Dui bu qi (Excuse Me)!

More action in the big city!

Title of this post is Dui bu qi which means "excuse me" because we finally stopped by the local police station to register me (if you stay in a private residence you have to register, and i was soundly reprimanded (it really wasn't too bad actually...the lady officers were polite enough).

i received a formal written warning from the Beijing Police for non-compliance with the foreign visitor registration law which requires foreign visitors to register at a police station within 24 hours of arrival. I officially have a mug shot in the Chinese law enforcement database. Geez, they are pretty serious about my safety...oh wait, maybe, just maybe there are other motives??? hmmm. at least the officers didn't make me pay the 2000 RMB ($300 USD) fine! Dui bu qi! Ting bu dong! (i don't understand!). Sometimes the "i am a foreigner" card is a good one to play!



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Sunday...relaxing day. slow morning...hit the gym where Brian trains clients and then went over to the weightlifting competition. Tremendous amount of emotion in the competition area. These lifters are pushing themselves so hard and want to win so badly. To my left was a contingent of Korean fans who cheered loudly as their athlete competed. A woman from Thailand won her weight class (made it look easy) for a gold medal and the picture you see in the album is of a young Chinese lifter, 18 years old, who won his round to advance and set a junior world record in the process! I included a picture of an Olympic ticket...high quality ticket...reminds me of the golden ticket in the movie Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory!

We went out to dinner with a couple of Brian's friends (Scott and Trish) to eat Peking duck and a number of other excellent dishes. The restaurant was very modern and packed with diners. Scott is a Strong Man from Seattle...you know the guys that push big tires and pull airplanes? Trish is a 60ish woman who started lifting at age 55 and now competes in Masters lifting tournements around the world and last year won her first World Championship in her age group!

While waiting outside on the street i chatted with a security guard who spoke some English. As we spoke, two early twentish young men approached us. At a break in the conversation one of them asked me where i was from which lead to a conversation. I was the first foreigner they had ever met and their first time speaking English outside of the class room. They were quite pleased and were excited about basketball and the game that night between the USA and China which one billion people watched. WOW!! Yao Ming is the man...but he couldn't stop the 2008 dream team.

Food, food food!! i ate a meal at a local Chinese restaurant ( i was the only foreigner in there)...very simple place. $1.40 USD for a bowl of noodles with what looked like sauteed spinach and a tall Tsing Tao beer. So it is possible to eat very affordably here. The other end of the spectrum are the many restaurants where you can drop $50 a person easily. Ate with Brian at a Haka restaurant where we had the fish delicacy (perch), a beef delicacy and some tasty garlic vegetable dishes. Very good!

Went over to Houhai area to experience more Hutongs and one area in particular that is more tourist focused (for both foreigners and nationals). Very nice area in terms of the ambiance since it is a lake with a nice path around it for walking/cycling however many of the establishments are quite bland with names like Nuage (cloud in french), Liquid etc. Couches, pop music and advertisements for mixed drinks were the theme along the boardwalk. Nonetheless, among all of that there are some excellent options, including the restaurant where we ate the perch, and i really liked the area.

We rode by the Drum Tower where the Americans were attacked and the assailant took his life. It was closed. A moment of silence. Apparently the Drum Tower is a fascinating experience. A number of stories high, as you ascend the stairs you pass very large drums and every 30 mins drummers beat out a specific cadence that resonates throughout the surrounding area. I am hoping they will reopen before i leave but that may be unlikely.

Shopping is quite an experience here as well. Stopped in the Yashow Market for a little bargaining experience. Bought a phone charger for about $3.00. Brian pointed out a Custom Clothing store so i am having a shirt and pair of slacks made. $15 for the shirt and about $50 for the slacks. I go back for a fitting on Thursday and we'll see how the quality is. Will be interesting to compare to the threads i bought in Bangkok back in 2001. Bargaining is quite common here. It is best to have fun with it and be friendly yet firm. Speaking a little Mandarin makes it more fun (i speak very little but am picking up phrases here and there) and if you smile at the right time without taking it too seriously, it can be a pleasant experience (depending on the seller). All about the attitude and also making sure everyone keeps their "face" which is where saying the right thing and paying compliments can be helpful. It also helps to know what is a realistic price...and walking away will get you to the lowest price but shouldn't be employed too early or aggressively as a tactic...again, tact and face are important.

Trying to plan an excursion or two for next week...i was told by one travel agent that reservations are not made for the train more than four or five days ahead of time...i have not confirmed that with other sources but thought it was a little odd. Brian confirmed that this is quite common. So, need to wait to book anything.

Katja just walked in and handed me tickets to Basketball on the 18th!!! Yeehaw, now that is cool. that might change my plans. :)

I am enjoying China very much. Of course it REALLY helps to have a home base and friends who are local and can take me around to the best spots and help me get settled in. Brian and Katja are wonderful and Eliodoro is a blast...he loves playing Ultraman...an action hero with special powers :) He was quite excited about his new Tonka Truck that Brian got him. China is a big country with a tremendous amount of richness in history, culture and experiences for those with a sense of adventure. I am so pleased to finally be here in person to experience a place has inspired my imagination as i have seen it from afar through the lenses of literature and film.

Today i am planning on visiting the Lama Temple (big Buddha statues...only official/formal Buddhist Temple in Beijing) and the Summer Palace. We'll see how the day goes!