In a City of 20 million People

It’s been so interesting living in a city of 20 million people. I guess, with three weeks left, I’ve just been doing some reflection on funny things that happen frequently but seem so normal. For instance, there’s this outdoor noodle shop down the street on the corner that we like to go to, we call it, “the boa zi place on the corner by wu mei.” Bao zi = dumpling type thing. Wu mei = wu mart/the closest market. So this bao zi place on the corner by wu mei is owned by this husband and wife, and there’s four tiny little tables set up under this tent. The grounds dirty (what’s new in China), they have this dog that’s constantly running around down by your feet, the owner always has a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, and you never know if your going to get a piece of ash that’s fallen into your soup. Any place like this in America (there is no place like this in America), you would think was like the sketchiest thing ever. Here in China, places like this is what make noodle shops unique, the food is great and convenient, and it’s completely normal.

Other interesting things…

-Going to a little restaurant and ordering rice. The lady’s all out, so she just runs to the little restaurant next door and borrows a bowl of rice from them and brings it to you.

-Sitting in class, and hearing the Italian and Arabic speakers use Chinglish (Chinese and English) to talk to each other.

-A guy from Dubai walking into Chinese class late, wearing sunglasses, holding a sandwich and some expensive energy drink that no one has ever even heard of.

-Talking to my Taxi driver about Thanksgiving and eating turkey, and come to find out that he randomly owns a turkey farm. When asking him about eating dog, he responds that he prepares his own dog and fries the leg, and smothers it in garlic.

-There’s so much pollution sometimes that blocks the sun rays that you look in the sky and see the sun, you wonder if it’s actually the moon.

-Finding out that the Chinese government doesn’t tell their people what the pollution level is, but the US embassy keeps track of it. The other day the pollution level was hazardous.

-Realizing how used to city life you’ve become. I was on the subway the other day, and did something totally Chinese and didn’t even realize it till I thought about it after. I needed to get off and there were people standing in front of the door, so I just pushed my way through them without even saying excuse me. It’s totally normal, not rude, and no one thinks anything of it. I’ve also realized how much more aggressive I am at things like getting taxi’s. You have to be. There are also no such things as lines in China. You kind of just push your way to things. No one draws any huge attention to themselves when doing anything. That’s just the Beijing city life for ya.

-Buying food from street vendors. Technically they are actually illegal, but no one really does anything about it and they are all over the city.

-One thing that is cool about being in a huge city is just how convenient public transportation is. I love how much more familiar I have gotten with the subway lines and all of the different bus routes.