In Beijing !!! (在北京）

My first full day in China is coming to a close as fireworks go off in the hutong outside my hotel. It has been an eventful day and thankfully the sky cleared from yesterday's horribly orange pollution and the temperature was surprisingly balmy.

As we landed yesterday I was struck by the thick orange miasma of smog enveloping us, and in the massive new airport terminal designed by Norman Foster surprised by the apparent lack of crowds. This wasn't the China I had imagined. But on the drive from the aiport, having met by driver who held a sign reading STOKOLS but couldn't speak English, the tall and repetetive aparment blocks lining the expressway seemed more familiar. We drove along the third ring road, through Beijing's new CBD, passing the famous CCTV tower designed by Rem Koolhaas and the towering Guomao tower. We drove through Tiananmen and I caught my first glimpse of Mao, the great helmsman's portrait staring at me from above the gate.

My hotel is located in a hutong just off tiananmen and I will be staying here until I move into my dorm at Capital Normal University. After walking around the hutongs at night (creepy but fascinating) I got a bite to eat at a restaurant alone. I ordered a bowl of noodles and some sesame buns but I could barely finish either. This cost 40 RMB (about 5 bucks) and then I had my first encounter with a public toilet in a nearby hutong. This was one of the most foul-smelling places I have ever been in.

Today was my first full day in China. I met a friend from Berkeley, Eric, in Tiananmen and we made our way to my hotel and then towards the Temple of Heaven (Tiantan). This is Beijing's largest temple complex and features a beatiful blue-tiled altar, and at the other end a circular stone platform that is supposedly the nexus of heaven and earth. The park was crowded, with Chinese kids and old grandparents, families, all jostling their way. After tiantan, we went back into the chaos of the city and took a cab to Hongqiao, an electronics cum everything imaginable market. I was able to get a SIM card here with the help of Eric's bargaining. Then I took the subway (ditie) back to Qianmen (near Tiananmen) and walked to my hotel. I stopped off for a janbing on the way back. Janbing is essentially a doughy pancake wrapped with sauce, fried stuff, and scallions. It was 3.5 RMB and made to order.

The fact that I am actually in China still amazes me and I haven't fully adjusted yet. But with my phone set up, my subway card in my wallet, and my knowledge of the city streets increasing, I am already feeling a little more acclimated. I have taken 200+ pictures, and as soon as I can connect my laptop to internet I will post them.

Thanks for reading...zai jian ! (see you again)