Friday we went to see the Beijing Martial Arts Team practice. Before that our hostess treated us to dinner in a nearby neighborhood. Ate my first duck head. (I preferred the pig ears from the other night's Beijing Duck dinner.) Chris tasted it so as not to be rude but didn't go very far with it. It really makes sense that the Olympics would be held here. I don't know if its just because Chris and his friends are all into it or not, but it seems to me that Beijing is obsessed with sports. As Chris explains it, the educational slots are limited and highly sought. Like the minorities in our country, sports is seen as a way out for many families and the kids start very young. The practice was at a local martial arts school (About the size and status of Spring Hill College) and it was really impressive. What was also impressive was that, like the little girls at the gym the other day, there were many little kids and teenagers (on a Friday night) who had come out to cheer the guys on. They oohed and aahed at everything these guys did and keep exhorting them to "pour oil on it".
Sunday, woke up late as we have been really pushing it. Went to the Forbidden City yesterday, probably the most impressive (along with Summer Palace) of the things I've seen here. Came back and decided to try the restaurant across the street from the hostel as it looked pretty decent. They did not disapoint. Had some Beijing Duck and were treated like royalty.
Went to the Chinese Opera and it did disappoint. Instead of the staid and opulent classic old theatres, they had booked us into an opera that was in a luxury hotel. The theatre was cavernous and from our nosebleed seats we could hardly see anything. It also didn't help set a good mood that a tour group of Koreans came in late and made a commotion while they were being accomodated (jumping over seats so as not to inconvenience the persons near the aisles) and having their headsets being handed out to them. Their little antennae were such a ridiculous foreground silhouette framing the opera below. Add to that the cacaphony of Chinese music and vocals blended with the Korean translations blarring out of the headsets and, well, suffice it to say we left early.
Beijing has a booming prostitution "industry" which caters to European men. So, literally thousands of times a day I get asked if i'm interested in going to a "lady bar". I asked one of Chris' friends to "suppose" for me what might happen If I were to say yes. He "guessed" that I would be taken either to a trailer or mobile home or maybe a flat (which makes it not a lady "bar" but who knows what) and then I could pick from among 30 lady bar patrons and take her somewhere. "You would be taken to a dingy little place with a dingy little bed................," he supposed.
Chris had an employment interview so I tagged along. The disco isn't my bag (or cup of tea, after all, I am in China) so I went to the Hard Rock Cafe. After a week in China you come to expect that the service will be top notch and gracious. That is not the case with Hard Rock Beijing. It's just as big a tourist trap as any that I've ever been in - from the 100RMB "first drink cover" to the staff attitudes. They have managed to import all that is wrong with the American service industry. Serves me right for even going there.
Went to Sanlitun area (Bourbon Street times ten) and cruised around. By now we've hooked up with all of Chris' friends and they know where the local cool places are. It was very nice expat bar and, of course, the main topic of conversation was the World Cup. Ran into drugs, which surprised me. Watched Portugal beat Iran in an open air area that had a huge screen against a very modern building whose lighting kept changing. Was really nice expat and Chinese folks all rooting for their teams. Again, stayed out until 4:00 am and this morning we have decided to "chill".
