Beijing and back

We're back! And there's so much to do: clean the cat's litter box (and spray some air freshener), write e-mails to family members (I didn't have access to Facebook, Gmail or Blogger while in Beijing) and just generally dust the apartment off. We have a visit to Techno Mart in mind as well, and then Parmesan chicken salad for dinner. But there's still time for some bloggin'.

As promised, here's the first of many posts about our three-day sojourn in China:

Beijing's location within greater China. From Wikimedia Commons.

Aah, China. Nothing could have prepared me for it: neither the good nor the bad. It was my first time setting foot on mainland Asia—or at least a part of Asia that wasn't the tip of a peninsula cut off from the rest of the continent by the world's most heavily fortified land border. During the first 24 hours, I ate duck, scorpion and bullfrog. I rode a toboggan away from the Great Wall, a set foot in a communist country, and I discovered the glory of flying in business class.

That's right: our trip got off to a good start. Miss H and I got unexpectedly bumped up on our Air China flight across the Yellow Sea. Due to an overbooking or something, our tickets were upgraded to business class.

And you wanna know the poetical part? Miss H and I have never flown together before. Not commercially, anyway. I've taken her for rides in a Cessna 172, but this was our first flight on a big ol' jetliner. And we got bumped up to business class. On a flight to Beijing. Ain't that something?

I'd heard about business class from some of my more well-off students, and I'd caught tantalizing glimpses as I boarded commercial flights in the past. But I'd never actually stumped up for it. I don't think I can ever go back. We had all the fixin's: the latest newspapers, hot towels, free-flowing beverages, reclining seats, entertainment galore, and (best of all) plenty of legroom.

I passed the hour-and-40-minute flight like any sophisticated world traveler would: with his feet up and a good book in his hands. And a Star Wars T-shirt on.

After getting off the plane, Miss H, Miss J and I waltzed into the impressive international terminal of Peking International Airport.

We plowed through immigration (thanks to the visas we paid ₩215,000 apiece for), and found ourselves at a taxi stop. We were snapped up by a tallish man with close-cropped hair, a lined face and big rough hands, in a short-sleeved button-down shirt and slacks. He brought us to his minivan, a greasy, grimy thing (like most of the cars in Beijing) and gestured us into it. We impressed upon him that we were heading for the Novotel Xin Qiao, which we somehow managed to pronounce correctly. The rate card said 650 yuan ($108) for the trip, but our driver insisted on 700 ($116). We were neophytes at the haggling game and desperate to boot, so we said yes. The driver jumped in and off we went.

I kept my nose glued to the window for most of the ride. My brain was buzzing. For years I've compared and contrasted Japan, China, and South Korea, both mentally and in writing. Now was my chance. I could finally appraise Beijing as it stacked up against Seoul and Tokyo, and divine the character of capital-dwelling Chinese.

My first impressions weren't good. Beijing was as smoggy as I'd heard. The sunset was an apocalyptic crimson, and vanished rapidly into the grayish void which extended 15 degrees above the horizon. The buildings were blocky and featureless, monuments to Stalinism, and they didn't give the city a welcoming air. The few people I saw on the streets looked rushed, harried, and miserable.

Matters improved when we lugged our baggage out of the hazy, stale air and into the bright, cool lobby of the Novotel Xin Qiao. Our room was spacious and comfortable, with all the amenities. The hotel itself was laden with restaurants, a convenience store, a bar, a bakery, and a spa. Best yet, we were centrally located, only a few blocks from most of the stuff worth seeing.

With that in mind, we dumped off our stuff in our rooms, took a thirty-minute rest, and then headed out into the cool, moist darkness of northeast China for the first item on our to-do list: DONGHUAMEN NIGHT MARKET. Tune in tomorrow for that one. I eat scorpions.