Beijing: First Impressions.

After a 13 1/2 hour direct flight i was eager to stretch my legs and explore the city. Despite all of the dire descriptions i'd heard about Beijing's terrible pollution, i was pleasantly surprised to arrive on a very lovely sunny day. Only later did i find out that major rain the day before had cleared the skies resulting in the most beautiful day anyone could recall in months.

A favorite of mine, this series depicts the four seasons.

I checked into my plush apartment and hit the streets. Just seconds after leaving my building, two friendly college students approached me and began chatting me up. A few minutes later, they invited me to check out their school art exhibition. Being the art lover that i am.. i quickly accepted the invitation. The art was being displayed in a small gallery and they eagerly showed me around, pointing out the symbolism in the pieces and shyly displaying their own pieces.

This friendly art student displays her art.

Though several of the pieces were quite good, after i had seen it all came the pitch.. "We are college students and really need to sell something. Today is the last day of the exhibition and your only chance to buy our work." I took down their mobile numbers but told them i wasn't in the market for any art that day. In the next hour, i met half a dozen art students who all happened to be having exhibitions that day.

Beijing's modernity is evident everywhere.

As i took in the city on my way towards Tienanmen Square, i marveled at the modern buildings and well manicured boulevards. When i finally arrived at the Gate of Heavenly Peace i was awestruck. Though i had seen the photos, there is something incredibly dramatic about the sudden openness of Tienanmen Square and austerity of the Gate featuring Mao presiding over the China he forged. You cannot help but feel that this place is the heart of Communist China.

The Gate of Heavenly Peace

People mill about everywhere, mostly Chinese tourists who have made a pilgrimage to see their capital. Republic guards stand watch to ensure that no one gets out of line. This is the place that Mao declared the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. When he died in 1976, millions from all over the country came here to pay their respects. And in 1989, this is where students supporting democracy were slaughtered in the thousands.

As i snap picture after picture of the Square and Gate of Heavenly Peace, two Chinese girls named Vicky and Nina (it is not uncommon for Chinese to select English names in addition to their regular names) strike up a conversation. They ask if we can practice speaking English together. Both girls are currently studying English and Chinese history in hopes of finding jobs as tourist ambassadors during the Olympics next summer. Although i am always on the lookout for scams, their friendly and earnest demeanor put me at ease. They suggest showing me a nearby hutong, or historical neighborhood. After a few hours walking in the thick warm air, the girls assure me that a cold beer can be found there and we set off together.

It looks like somebody always wanted to be a soldier - check out the guy in the back!

Just outside the walls of the Forbidden City, we made our way down a leaf shaded side street through the hutong to a small tea house. We are ushered into a small elaborately decorated room. A cold Tsingtao beer appears before me within moments. The girls ordered tea and said a "traditional tea ceremony" would be performed.. awesome. Fresh watermelon and small cookies were served automatically. The tea hostess performed an elaborate mixing and straining of the various teas before serving them in tiny cups. Though i had only ordered the beer, the hostess invited me to sample the teas as well. The teas themselves were very strong in both aroma and flavor.. quite delicious as well.

The tea hostess whips up a batch of tea.

While we sipped the tea, we chatted about Chinese history and the tea we were sampling. The tea hostess didn't speak English, so Vicky and Nina translated the various tea descriptions. Nina asked for my help with a written English lesson, and i obliged. The tea hostess offered some loose leaf tea for us to take home, but i passed. A few minutes later she returned with the bill, and that is when the trouble started.

Vicky offers a toast.

Enjoying some tea, in happier times.

The bill was presented to me and i was astonished to see a total of 1,500RMB. Though i had just arrived in the country a few hours earlier, it didn't take me long to calculate that the tea hostess was asking $200 for the beer and tea! The beer i ordered cost just $3, but each mini cup of tea was listed as $7 per person in addition to a "room rental fee." I knew something was amiss when Vicky and Nina tried to convince me to just cough up the cash for all of us or else "we won't be able to leave." I protested, telling them the only thing i actually ordered was the $3 beer. This went on for several minutes before i realized i needed to get out of there.. and fast. I put down $10 for my beer plus a tip and got up to leave. Once outside, my two new "friends" suddenly were not so friendly and said they had to be somewhere all of the sudden.

All lit up, the mood is almost festive.

Standing guard: the Gate is now closed.

It was dark now, and feeling a bit disappointed in the traditional tea ceremony i made my way back to the Gate of Heavenly Peace. A friend told me not to miss the Gate and Square at night, and he was right. Lights came on to give the place an almost festive feel. I grabbed a seat on the curb and just watched the life around me for several minutes. Young couples strolled along the boardwalk while laughing children chased each other and entire families posed for pictures with Mao. A soft pleasant breeze helped to remind me that while i was a long way from home, some things are always the same. Thankful to be alive, and feeling incredibly lucky to have this experience, i set off into the night.

"Wherever you go, there you are"