SeeHearSmellTouchTaste
See
As you would imagine there is much to be amazed by in Beijing. Like the people. In a city of almost 18 million people (890 per sq. km) you are never really far from anyone, or never really alone. Most surprising is the way people move. Just being among such a vast populace requires a certain amount of street smarts. Whether you are riding a bicycle, driving a car, ordering a drink, crossing the street or catching the subway, there is a method to all unmethodical movements that take place in this city. Take the humble traffic light; in most cities it’s a silent vigilante maintaining safe, orderly decorum amongst all those who cross its path. In Beijing, the “hóng-lu-dōng” is merely decoration. Sure, it will stop most cars, but that still leaves the cyclists, pedestrians and motorbikes crisscrossing through moving traffic like precision acrobatic skateboarders, and literally defying death. Amid the disorder you will rarely hear a car horn. It’s just normal procedure. Fortunately I am now fully desensitized, so every close shave (and believe me there’s lots) is rarely noticed.
Once you’ve crossed a road in Beijing there is a good chance you are staring at something amazing, for every neighborhood, every street is the very definition of history. The alleyways (hútòngs) are breathtaking. These narrow lanes snake through the older quarters of Beijing providing a glimpse of what Old Peking was like half a millennium ago. Most popular hútòngs are now home to small bars, cafes and gift shops, but the architecture remains (barely) intact. Doorways that once led to dark, hidden opium dens are now more likely to lead you to a DVD store or shoe shop. If you are into museums, towers and palaces, Beijing is a Mecca. On weekends, the temples and parks are filled with locals, young and old, singing, dancing and generally have a wild time. Wonderful.
Hear
If the number of 200+ room Karaoke establishments is anything to go by, Beijingers love to sing. And for those who’d rather listen, the live music and club scene is truly impressive. Places like MAO Live, White Rabbit, Block 8, Song and Suzie Wong’s all rate a mention. But back on the street is where you’ll hear the real Beijing. Each busy footpath has its own collection of random conversations and despite the harsh tone of the vernacular, the sounds sail past the ears of those not versed in the local language like a tin pan orchestra. Street vendors screaming along the Dong Hua Men night market create a surreal sideshow as they tout their gourmet goodies; snake, scorpion (see photo below), stomachs of various things, sheep testicles, fresh fruit on a stick (something for everyone!). Then there is my favourite five words I hear every day. The mystery woman who is the voice of the pre-recorded message every time you jump into a Beijing cab…”Welcome to take Beijing Taxi….” It so deserves to be on a t-shirt. And perhaps it might find its way there. There is also a couple of words that the locals could simply not do without. No sentence in Beijing is complete with out at least one ‘Nega’ and the occasional ‘Jega’. Roughly translated Nega and Jega mean “this and that” and it’s a word that can never be over used. A guy will pass you in the street on his mobile phone… “Wei, ni hao…Nega, nega, nega, nega, nega…..” (and then the conversation will start). You can basically get around Beijing by just pointing and saying jega and nega all day long. The other essential is “dway”. If a local asks you a question and you totally do not understand, you simply respond with “dway” – “correct”. When your taxi driver turns to you and starts rambling and gesticulating, all you need to do is nod patiently and give a dismissive “dway-dway-dway”. But the phrase you will hear a thousand times a day is “Ni Hao”. Everyone you meet, pass by, glance at or stumble into will greet you with “Ni Hao”. How lovely to be in a city where saying hello to everyone you see is standard. This type of behaviour back in Sydney might get you locked up.
Smell
The unique smells of Beijing can take some getting used to, particularly for the unseasoned traveler. The aforementioned night market in the Wan Fu Jin area is a good example. This massive kaleidoscopic smorgasbord will have your nostril hairs curling! But for most people newly arrived in Beijing, the most difficult and troubling aroma is that of the legendary Beijing smog. The smog in a word is pretty ‘bad’ with only a smattering of blue sky days to ease your lungs (and throat). Tempted as I was to include smog under the ‘Taste’ heading below, I’ve kept it here even though you generally taste it as much as inhale it. The other overriding smell that comes to mind is garlic. It seems to be everywhere, and on everybody. For those who can think of nothing better than a strong intake of garlic aroma, may I recommend any of Beijing’s taxi cabs. At first I was looking for the garlic scented pine tree hanging from the taxi’s rear view mirror, but realized my driver had probably just finished lunch. As every person has their own unique aroma, so too does every city. Beijing is filled with the wonderful scent of spiced foods cooking, blossoms in the park, jasmine and mint and a whole world of stuff yet to be verified.
Touch
Really the only one thing that can truly go under this heading is massage. More popular than convenience stores, the humble massage shop can be found on every street. Everywhere, several within spitting distance (literally). Offering a curious array of treatments, the Beijing massage establishments have proven a godsend for those of us working long, long days and nights filled with tension and stress (“jing jong”). For something special, an absolute ‘must do’ in Beijing is the “blind man massage”. No, not being rubbed all over by an intoxicated, groping old masseur, but a fully trained, visually impaired wunderkind of the massage world. These guys need to be ‘felt’ to be believed. With heightened senses due to their lack of sight, the ‘blind man’ can feel every aching sinew in your body and work his magic like the magician he actually is. The prices are ridiculously cheap (about 15 cents per minute) so a healthy tip is always the order of the day. I did, however, pass on the cupping, electric heating and the measles scrapping. Mmmm, delightful!
Taste
The food in Beijing is out of this world. Amazing delicacies abound in a flood of first class dining establishments and tiny backstreet cafes in every corner of the city. But a word of advice when eating out; if you are happy just to point at the menu pictures, well, let’s just say a picture paints a thousand words, and what’s for dinner might not be exactly what you’d hoped for. Some western folk are braver than others and do not bat an eyelid at ‘bat’, ‘saliva chicken’, ‘innards in innards sauce’, ‘husband and wife’s lung slice’, ‘chicken without sexual life’ and ‘hair blood is flourishing’ but personally I’m just a tad more unadventurous. That is not to say I haven’t eaten my fair share of Chinese specialties. Many of the very good natured Chinese friends I’ve met here will always say “try first Mike and I’ll tell you later”. How else do you think I’ve managed to eat buffalo tendon, duck blood and go hopping headlong into a bowl full of bullfrog? Sure, there is some strange and weird concoctions, but really only strange and weird to us pathetic “laowai”. Much of the crap we stock on ‘our’ supermarket shelves would curl the toes of these culinary and courageous Chinese.
See
As you would imagine there is much to be amazed by in Beijing. Like the people. In a city of almost 18 million people (890 per sq. km) you are never really far from anyone, or never really alone. Most surprising is the way people move. Just being among such a vast populace requires a certain amount of street smarts. Whether you are riding a bicycle, driving a car, ordering a drink, crossing the street or catching the subway, there is a method to all unmethodical movements that take place in this city. Take the humble traffic light; in most cities it’s a silent vigilante maintaining safe, orderly decorum amongst all those who cross its path. In Beijing, the “hóng-lu-dōng” is merely decoration. Sure, it will stop most cars, but that still leaves the cyclists, pedestrians and motorbikes crisscrossing through moving traffic like precision acrobatic skateboarders, and literally defying death. Amid the disorder you will rarely hear a car horn. It’s just normal procedure. Fortunately I am now fully desensitized, so every close shave (and believe me there’s lots) is rarely noticed.
Once you’ve crossed a road in Beijing there is a good chance you are staring at something amazing, for every neighborhood, every street is the very definition of history. The alleyways (hútòngs) are breathtaking. These narrow lanes snake through the older quarters of Beijing providing a glimpse of what Old Peking was like half a millennium ago. Most popular hútòngs are now home to small bars, cafes and gift shops, but the architecture remains (barely) intact. Doorways that once led to dark, hidden opium dens are now more likely to lead you to a DVD store or shoe shop. If you are into museums, towers and palaces, Beijing is a Mecca. On weekends, the temples and parks are filled with locals, young and old, singing, dancing and generally have a wild time. Wonderful.
Hear
If the number of 200+ room Karaoke establishments is anything to go by, Beijingers love to sing. And for those who’d rather listen, the live music and club scene is truly impressive. Places like MAO Live, White Rabbit, Block 8, Song and Suzie Wong’s all rate a mention. But back on the street is where you’ll hear the real Beijing. Each busy footpath has its own collection of random conversations and despite the harsh tone of the vernacular, the sounds sail past the ears of those not versed in the local language like a tin pan orchestra. Street vendors screaming along the Dong Hua Men night market create a surreal sideshow as they tout their gourmet goodies; snake, scorpion (see photo below), stomachs of various things, sheep testicles, fresh fruit on a stick (something for everyone!). Then there is my favourite five words I hear every day. The mystery woman who is the voice of the pre-recorded message every time you jump into a Beijing cab…”Welcome to take Beijing Taxi….” It so deserves to be on a t-shirt. And perhaps it might find its way there. There is also a couple of words that the locals could simply not do without. No sentence in Beijing is complete with out at least one ‘Nega’ and the occasional ‘Jega’. Roughly translated Nega and Jega mean “this and that” and it’s a word that can never be over used. A guy will pass you in the street on his mobile phone… “Wei, ni hao…Nega, nega, nega, nega, nega…..” (and then the conversation will start). You can basically get around Beijing by just pointing and saying jega and nega all day long. The other essential is “dway”. If a local asks you a question and you totally do not understand, you simply respond with “dway” – “correct”. When your taxi driver turns to you and starts rambling and gesticulating, all you need to do is nod patiently and give a dismissive “dway-dway-dway”. But the phrase you will hear a thousand times a day is “Ni Hao”. Everyone you meet, pass by, glance at or stumble into will greet you with “Ni Hao”. How lovely to be in a city where saying hello to everyone you see is standard. This type of behaviour back in Sydney might get you locked up.
Smell
The unique smells of Beijing can take some getting used to, particularly for the unseasoned traveler. The aforementioned night market in the Wan Fu Jin area is a good example. This massive kaleidoscopic smorgasbord will have your nostril hairs curling! But for most people newly arrived in Beijing, the most difficult and troubling aroma is that of the legendary Beijing smog. The smog in a word is pretty ‘bad’ with only a smattering of blue sky days to ease your lungs (and throat). Tempted as I was to include smog under the ‘Taste’ heading below, I’ve kept it here even though you generally taste it as much as inhale it. The other overriding smell that comes to mind is garlic. It seems to be everywhere, and on everybody. For those who can think of nothing better than a strong intake of garlic aroma, may I recommend any of Beijing’s taxi cabs. At first I was looking for the garlic scented pine tree hanging from the taxi’s rear view mirror, but realized my driver had probably just finished lunch. As every person has their own unique aroma, so too does every city. Beijing is filled with the wonderful scent of spiced foods cooking, blossoms in the park, jasmine and mint and a whole world of stuff yet to be verified.
Touch
Really the only one thing that can truly go under this heading is massage. More popular than convenience stores, the humble massage shop can be found on every street. Everywhere, several within spitting distance (literally). Offering a curious array of treatments, the Beijing massage establishments have proven a godsend for those of us working long, long days and nights filled with tension and stress (“jing jong”). For something special, an absolute ‘must do’ in Beijing is the “blind man massage”. No, not being rubbed all over by an intoxicated, groping old masseur, but a fully trained, visually impaired wunderkind of the massage world. These guys need to be ‘felt’ to be believed. With heightened senses due to their lack of sight, the ‘blind man’ can feel every aching sinew in your body and work his magic like the magician he actually is. The prices are ridiculously cheap (about 15 cents per minute) so a healthy tip is always the order of the day. I did, however, pass on the cupping, electric heating and the measles scrapping. Mmmm, delightful!
TasteThe food in Beijing is out of this world. Amazing delicacies abound in a flood of first class dining establishments and tiny backstreet cafes in every corner of the city. But a word of advice when eating out; if you are happy just to point at the menu pictures, well, let’s just say a picture paints a thousand words, and what’s for dinner might not be exactly what you’d hoped for. Some western folk are braver than others and do not bat an eyelid at ‘bat’, ‘saliva chicken’, ‘innards in innards sauce’, ‘husband and wife’s lung slice’, ‘chicken without sexual life’ and ‘hair blood is flourishing’ but personally I’m just a tad more unadventurous. That is not to say I haven’t eaten my fair share of Chinese specialties. Many of the very good natured Chinese friends I’ve met here will always say “try first Mike and I’ll tell you later”. How else do you think I’ve managed to eat buffalo tendon, duck blood and go hopping headlong into a bowl full of bullfrog? Sure, there is some strange and weird concoctions, but really only strange and weird to us pathetic “laowai”. Much of the crap we stock on ‘our’ supermarket shelves would curl the toes of these culinary and courageous Chinese.
