vierundzwanzig-24

31/3/2011

First day in Beijing. Beijing is different from Tianjin, and Beijing seems like a complicated place to live in, compared to Tianjin. For one, there seem to be much more people in Beijing, and a lot more tourists. Beijing’s traffic jams are quite spectacular, and this is when walking is faster than driving. 

We visited the summer palace and the temple of heaven today. Even though the carparks may seem deserted and nobody is there, you take that impression that no one there back after you go inside. The summer palace is overrun with tourists. There were hawkers everywhere, selling things like maps, snacks, toys, instruments and souvenir items. As we walked, we were continually approached them, peddling their wares, trying to get some business from us.

I don’t know whether to pity or scorn them. I pity them because they have no choice but to sell souvenirs on the streets to earn their keep, I scorn them for not applying for a proper job, given the number of hiring notices around. In any case, they’re (hopefully) independent and living on their own money, which I think it’s the bare minimum to live your life. 

I nearly got lost today. The place was soo big, and I was occupied with taking photographs (on assignment) and I didn’t notice the rest of them walking off!

I need to be more attentive of my surroundings in the future. I don’t want to end up as a “missing person” in china that no one is able to find. That kind of news isn’t very welcome to anybody, especially to my mother.

Checked into a hotel in the evening. The hotel in Beijing compared to the one in Tianjin seems like miles apart. The room felt really comfortable and nice (so are the rates, they go by USD), and I didn’t feel like coming out any time soon.

For dinner we had a taste of roasted duck. Dinner was in a specialty restraint selling that. We were greeted by dishes and dishes of food, and as many of my friends were not feeling so well, so the table we were at for 10 people had only 6 people around it. 

I don’t know because we were tourists, the decision to add extra dishes was made, or simply because that is the normal appetite of the locals to eat that much food, but half of the food on the table went uneaten. The portions were simply too big for us, I felt overwhelmed just by staring at the food, not to mention eating it. 

At the end of the meal, the food would have been disposed off, and it’s such a waste to cook so much and barely half gets eaten. And there are people who can hardly get enough to fill their stomachs. I guess this is the wealth-poverty divide in china. 

I think it’s alright to cook just enough food or sometimes even less, but I hate to see wasted or uneaten food. Besides, cooking less = wasting less=buying less=higher savings. 

Caught up with my sister on the phone after roll call. The poor girl got so much going on, I think she needs a break. I shall find something nice for her. I don’t know what yet though. my parents are uncontactable for now.