Escape to the (not so) Wild West

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I am experiencing serious dairy withdrawal.

I just returned to Beijing after three wonderful weeks spent in America's Dairyland (also known as Madison, Wisconsin). My pangs of longing for dill cheese curds, Chocolate Shoppe ice cream and skim milk cannot be satiated with the processed American singles and freezer-burned ice milk found on the shelves of Beijing's imported food stores. This is an affliction that can only be truly understood by those who have had the fortune of tasting the exquisite gastronomy of Wisconsin. Am I being too dramatic? I say nay . . .

Per usual, my annual pilgrimage to the American midwest passed by in a flash. Relaxing Saturday mornings spent strolling languidly around the Capital square tasting fresh produce and cheeses at the farmers' market have been replaced with crowded grocery stores testing the boundaries of heat and humidity (seriously, all of the heat generated by the crush of humanity packing the aisles can't be good for the tomatoes). Invigorating early morning walks around beautiful downtown Madison have been replaced with mad dashes to meet the company shuttle to the office. And, perhaps most lamentable of all, the glorious blue sky days (which, ahem, were every day) have been replaced with overcast skies and dense smog.

Sigh.

It's not all bad, though. China's capital city is alive with the sound of music. Since moving back to Beijing, I have become more involved in music than ever before. As a once aspiring concert pianist, it is wonderful to have an outlet through which to share my music and continue to grow musically. The monthly "Basically Beethoven" evenings are Beijing's only classical music open mic nights and have become well attended events. Then there is the IFC, the International Festival Chorus, of which I am a proud member of the alto section. I've made some good friends within the choir- fascinating individuals with their own unique stories and talents to share. Beijing attracts famous international artists, such as the Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, who I was fortunate enough to see in concert in May. And Beijing is a capital that loves jazz, with seriously gifted individuals jamming at various venues around the city.

Actually, the citizens of Beijing could probably teach Madisonians a thing or two about making daily life more interesting (and, in some cases, death-defying). Take the standard commute to the office, for example. Rush hour in Madison can try one's patience, but it is fairly predictable. Commuters will travel along the roadways at a slower pace and grumble about letting in a fellow driver from the on-ramp, but will ever-so-courteously oblige.

In Beijing, it's every man for himself.

Impatient with the pace of traffic and stuck at the back of the queue? Why, the solution is simple! You have only to pass the line of cars on the left in the lane of oncoming traffic and cut off the driver at the front just as the light turns green. Amazingly, this type of behavior doesn't elicit much horn blaring or angry hand gestures. If anything, the other drivers seem to be thinking, Hey, why didn't I think of that?

Trash and recycling is picked up without fanfare once a week in Madison. The large green trucks rumble up to the end of each driveway, a mechanical arm jerkily extends down to the ground to grasp the bin and the contents are dumped unceremoniously into the back of the truck. In contrast, recycling is picked up every day in Beijing. As I walk through the tree-lined streets of my neighborhood on my way to meet the shuttle, I pass by shirtless middle-aged men slowly pedaling a makeshift cart piled high with pieces of cardboard, styrofoam and plastic bottles. They call out to potential clients in melodic cadences, inviting anyone with recycling to sell to make an offer. After the transaction is completed and they've filled their personal quota for the day, they pedal to designated drop-off points around the city to sell their bounty at slightly jacked-up prices to the city recycling centers. In this way, undocumented workers are able to make a decent monthly living wage and contribute to the greening of the 'Jing.

When young Madisonians yearn to meet Mickey, their parents must fork over boatlands of cash to fund the trip to the happiest place on Earth in Orlando, Florida. Plane tickets, hotel rooms, overpriced theme park fare and useless, oversized souvenirs are expected rites of the American childhood. In Beijing, however, there's no reason to make the arduous trek down south. No, Beijing has Copyright Infringment Park (ingeniously disguised as Shijingshan Amusement Park)! Sure, it’s fake, and weird, and… crumbling, but it couldn’t be more fun! The unlicensed (and probably unsafe) Shrek, Indiana Jones, and Batman rides surround a dusty Epcot Center. Also not to be missed- the creepy spiral-eyed Bugs Bunny statues and the dusty two-headed goblins of Wild West Adventure. It's about as official as that Justin Beiber DVD sold on the street corner and as likely to break down as that Rolex watch I bought my dad at the Pearl Market, but boy is it fun! Collapsed rides litter the walkways, while giant pineapple prisons and bokchoy cages drive overhead. American childhood dream destination it's not, but it sure will save parents a bundle.

I'm sometimes hard on China, especially right after a holiday in the U.S. What we (myself included) have to realize is that China is roaring forward at four-hundred billion miles an hour and is bound to make mistakes along the way. The culture, educational levels, and habits of the people will also evolve over time- not necessarily to the "Western ideal" but to a Sino-Western hybrid. It is inevitable that the future of China and the Chinese system (including culture, politics and personal perspective) will be influenced by the great powers that came before it. Whether this is right or wrong is open to debate; it is merely the way it is.

My hope for China in the years to come is that it will continue to modernize to the point that comparisons such as mine above will no longer be especially meaningful, but that it will also retain its national identity and pride in its roots. Any country deserves the same, but especially China. Someday my kids will ask me about 'the way things were' in China 'back then' and I'll be able to wax nostalgia about all the wonderful nuances of life in the Middle Kingdom.

But I won't miss the cheese.

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