Right, so I was thinking that maybe my last posts might have sounded like I wasn't liking China this year....but I've figured it out. I don't like American groups. I've spent my last two days off in small groups of people, speaking Chinese and going to all the great places in Beijing and I've been loving it. Today I took Tim and Jenny to a tiny French-like cafe in a building by a bookstore in Wudaoko to use wireless internet. I love it. And what's more - the coolest thing happened to me. So here i am in Bejing....a foreigner...haven't been here in a year and about five minutes after I sit down in a cafe that i haven't been to in a year, a teacher of mine from Shoushida last summer strolls in, not only remembers me, but calls me by my Chinese name. It was awesome! We got to chat for a bit....I was ecstatic.
Additionally, I went into a totally great Chinese bookstore today and bought the first Harry Potter book in Chinese.....the lady behind the counter probably thought I was off my rocker....but I talked with her for a little bit and she seemed to think it was cool that I was going to read it. Her comment was that 'people who look like you don't speak Chinese.' Ha, whatever that means.
I think we might go to the night market off of Wangfujin dajie tonight....scorpian and chicken heads on a stick are the specialty, good thing I had a super lunch today.
Pleasure book of the moment (no international criminal statutes I promise)
Aravavind Adiga's "The White Tiger"
...using satire and humor, he brings realities of India to the fingertips of readers far far away. The plucky murderer/protagonist takes the reader on a colourful if not sad journey through India, all through a letter written to China's Premier Wen Jiabao.
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