Beijing

Big, Bustling, Booming
Beijing

Beijing is one of the biggest and busiest cities on earth with a population reaching over 14 million people just in the city proper. The city is advancing economically and developing infrastructure at a staggering rate. The rapid modernization is being driven by China's overall industrialization boom and the 2008 Olympics on the horizon (the Holy Grail for city developers). But, thanks to the myriad of Chinese rules and an aged but efficient transit system the enormous city does not feel intimidating (in contrast to the feel of enveloping chaos in Bangkok). Beijing is also home to an overwhelming wealth of historic sights, temples, palaces, and other fascinating works of human creation over the centuries.

I left the balmy weather of 93 degree Fahrenheit Bangkok behind along with Kala and Mike to start my solo adventure in China. It was an uneventful 5 hour flight north and I touched down in Beijing just as dusk settled in. Brimming with enthusiasm I confidently strolled out the front doors of the airport to tackle the exciting challenge of China. I made it a full 10 feet, did an about face and walked right back into the airport. Wow, it is freaking cold in Beijing!!! I donned all the warm clothes I could scrounge from my pack and then headed back out for round 2 in 48 degree Fahrenheit Beijing.

With a reasonably easy combination of an airport shuttle bus and the subway I was able to find my way to the wonderfully nice Lama Temple Youth Hostel that would be my home in Beijing for the next 12 days. They had plush soft beds, room controlled heat, hot showers, great cleanliness standards, a huge movie selection, decent but censored internet, and a very helpful staff. That combined with there proximity to a subway stop made the hostel an ideal base of operations.

After getting settled in the hostel I went out and had my first real cultural experience in China. I wandered around the neighborhood near my hostel and eventually found my way into what I thought was a soup restaurant for dinner. Not knowing a single word of Chinese yet I walked in and gestured for a menu. The menu had pictures and I simply pointed at the first thing that looked like a nice bowl of hot soup.

When the soup was served it was in a large metal bowl and put over a burner built into the table. It came with a little eating bowl and chopsticks, but no spoon. After some gestured conversation I was able to get a serving spoon and filled my little bowl with the soup. But, when I picked up the bowl and made to drink from it the owner lady hustled over gesturing "no,no,no" to me. She then demonstrated for me that you were just supposed to eat the meat and vegetables out of the soup and not the broth itself. She also advised that I get some rice to go with it and I did. With my new understanding I started picking the vegetables out of the marinading broth. They were quite good.

Then I put one of the large chunks of meat in my mouth and bit down only to realize it was full of bones. I discretely spit it back out and inspected it more closely. It was unlike any meat I had seen before and looked like some small animal that had been simply cut in half. I was slightly disturbed, but picked off a leg muscle to try. The meat had excellent flavor and was remarkable tender. I carefully consumed the rest of the vegetables and picked the good looking meat off the animal chunks avoiding the large veins, bones, and other weird internal parts. It was a delicious satisfying meal, if however visually frightening.

I took a picture of the menu item and when I got back to the hostel I asked Summer (a local girl on the staff) what I had just eaten. Turns out it was a ......

Well I don't have time to finish this post just yet, but I though I would put up what I have so far. I will finish it soon and add pictures. Until then feel free to take a guess at what it was I ate. A few people know about this already, but I would be very surprised if someone else manages to guess it correctly. I certainly did not guess it when I was trying to figure it out.

Peace,
-Russ