City 1-Phewwww Beijing....finally!

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I've been in Beijing for about 1 week now and I’m finding the city just amazing, there is so much to see and do here it's just crazy. Even after all this time I’m still having those "oh my God, I’m in China" moments where it all feels so unreal, you wonder what you are doing here and get anxious about what will happen next. The city feels modern but yet like it's still stuck in Middle Ages at the same time, you can see huge skyscrapers on one street, turn the corner and find the dust and grime of the city hutong slums on the next. A lot of building work has been going on within Beijing and it's been a real eye-opener to see just how hard these people work. These people working on the city don't appear to be trained workmen, you can even see people who would be considered elderly in the west carrying bags of bricks and working long after the sun has set. It's not unusual to see people watching the world go by pretty much anywhere they fancy, maybe they have so much energy because they can pretty much sleep anywhere on the street ha-ha! Every time I walk down one of these roads (we've nicknamed one of them cobble street), I find myself wondering where the money has come from, have these people scraped the money together themselves or is it something the government has come up with? The sense of community is so strong here, cobble street appears to change every time we walk past it with a new set of holes to jump over and having to avoid falling debris from above all at the same time.

One thing any visitor to Beijing should be aware of is that if you are different in any way from the average local e.g. overweight, disabled, non-Chinese be prepared to be stared at and if you're like I was a week ago and think it can't be that many people, think again...it's pretty much every person you'll see in city! Even other foreigners tend to stare, it's like they can't work out what you're doing there ha-ha. Being in Beijing can feel like being a celebrity sometimes, you'll have people asking you for you for a picture, taking footage of you when you least expect it and when they stare it's long and hard. It's fun but it can get a little annoying and unnerving sometimes when you've got 20 not very friendly faces staring at you but occasionally you'll find that person who gives you a big smile or laughs at something you say and it all feels less horrid and upsetting. Don't worry though people here are genuinely very polite and if you ask for help you will get it, there's been not one single person who we have approached who has been rude or unhelpful (well maybe apart from certain taxi drivers). The customer service in Beijing is unreal, people really seem to enjoy work here but don't forget to bargain or you will get ripped off! One other thing is if you are scared of dogs Beijing isn’t the place to be, dogs are running around everywhere and they are often unaccompanied, not the wild rabid type but the Cruft’s pedigree type. In a country that people assume 'just' eat dog, it's suprising to find some people seem to take more care of them than themselves.

Beijing is a very large city but it's fairly easy and cheap to get around. The underground is spotless, modern and equipped with TV and air conditioning to make your journey more pleasant, just be prepared to run for a seat. The majority of buses and underground trains have written signs and announcements although travelling by bus can be a little more difficult. Taxis are surprisingly difficult to catch, you'll see loads but it can take a while to find a driver willing to take you and they can get expensive so make sure someone sits up front and starts the meter.


Roads here are well... a little crazy, you'll have to be quick, pick your moments and stay calm. You might think you're about to die at times but follow the locals and you'll be fine 😊 Also people push and shove here; on public transport, at tourist attractions and pretty much any place where large groups of people gather. It is quite common to see people here getting pushed and bumped around but expecting no apology. People only seem to form queues when they have to and even then it only takes one person to push in and the queuing system is forgotten so take all of 5 minutes to get used to it because it's survival of the fittest :p

Meeting my online friends has also been a real experience and the hospitality of Chinese locals is nothing short of amazing, although it can feel a little bit uncomfortable at times when they insist on paying for everything including your bus fare! This paying for everything thing might extend to people who know each other quite well as on more than one occasion I've seen men almost getting into fist fights over who was paying the bill in restaurants.

photos coming soon

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Comments

[Ciara]

Hey!
So glad to see that you enjoy your trip to Beijing. I'm looking forward to more stories on your blog. Take care!