr stands. However, with a bit of investigation, we were able to find one bar street – called XiTa Jie. This area, known as little Korea to the locals, is filled with Korean restaurants, Korean style bars (soju bars) and room saloons (KTVs where you can buy a girl for a night). This scene filled with neon lights and “girls for hire” did not surprise me at all. As I have mentioned before in my posts about Seoul and Dalian (another city with a high Korean population), Korean business men do not have any moral qualms with objectifying women as long as these women are not married. Korean wives, on the other hand, are expected to remain tolerant of this male-dominated practice which is deemed acceptable in a traditional society where ideology is focused around filial piety (obey thy husband, thy father, thy elder).
Lastly, I would like to say that Shenyang reinvigorated my love for life in China. Overshadowed by pollution, westernization, and of course Big Brother, Beijing has lost much of its glamour over the years. I came to China to learn Chinese, see the country modernize, and allow myself to grow with a global perspective. I believe that I have been successful in accomplishing much of this to a certain extent, but I can also see Beijing slowing down economically and beginning to plateau as a modern Asian city, too many people can speak English, and the familiarity of Beijing and its newly embraced sense of modernity is making life in Beijing somewhat monotonous. Perhaps, I’m just being a melancholy grouch today, but I am cogitating more and more how wonderful it would be to relocate to a second-tier city, where I can feel like I am in China again and find myself surrounded by the unfamiliar. Clearly, I am still at an age where personal discovery and free will are basic drivers that shape my existence – and while “stability and security” are still vying to dominate this approach to life, I should take advantage of my youth by maintaining a simple path towards personal enlightenment.
In other words, I am never complacent.
Shenyang is the provincial capital of Liaoning Province and the transportation hub for Northeast China. This city of 7 million people was once the “Industrial Center” during China’s industrialization movement in the 1950’s focusing on steel production and chemical processing. After Deng Xioaping’s opening reforms, as the nation began to privatize, most of the state-owned enterprises in heavy industry went bankrupt in the region. This rust-belt city suffered for some time until the central government launched a set of initiatives and policy reforms to help “revitalize the Northeast” This “Pittsburg of China” is currently experiencing tremendous growth as MNCs expand into the city and as the disposable incomes of those living in the metropolitan area climb at an astounding rate.
My job is to research about Shenyang’s real estate markets (retail, residential, and office) and in doing so I have absorbed an incredible amount of information about the city. For example, Shenyang has become the retail hub for northeast China with currently more luxury and high-end retail space than Beijing. Since 90% of the companies in Shenyang are domestic firms that prioritize price of office space over quality, the majority of office buildings are crap – ugly low Grade B strata-titled towers. However, considering that all quality space is basically occupied, every developer and their mother has a Grade A office project in the works. And on the residential side of things, huge complexes are being erected to the south of the Hunnan River that bisects the city, where land is cheaper and where the Olympic Stadium (for soccer preliminaries) has been built. This second-tier city is going through a transformation that Beijing experienced maybe only 5 years ago. For someone like me, and especially for someone in real estate, this dynamic and fast-paced city is rather exhilarating. I prefer not to elaborate much further on property market activity and trends in Shenyang (mainly because that’s what I write about all week) but rather a few observations I made during my stay.
First of all, Shenyang gets a bad rap throughout China for its notorious organized crime syndicates and corrupt political leaders. In the past, I had heard of numerous shady business deals that were rooted in Shenyang, I had met a group of Shenyang gangster’s during a drunken escapade in Sanlitun (Beijing’s bar street), and before I left for the airport, my colleague advised me not to look at anybody directly in the eye unless I was indeed looking for trouble. I was expecting the worst… and was delighted to find the exact opposite. My encounters in Shenyang left me with a positive impression of the laobaixing (ordiary folk) of the city – in fact, they were friendlier and more hospitable than their Beijing counterparts. I spent a lot of time wondering the streets alone, exploring many run-down neighborhoods, chatting with old men playing chess, receiving smiles from xiaomaibu (convenient store) girls, and discussing my adoration for Shenyang with taxi drivers. One night, I stumbled upon two guys running a hole-in-the-wall chuanr (meat on a stick) joint, and because I was starving, I pulled up a stool and ordered 10 mutton chuanr. An hour and a few beers later, I found myself in a heated discussion over China’s new visa restrictions, Chinese soccer, and the pros and cons of living in Singapore. Before leaving, I told them that I would stop by during my next trip to the city and they said that a free bottle of Zero Beer (Shenyang’s local brew) would be waiting for me.
Shenyang may not be as international or as culturally dynamic as Beijing and thus the nightlife for an expat like myself may be limited to chuanr stands. However, with a bit of investigation, we were able to find one bar street – called XiTa Jie. This area, known as little Korea to the locals, is filled with Korean restaurants, Korean style bars (soju bars) and room saloons (KTVs where you can buy a girl for a night). This scene filled with neon lights and “girls for hire” did not surprise me at all. As I have mentioned before in my posts about Seoul and Dalian (another city with a high Korean population), Korean business men do not have any moral qualms with objectifying women as long as these women are not married. Korean wives, on the other hand, are expected to remain tolerant of this male-dominated practice which is deemed acceptable in a traditional society where ideology is focused around filial piety (obey thy husband, thy father, thy elder).
Lastly, I would like to say that Shenyang reinvigorated my love for life in China. Overshadowed by pollution, westernization, and of course Big Brother, Beijing has lost much of its glamour over the years. I came to China to learn Chinese, see the country modernize, and allow myself to grow with a global perspective. I believe that I have been successful in accomplishing much of this to a certain extent, but I can also see Beijing slowing down economically and beginning to plateau as a modern Asian city, too many people can speak English, and the familiarity of Beijing and its newly embraced sense of modernity is making life in Beijing somewhat monotonous. Perhaps, I’m just being a melancholy grouch today, but I am cogitating more and more how wonderful it would be to relocate to a second-tier city, where I can feel like I am in China again and find myself surrounded by the unfamiliar. Clearly, I am still at an age where personal discovery and free will are basic drivers that shape my existence – and while “stability and security” are still vying to dominate this approach to life, I should take advantage of my youth by maintaining a simple path towards personal enlightenment.
In other words, I am never complacent.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Stupid and Sad
Below is a post I found on a popular blog about China. It discusses the effects of China's new visa policy which has been used to deport most expats and limit visitors to the country. Clearly the author has very little respect for the cultural significance of free-lance writers and English teachers, but his portrayal of how the new visa policy is distrupting manufacturers in China is interesting... and alarming. Another reason why I am not a fan of the Olympics.
The China visa issue is now becoming more unpleasant than a stroll on a Qingdao beach (who said it wouldn't be a 'Green Olympics'?). We're not that bothered about the clear out of wannabe freelance hacks dodging tax, or the legion of Eurotrash and American trustafarians who've been slumming it in Shanghai and Beijing for years on dad's money. And we're certainly not bothered about the rumours that all chamber of commerce staff in Shanghai are having their visas denied - AmScam, BritScam, EUScam, etc. outside of Beijing (which recognises only one office per organisation and that is in Beijing), which have always technically been illegal. True or not, the world will go on without AmScam or BritScam we suspect... Indeed we suspect it will be a better place.
The real adverse effects of the visa crackdown will be felt and suffered by Chinese people and businesses. Consider the following problems we've encountered in the last couple of weeks:
A number of brands manufacturing in China need to place Xmas orders. They have policies that independent factory inspections must occur to ensure working conditions etc as part of their CSR. They don't use local inspectors given the problems with those and formula box ticking scams. However, their inspectors cannot get a visa, and so cannot approve the factory and so the contract cannot be awarded. While Beijing may think the Olympics is worth all this, the fact is that the West cannot move Xmas to late February. Even if (and there are no guarantees) things return to normal in September, it will be too late for these firms who need to get gear on boats in October for the holidays. Now many are scrambling to find capacity in Vietnam, Bangladesh, etc., while any number of Chinese garment manufacturers (two thirds of whom operate on margins of less than 1.5% already) will go under.
A number of companies with production runs already underway are having to stall or delay work as they cannot get visas for their Quality Assurance (QA) staff to enter China. Few are willing to let 500,000 leather jackets be produced without getting someone to do some QA, so delays are occurring, meaning factories will get paid late or have orders cancelled. In Hong Kong last week, Access Asia was offered US$1,000 for every referral of a qualified, experienced China-based QA person we could find as desperation sets in.
Sourcers are finding visas problematic. Canton Fair this year was a bust, and now major sourcing centres such as Yiwu and Wenzhou are empty and local traders are disgruntled as they can't get deal volume as in the past due to regular customers being denied visas.
Several language training companies we know (the sort that do specialist corporate language training so all staff can do their jobs better and remain connected with the rest of the world) cannot get visas for their trainers to travel in and run classes - contracts lost, staff not receiving training.
All of the visa problems above are of course not about twenty-something foreigners hanging out in Shanghai bars, shonky English teachers boltholing in China or tax dodging. This sort of stuff will ultimately force business failures, job losses and, ultimately, disgruntlement. Traders we talked to at Wenzhou and Yiwu recently agreed with us that none of this was worth it in the name of a couple of weeks of minority sports.
A major fall out will be that people who have talked about moving production to other countries for some time are now actually having to do it to meet deadlines. Smart manufacturers in those countries are offering keen prices and will go all out to do a good job - they know this is their moment in the sun, and a chance to win serious business away from China. For many brands (once they have made the move, and if a good job is done) the inclination will be not to bother to go through the process of moving production back to China all over again. Whether China wins the Olympics or not, the long lasting fall out from these silly Games will be serious and terminal for a lot of business people as a significant percentage of business moves elsewhere and doesn't come back once the Olympics are over.
The fact is that many good manufacturers have survived and absorbed energy costs, rising transport costs, high input and commodity costs, soaring freight costs, rising wage bills and new labour laws (not to mention tough western companies looking for cheap, cheap prices). But they may not be able to survive the actions of the visa issuing department. Stupid and sad.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Some Highlights
Well, let me just say that it has been a crazy few weeks packed with work, athletic contests, and a slew of social events. Clearly, I am enjoying my time here in Beijing, allowing me very little free time to update this blog – so it goes. Instead of focusing on any particular event or theme (which seems to be my style of posting) I will now give you the highlight reel of the last three weeks in chronological order...
Obama Fundraiser. I am a news junkie and during the recent primary season, I have been following the latest on each presidential candidate through an array of online media outlets including Youtube, NYTimes, CNN, Politico, and of course Drudge Report. I am also a staunch Obama supporter, having already contributed money to his campaign back in February. When I heard that two of his foreign policy advisers were hosting a fundraiser here in Beijing, I could not resist. This American-only event was held in a club at a high-end residential complex called the Embassy House featuring a band, an open bar, imported treats like hummus and Tostitos, and an outside patio dominated by a grizzly man in Red Sox hat grilling hotdogs and barbeque ribs by the dozens. It felt like home. Obama’s advisors spoke briefly followed by 30 minutes of Q&A. Most of what was said concerning policy was already known to me (and of course diplomatic answers were given when asked about Obama’s approach to China), however, I found it rather motivating when they gave personal accounts about how they were inspired to join up with Barack following his 2004 Democratic convention speech. These ex-Bill Clinton foreign policy advisors exuded hope for our country and this enthusiasm was gleefully embraced by over two hundred Americans living and studying in Beijing. I doubt that that will be the last $25 donation I make before November.
Birthday Bash. My birthday was celebrated in proper fashion: a mix of good friends, Korean barbeque, and countless pitchers of green tea and whiskey. I suppose I should stop treating every birthday like it’s my 21st (for my liver’s sake), however, in Chinese tradition every birthday that falls on your Chinese Zodiac year (occurring once every twelve years) should call for a special celebration. I am a rat, 2008 is the year of the rat, I am not 12 nor am I 36… if you can’t guess how old I am please go back to school. All in all, the party was marvelous in every way and I have many to thank for that, especially my girlfriend, who also treated me to a lovely birthday dinner the following week at a restaurant called Dali Courtyard, a hidden gem in a random hutong serving authentic and rather delightful Yunnan cuisine.
Lax Tourney. As you may or may not know from a previous blog, I belong to a men’s lacrosse league here in Beijing. We practice every Sunday morning and sometimes Thursday evenings and although we play for the love of the game and the fulfillment of camaraderie, we always talk about winning the Beijing Cup that has taken place every June for the past 6 years. This year, this weekend tournament was attended by a Japanese team, a Hong Kong Team, two Korean teams, a Chinese team (groomed by us), an under-19 California All-star team, and of course our team, the laxpats (lacrosse expats). Corresponding girls’ teams also contested on adjacent fields. Historically, our greatest challengers have been the American teams and Japanese teams – the Japanese are outstanding players and the Japanese expats on our team, including the goalie, were major assets to our squad. In fact, because of the depth on our team which included three ex-national-team players (from America, Canada, and Japan), we found ourselves overpowering every team during the first day of competition - granted we were playing in the blistering heat and many of the younger players on the other teams were suffering from jet lag, Chinese food, and Beijing smog. On the other hand, many of our guys are balding out-of-shape cigarette smokers, who preferred drinking beer on the sidelines to water. After 4 forty minute games throughout Saturday, our bodies were in complete shock, our feet were covered in blisters, and our bare shoulders were raw from the sun (I currently have the world’s worst farmer tan). On Sunday, we easily beat the Japanese team in the morning and because the fields were out far in West Beijing and we were only team without a nearby hotel, we had no choice but to find something to do for six hours until the championship game. Instead of burning alive in the sun, we spend the whole afternoon chilling in KFC followed by hanging out in the neighborhood pool club relaxing in the water and making fun of the Chinese men in Speedos – we clearly took the championship seriously. After a full 60 minutes of lacrosse against the California kids, we emerged victorious – winning the Beijing Cup for the first time ever. By the end of the weekend, my body was completely numb, my skin was peeling, and my urine was dark yellow – it was the longest, most exhausting yet most exhilarating weekend I’ve had in a long time. *Sigh*
Great Wall Rave. Last weekend, I attended the annual Great Wall Party that usually draws a crowd of over three to four hundred eccentric young Beijing expats looking for a crazy night at an unconventional venue. Imagine the Great Wall, a beach, a dance party, techno music combined with all the sinful happenings of today’s youth fused together for one night of insidious bliss. Personally, I had more fun pre-partying on the four hour bus ride on the way up defined by karaoke, baijiu (Chinese liquor) guzzling, and random stops at rest stops with enormous neon signs that said “TOILET”. At the beach (where the Great Wall ends) I vaguely remember hotdogs, blue face paint, and a monsoon type rain storm – all other disreputable details I may have witnessed in this haven of hedonistic havoc will not be disclosed on this blog. It was a blast, but let’s just say that I’m glad to be back in reality.
Not Ready. Yesterday, about to get on the subway, a security woman said something to me (in Chinese) and pointed at the X-ray machine indicating that they wanted to check my bag for explosives or other harmful materials. I smiled (already late for work) and walked past her. Beefing up security seems useless if dangerous folk could voluntarily opt out of the screening process. A little while later, about to get off the metro, I and my fellow commuters were stuck in our subway while it took 10 minutes for the driver to figure out how to open the doors. People were so mad that some threatened to break down the door. Is Beijing prepared for the Olympics? Ha.
Obama Fundraiser. I am a news junkie and during the recent primary season, I have been following the latest on each presidential candidate through an array of online media outlets including Youtube, NYTimes, CNN, Politico, and of course Drudge Report. I am also a staunch Obama supporter, having already contributed money to his campaign back in February. When I heard that two of his foreign policy advisers were hosting a fundraiser here in Beijing, I could not resist. This American-only event was held in a club at a high-end residential complex called the Embassy House featuring a band, an open bar, imported treats like hummus and Tostitos, and an outside patio dominated by a grizzly man in Red Sox hat grilling hotdogs and barbeque ribs by the dozens. It felt like home. Obama’s advisors spoke briefly followed by 30 minutes of Q&A. Most of what was said concerning policy was already known to me (and of course diplomatic answers were given when asked about Obama’s approach to China), however, I found it rather motivating when they gave personal accounts about how they were inspired to join up with Barack following his 2004 Democratic convention speech. These ex-Bill Clinton foreign policy advisors exuded hope for our country and this enthusiasm was gleefully embraced by over two hundred Americans living and studying in Beijing. I doubt that that will be the last $25 donation I make before November.
Birthday Bash. My birthday was celebrated in proper fashion: a mix of good friends, Korean barbeque, and countless pitchers of green tea and whiskey. I suppose I should stop treating every birthday like it’s my 21st (for my liver’s sake), however, in Chinese tradition every birthday that falls on your Chinese Zodiac year (occurring once every twelve years) should call for a special celebration. I am a rat, 2008 is the year of the rat, I am not 12 nor am I 36… if you can’t guess how old I am please go back to school. All in all, the party was marvelous in every way and I have many to thank for that, especially my girlfriend, who also treated me to a lovely birthday dinner the following week at a restaurant called Dali Courtyard, a hidden gem in a random hutong serving authentic and rather delightful Yunnan cuisine.
Lax Tourney. As you may or may not know from a previous blog, I belong to a men’s lacrosse league here in Beijing. We practice every Sunday morning and sometimes Thursday evenings and although we play for the love of the game and the fulfillment of camaraderie, we always talk about winning the Beijing Cup that has taken place every June for the past 6 years. This year, this weekend tournament was attended by a Japanese team, a Hong Kong Team, two Korean teams, a Chinese team (groomed by us), an under-19 California All-star team, and of course our team, the laxpats (lacrosse expats). Corresponding girls’ teams also contested on adjacent fields. Historically, our greatest challengers have been the American teams and Japanese teams – the Japanese are outstanding players and the Japanese expats on our team, including the goalie, were major assets to our squad. In fact, because of the depth on our team which included three ex-national-team players (from America, Canada, and Japan), we found ourselves overpowering every team during the first day of competition - granted we were playing in the blistering heat and many of the younger players on the other teams were suffering from jet lag, Chinese food, and Beijing smog. On the other hand, many of our guys are balding out-of-shape cigarette smokers, who preferred drinking beer on the sidelines to water. After 4 forty minute games throughout Saturday, our bodies were in complete shock, our feet were covered in blisters, and our bare shoulders were raw from the sun (I currently have the world’s worst farmer tan). On Sunday, we easily beat the Japanese team in the morning and because the fields were out far in West Beijing and we were only team without a nearby hotel, we had no choice but to find something to do for six hours until the championship game. Instead of burning alive in the sun, we spend the whole afternoon chilling in KFC followed by hanging out in the neighborhood pool club relaxing in the water and making fun of the Chinese men in Speedos – we clearly took the championship seriously. After a full 60 minutes of lacrosse against the California kids, we emerged victorious – winning the Beijing Cup for the first time ever. By the end of the weekend, my body was completely numb, my skin was peeling, and my urine was dark yellow – it was the longest, most exhausting yet most exhilarating weekend I’ve had in a long time. *Sigh*
Great Wall Rave. Last weekend, I attended the annual Great Wall Party that usually draws a crowd of over three to four hundred eccentric young Beijing expats looking for a crazy night at an unconventional venue. Imagine the Great Wall, a beach, a dance party, techno music combined with all the sinful happenings of today’s youth fused together for one night of insidious bliss. Personally, I had more fun pre-partying on the four hour bus ride on the way up defined by karaoke, baijiu (Chinese liquor) guzzling, and random stops at rest stops with enormous neon signs that said “TOILET”. At the beach (where the Great Wall ends) I vaguely remember hotdogs, blue face paint, and a monsoon type rain storm – all other disreputable details I may have witnessed in this haven of hedonistic havoc will not be disclosed on this blog. It was a blast, but let’s just say that I’m glad to be back in reality.
Not Ready. Yesterday, about to get on the subway, a security woman said something to me (in Chinese) and pointed at the X-ray machine indicating that they wanted to check my bag for explosives or other harmful materials. I smiled (already late for work) and walked past her. Beefing up security seems useless if dangerous folk could voluntarily opt out of the screening process. A little while later, about to get off the metro, I and my fellow commuters were stuck in our subway while it took 10 minutes for the driver to figure out how to open the doors. People were so mad that some threatened to break down the door. Is Beijing prepared for the Olympics? Ha.
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