friendly old Beijing

---

see there was these rickshaw drivers right!
and they were hassling us ok
so we give them the slip and as we do
this smiling man sympathizes with us, he's a local
so we walk and he tells us he's a calligrapher
and he's all about helping us, and tells us
sure i'll show you to the forbidden city.......
oh! here is my teacher's studio

please meet master chang the famous beijing
calligrapher, his father was national calligrapher for chairman mao!
chang appears humble and speaks not a word
of english, but no matter, our charismatic persuader
friend will translate for us

the illustrious master chang will create for you!
for free!! some art work, here today....
what are your names??

ahhh! li-cha-duh. this is a very good name!! these characters together mean: strong man who is a very charismatic leader in the workplace.

mmm! yes, ma-lai-ka. this is an excellent name, meaning very pretty little girl and exceptionally smart. here are your names written in calligraphy. master chang make you beautiful bamboo --symbol for fortune-- painting with your names in chinese. welcome to china!

please wait while this precious painting, our gift to you!! dries.
have a look over here... these paintings are for sale, very good price. this tiger, done by master chang, is coming down the mountain from his sleep. he is hungry! this tiger, going up the mountain, he has just hunted and eaten. he is satisfied tiger!?

see over here... we test your knowledge of chinese culture. what these two fish represent? (yin and yang?? very good!! very good!! you are smart indeed, just like your name!

the schpiel is coming thick and fast....

see over here... these paintings are famous series of traditional chinese culture. plum tree represent patience. bamboo prosperity. reeds are wisdom. which one you like the best? you can buy. we can package your free gift --your name scroll-- in with one of these paintings.

we only have our backpacks we are walking.

no matter you have only backpacks. many people mail these home. see? have special box. you choose which one you like! you buy!! you mail home!!! very beautiful!

no, really, we would just like to go now. thank you for your time and generous gift..........






.......umm.....can we have our gift??......................

you buy! which one you choose? you buy now and master chang package it for you!! you like the tiger?!? satisfied tiger for you! a very good choice! very good price for this excellent artwork by famous master chang! or the fish, represent yin-yang, harmony!

the only thing that represents hope of harmony for us at this point is the door.

no thanks! BYE!!

we spill out on to the street, full of now-unthreatening rickshaw pilots,
releived to be past our little unplanned detour.


* * *

upon return to the hostel, we meet up with Alan, our roommate from the trans-Mongolian days. his first day in beijing won him a sociable afternoon with two lovely girls who convinced him to buy a tea party for a final bill of fifty quid.

...his Welshman mate Gary, a doe-eyed softie, was not so lucky. his porcelain tea set and afternoon tea party with chirpy hostesses cost him 350 pounds. he spent the rest of the afternoon phoning his credit card company cancelling the transaction.

moral of the story: when travelling in a newly launched free-market economy, recognize enterprising wherever it meets you; often with a smiling face and friendly advice.

---

Photos

Peking Duck
from the journal pages, a look at what appeals to the local palette.

Yew Tree Dance in Palace of the Sun Park
dance with a Yew tree, Asian and European symbol of life renewed

writing from the journal
...after dancing with the Yew, and then dancing for old people in the park, with a waxy tropical tree.

Peeking Peking Park Geezers
a sketch of the old men who slept through, or watched my dance

Smiling Ladies
These women carers for the men in wheelchairs were the most involved audience for the dance with the tropical tree. As I bowed at the finish, one (front left) who had been frowning since our arrival smiled broadly.

Comments

[j dalton]

wowza
very very good you guys do better to let your hearts lead yous to the right and good incounters, excellent danceing excellent photos very very good to be able to see your adventure! busy with secret gaarden and awen and sunshine and tree houses and o.u. and love you both lots write it down its beautiful x x x x x x x x jenza

[Rose Stauffer]

Sounds so familiar
Yes, your experiences with the sales pitches reminded me how prevelant they were in Vietnam when we traveled there soon after their market economy opened 10years ago. We start out being gracious and polite, like our mamas taught us. But after awhile, one more sales pitch and you want to scream. I was sitting on the beach in Nha Trang when I saw a T-shirt vendor approaching me. Before he could start, I said "I don't want a t-shirt and I will not buy one." He was startled and said "Why" and I said because "I don't want one, I'm happy". He was quiet a little bit, then said, "You happy, I make no money". I hated to have the transaction go that way, but sometimes it just is what it is.