Bloody hostel and its uppity rates. *grumble grumble* It seems silly that booking online, service fee inclusive, is somehow cheaper than even the member rates here. *grumble* we could always move, but I really am a fan of the place, for all its conveniences, so here I am, in the internet bar, making a booking for a hostel I already live in, so that we can extend our stay at the same rate we've been paying already. Fools. *grumble*
In other news, today was hot and sunny, unlike the predicted thunderstorms, so I think tomorrow, we'll hit the great wall for a fun 4 hour hike of goodness. Gah. Hiking in 33C weather seems like stupidity, but at the same time, it's not getting any cooler (except yesterday, at 25C or so, which felt really cold. I wore pants. Long pants. And a long sleeved shirt. When I turn on the A/C to cool the room down a bit at the end of the day, I feel like its too cold if it's any lower than 24C. I'm going to be really cold when I get back to Canada. Oh boy.), and at least it's not thunder and lightning and other such goodness, which would be even less fun to hike in. Tomorrow's a sunscreen kind of day. Plus, it should be a little cooler outside the city, out in the hills and things.
Today was an excellent wandering day... I even managed to find a real market -- one for food, just tucked in a tented alleyway area of one of the main roads. I love markets. I love grocery stores, and markets are just a cooler version of them. Didn't really buy anything, as I have no need for raw meat or veg, and the fruit wasn't really any better than what I've found near the hostel -- plus, I wasn't in any mood to bargain, so, just wandering around the rows of veg made me happy enough. I love (food) markets.
I didn't realize until I was walking around in there how much my trips to HK with my mom when I was younger had an impact on my perceptions of the world around me. As much as I'm still very much a born-in, raised-in, Canadian kid and all, there's a lot about how I see the world that was fundamentally affected by things like going to the market near my grandmother's old house on Po On Road, by the crowded streets, the roosters crowing, the morning congee... The smell of fish... It's familiar without being really a part of my actual life.
Travel is important. Profoundly so. (PS. Thank you, Ma Zi)
I took photos of the math/physics bridge as well today, and while I was geeking out with my camera over that, a middle-aged chinese man came over to chat. The conversation was a little stilted, as always, since I had to get him to say things a different way a number of times, since I didn't oft understand what he was saying at first. I got confused about whether he knew where Canada was when he asked something about what language we spoke in Canada. But, it was pretty cool, all told, considering that he didn't speak a word of English. This was a contrast to the conversation I had with the photographer I met waiting for the ticket window to open @ the old observatory. He spoke a little English, and a little more Cantonese, and so, a little wee three language (dialect, technically, I suppose) broken conversation ensued. He had a very pretty camera. With a very very pretty telephoto lens. ... Drool..... Anyway, he offered to take a photo for me at the top of the observatory, and I think they turned out pretty well. It's always neat when the person taking your photo is a big photo geek too, since they're all at neat angles and stuff. Not your typical "pose with the famous statue" tourist shot. Very happy.
I also hit a photo contest exhibition on the way home (most gorgeous great wall photo I've ever seen -- gorgeous dark royal blues, wall in the lower 1/4 of the frame just snaking back across the scene, and AWESOMEly beautiful lightning bolts covering the rest of the frame.), and while it wasn't really the typical "defining Beijing" tourist fare, I really like photos. I think a lot of you folk would've loved it too.
I really like Beijing. I don't know necessarily that I'd be overly interested in moving here to live or anything, though I don't necessarily think I'd mind either. But it's a nifty place, and I feel surprisingly comfortable here. I've mostly gotten used to some of its quirks (toilets (there will be an ode to these later on in the blog, because there's so much to say about them), transit (packed, but oh-the-love), trepidatious crossings -- I'm sometimes suprised that I haven't been run over yet while crossing the road. No one has right-of-way here. There's just a lot of honking, some stopping mid-way through the street, and a lot of looking over your shoulder to make sure that LARGE bus doesn't run you over -- because they really will. Adventure every time. =P), and don't even notice the few things I don't like about it (spitting, smoking, smog (mostly blown away today), squatting (again, ode to toilets), soliciting LOTS of soliciting -- although sometimes that's character...)
Even the heat isn't so bad. =) It feels like I've been here forever, that so much time has passed back in Canada, even though it's only been days here. At the same time, it feels so short, as we leave Beijing in only another 5 days or so, and then do a few much shorter stops. This trip will pass by in the blink of an eye, methinks. But I suppose it's all relative; depends which one of us is observing as to which one of us is moving. =) I know. Profound. Deeply Profound.
Don't forget to double your muffinage, kids.
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