China Eyes
As you know by now, I was in Beijing twice last year. China is one of the top places I wanted to visit. And it came true and I even took that PAL flight four (4) times last year. I am amazed as to how this country very rich in culture has become what it is now. You see, few years ago, China wasn’t that “big”. According to my Chinese friend, Pat, for many years, they literally closed their doors to western culture. Too cautious not to destroy their heritage.
But since times are changing, and so is China. I am truly fascinated how many tall buildings you can see in Beijing. It has become an avenue of “East meets West” simply because you will see a lot of foreigners lurking around the city. Beijing city is a huge square. From what I know, there are at least four(4) Ring Roads. What a nice way to design a city, don’t you think?
Here are the things i truly enjoyed in Beijing:
- There are a lot of huge parks in this city. i like walking around the park, bringing with me my fave book and enjoying the sun. And no, it wasn’t hot… in fact i had three(3) jackets in me. And I still feel cold at that.
- I like Chinese food, although my mafia would disagree with me on this part. He’s not a fan of anything in Chinese you know. I like it because it’s spicy and most of them are healthy. Seldom do you see overweight Chinese, right?
- There are wonderful places to visit like Great Wall, Summer Palace, Bird’s Nest, Water Cube, etc. Most of these places are very historical, mind you. I have seen trees from Summer Palace as old as 400 years old. Wow!
- There are lots of trees around the city. I didn’t know I could appreciate nature that much except when I was in Beijing. Even the falling of a leaf, I enjoyed too much, hahaha:)
- Shopping is great. Lots of great finds.
Oh well, I must add those which I liked the least:
- Communication is quite a challenge. Less people speak English so be prepared to bring your little translation book when you go out. If in case you forgot it, approach a foreign-looking guy and that should do the trick.
- I mentioned shopping is great but mind you, bargaining is a MUST. If they tell you the price of an item, start your bid from the lowest you can imagine. If they don’t call you back again after leaving the stall, bid a little higher when you see the same item from another place.
- Some restaurants do not have english menus! Geez… but your fingers might give you a miracle by pointing on the dishes’ names and pray that it’s not monkey brain served in your plate!
- Chinese spit almost everywhere… so be careful. Either walk ahead of them or make your presence felt by wearing your flamenco shoes so it does not leave you unnoticed.
- China is called People’s Republic of China (PRC) but now it does have a new name: People’s Republic of Counterfeit. This is because everything is being manufactured in China. And the counterfeits are everywhere. Quality can be so bad so be really careful. Even medicines can be faked.
- Super, uber coldness to the highest! In some days, the temperature can reach -12 degrees. This is China, remember!
But overall, I had a fantastic time in China. I am definitely coming back. I have always liked China. There was never any bad experience from a Chinese except when I was in a flight to Beijing when this Chinese gay give me a stern look after putting my laptop bag in the overhead cabin.
I am by the way, Chinese by affinity—- only because people always ask me if I am Chinese. My oriental looks simply work on my advantage. If I can only speak Mandarin, my transformation can be complete!
