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Published: September 20th 2010
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Last week I was hit by a bus.
That sounds more dramatic than it actually was. It was actually more like I was gently nudged by a bus, or lovingly tapped by a bus, but there it is. A Beijing bus and I made skin-to-steel contact as I was riding my bike home from the office. In any other city in any other country in the world, this would probably be a big deal- cause to call the police, be cited for inattentive driving, and get one's photo taken for the paper if one is lucky. But in Beijing, this type of thing happens on a daily, if not hourly, basis, so I wasn’t really shaken up by the incident. I had just finished crossing six lanes of traffic in the huge intersection on Jianguomenwai Avenue when I saw the bus coming toward me in the turning lane out of the corner of my eye. Buses don’t tend to stop for anyone, but I have blonde hair and green eyes, which act as a sort of shield in Beijing traffic. In other words, they stop for me.
Well, so I thought.
I sailed along in the bus’ path
and was nearly back into the bike lane when I felt my bike wobble ever so slightly and felt the bus’ right-side fender brush my shoulder. The bus driver didn’t even blink and kept turning the wheel as I coasted forward out of his path. The bicyclists and pedestrians around me continued on their separate ways, completely undisturbed. Was it possible? Had I lost my magical bus-deterring powers? Was I no longer special on the streets of Beijing?
It appeared so.
A mere two years ago, I was still a sight to behold as I marched down the city sidewalks. Little kids pointed at me, young men shyly smiled at me, and migrant workers summoned the courage to call “hellooo” after me as I passed them by. If I dared to step foot in Tiananmen Square during the tourist season, I would be kept busy for up to an hour, posing for photos with families from the countryside visiting the capital city for the first time. And now? Now I can’t even ride my bike down the street without getting hit by a bus.
Bummer.
As of late, I haven’t been riding my bike anywhere. We
moved into a new office this week and it’s much too far from the east side for me to consider pedaling to work, much as I’d like to. My dismay was somewhat dispelled when I learned that, as the sole American on the China-based team, I was given the freedom to paint and decorate our new office space however I liked- a freedom that encompassed two full floors! (Although, this golden opportunity was most likely not given to me based on my nationality but rather my job title: Business Development and Marketing Coordinator). I used our corporate headquarters’ decorating scheme as the basis for my design, but also incorporated purely Chinese aspects, such as using the characters for ‘Dragon’ and ‘Phoenix’ to designate the men’s and women’s restrooms (in Chinese culture, dragons represent the male orientation and phoenixes the female). I’ve received positive feedback from my boss and the other managers in the building- you can judge for yourself by looking at the pictures in this blog.
The first full day we were in the office, we celebrated as only those in China can. First, the entire building gathered outside beneath an archway made of balloons and a banner
welcoming X-nth China (my employer) to the building. Before speeches given by each of the general managers, we were showered with confetti. Once the speeches had concluded, firecrackers were set off that were so loud if you were to whisper something in my ear right now, I would probably loudly ask, “What?” At the conclusion of the ceremony, our Chinese partners (who own the building in which we are renting office space) formed a staggered line on each side of the doorway as we marched inside to cheers and shouts of welcome. After the ceremony, we enjoyed a catered reception that I had coordinated, complete with champagne, in our new office. The crowning moment came when my boss handed me a glass of champagne, clinked my glass, and said a sincere “thank you.” It doesn’t get better than that!
I’m now attempting to personalize the office space. I intend to lead by example and have already decorated my desk with a brightly colored coffee mug and a little toy hedgehog given to me by a coworker. I plan to incorporate personal photos and a plant or two next week. Chinese offices can be so dreary- it is important to
make our office environment both fun and professional, just like our headquarters in Orlando. The team I work with has a great sense of humor and encompasses the American motto of ‘Work hard, play hard,’ so I have no doubt they will take my suggestion and run with it.
I am being given an increasing amount of responsibility at work, which gives me a great feeling of self-worth. The work is challenging and made more so by the simple fact that when I learn new things, I am learning them in a foreign language. The good news, however, is that I no longer feel as though I am living and working in a foreign culture- at least not most days! Beijing has become home, and it’s hard to imagine the day when I will leave it- especially now that my childhood home has been sold. When I was a kid, ‘home’ was the physical structure where I slept, ate, and played, but as I’ve grown into adulthood and made my home so far away from ‘home,’ I’ve discovered that the concept of home really is just a state of mind. As long as you stay connected to the people
who are important to you and you have a support system where you live, anywhere can be home.
Though you really should keep an eye on those buses.
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The Mom
non-member comment
Great Job!
Hi Hon, All of your work has paid off--the new office area looks beautiful! I love the orange accent walls along with the blue touches because there is enough white in between to make the whole area feel bright. Now if you can just get your commute shortened a bit--although there are advantages to being inside a vehicle where you will have some steel in between you and any future bus "nudges" instead of riding your bike open to the world of Beijing traffic!