The Respite

If you have read the previous 14 (or so) entries and looked at the pictures, you are up-to-date on my trip to China, which ended about seven months ago.  It did, as expected, take me a long time to transcribe that and put it onto this seldom-used blog site.  I will continue to occasionally type entries, although I would assume they will be neither frequent nor organized.

To begin with, I went for an outside run today, the 20th of January.  It was the first outside run of the "spring," and it was a little cold.  However, there is something incredibly cathartic about running outside.  I cannot explain it, but the relief and peace that comes from running outside cannot be obtained in a gym or fitness center.  Go try it.  Or, if you are not a runner, open your door, step outside, and take a few big breaths of cold air.  It feels good, and it's good for your brain.

Then walk out into the snow and spin around a few times.  That is also good for your brain. 

I think the pics uploaded to the slide at bottom right.  I think.

Friday, June 6, 2008

 

Jinshan Park was built from the dirt removed to create the moat surrounding the Forbidden City.  It is reputed to be the site of one emperor’s suicidal hanging at the end of the Ming dynasty, and is supposedly the burial site for another emperor’s favorite cat.

In the morning, hundreds of older people gather in Jinshan Park to do tai chi and practice ballroom dancing.  When I first arrived at the park this morning, there was only me and many retirees.  By the time I left, there were also many tourists taking photos and videos, along with their tour guides.

It was a perfect morning for a stroll in a beautiful park.  A cool, caressing breeze blew, keeping the sun from becoming too warm.  I wandered around the park, often amused by the shouting and clapping in unison that accompanied the exercises of the older folks.  I was constantly amazed by the solitude and serenity I found in a busy park in the middle of a huge city.

I sat for a while on the edge of one of the five pavilions in the park, admiring the view of the Forbidden City, enjoying the feel of the sun and the wind, and listening to the sounds of the park.  The trees’ leaves and the grass rustled, and up from the bottom of the hill floated the rhythmic clapping of people exercising.  I took deep breaths of fresh air, savoring the smell of the damp dirt and blooming flowers.

As much as I enjoy sightseeing and shopping, and as much as I crave the excitement of new experiences and new cities, sitting alone in a beautiful park is the best way to rejuvenate the spirit.

(later in the day)

There are two things I will not miss about Beijing.  One is the traffic.  People are always honking, swerving around other cars, and needing to slam on their brakes.  Taxis are the worst, but I suppose that is similar in any large city.

The other thing I will not miss is not having fixed prices.  I know that goes against my philosophy of “I’d rather deal with people than with policies,” but I am very tired of having to argue for good prices. My taxi driver today was a driver that took us to the silk market the first day, and he took Anna and Derek to the airport on Wednesday.  Anna said that he agreed to charge 100 yen to go to the airport, but today he wanted to charge me 200 yen.  We finally agreed on 120 yen, but I was disappointed to have to haggle on a price that I thought had already been settled on.

Then, when we got to the airport, the driver asked me for more money.  I did not, obviously, give it to him, and was disappointed that he tried to jack up the price.

It would be so much easier if I knew Mandarin.  If I ever come back to China, I am definitely going to learn more of the language before I come.

On the way to the airport, I was very nervous about going through customs by myself.  I still have to go through customs in Chicago, but now that I am through the Beijing security, I am much less nervous.  In fact, I am not nervous at all.

Beijing security is much more lax than TSA.  I did not have to separate my liquids or take of my shoes.  They ran my bag through an x-ray machine and had me walk through a metal detector.  That was it.  It was so much less complicated.  I feel badly for the people who come to the United States and are not prepared for airport security there.

(still later that day)

I left the hotel in Beijing 23 hours ago and am now delayed in Chicago O’Hare.  Some of the passengers waiting here have been bounced from flight to flight all day.  I feel lucky that my flight is delayed only 2 hours.  Maybe 3 hours.

It is interesting to note the things I found comforting when I arrived in the U.S.  Going through TSA security was familiar and comforting.  I knew exactly what they wanted and was able to do it efficiently.

It was also nice to be able to assume that most people spoke the same language as me.  Although, I am still tempted to say “shei-shei” rather than “thank you.”

One of the first things I did after I got through customs was buy and eat a personal pan pizza.  I cannot describe how good that tasted.