I love being out on the streets in the evenings. A whole different kind of China emerges when the sun sets and people get off work and spend time with friends and family. The hectic bustle thats constant in the day settles down into a mellow, relaxed atmosphere. Families and friends go to restaurants, or even better, tables set out on the pavement, and spend hours eating, drinking, laughing and generally having a good time. The mess they make can be amazing, with bits of food, bones, shells and bottles all littering the table and ground around the groups enjoying the night and cooler temperature it brings. All dishes are communal, and the delicious food is always in excess, with meals going on for hours. This is partly what makes the Chinese food experience so special. I love the feeling of togetherness that comes from sharing everything that is on the table, from the dishes to the drinks. Even though there can be friendly competition for the best bits, everyone makes sure your friends glasses are full before pouring yourself more of the excellent local beer. One of the best feelings, after a day spent sweating, is the first sip of ice cold, crisp lager, while sitting down with friends for a good meal.
In the last weeks I spent time in hectic Beijing, seeing Tiananmen Square, and the hundreds of surveillance cameras and even more of uniformed and not-so-uniformed police that come along in the same experience. I also saw one ‘take down,’ of a guy trying to cross the street instead of using the passageway like the police wanted him to. So remember, crossing the road can be a very serious offense (at least in one area of China).
The Olympic area is a place I will remember. I think the Birds Nest and the Water Cube are some of the most awe inspiring buildings I have ever seen. I also watched the opening ceremony DVD, and I think London should just proclaim to the world that they just want to have people run, jump and do what they do, and that they aren’t even trying to put on a show. That one went to the Chinese, and they will keep it for some time to come (imagine the opening ceremony with 17,000 performers and the worlds biggest LED screen and you might get some idea). I was also happy to find that the news I read, in a North American news publication, about the Birds Nest being converted to a shopping mall to be false.
After about a week in Beijing I thought it was time to continue on the path towards an undefined destination. I decided in Harbin, partly because of the biological warfare related history (Japanese Unit 731 during WW2), and partly because I had heard good things about it. Unfortunately there are never enough hard sleeper tickets on the trains, so I first had to go to Shenyang, and the next day to Harbin. Harbin is quite different from other cities I have visited, most visibly in the Russian influenced buildings. There is also a strong Jewish history here, with many synagogues, like the one I stayed at. The youth hostel was in an old synagogue converted to two restaurants and accommodation. From the moment I entered, this had a different feeling to it, something you never have in concrete buildings shaped like a cube. However, there isn’t much Jewish influence anymore, as the Jewish population, and with it the influence, has almost disappeared in the last 100 years.
The Japanese biological weapons museum turned out a small disappointment. I think a guide or more text in english would make the experience much better (or worse). I also think its still partially under construction, so hopefully gets more informative in the future. I won’t get into detailed history of Unit 731, but those who are interested can look it up. The basics are: Japanese had an active biological weapons project, did tests on 3000 humans (or "logs" as they called them), engaged in biological warfare, dismantled the project when they were losing the war, and most of the scientists were never punished because of US or Soviet protection (you can guess for whom they worked then).
In a few hours I will leave on a sleeper bus to Dalian. Again the trains were full, so I had to opt for the second best option. From there I will head for Hong Kong to get a new visa. I’ve heard they give multiple entry visas which would fit my plans really well. But we will see, and I do, however, have to be outside China by August 13.
RANDOM FACT GENERATOR
Question: How do you know a Chinese train is late?
Answer: A ‘sad face’ next to the departure information.
2 comments:
Using a sad face is brilliant, everyone understands...
Chinese trains were late??!!
Post a Comment