"Huí tóu jiàn," Beijing!

That means "See you later" in Mandarin.

Jaspal and I have returned to UB from Beijing. We had a great time, despite the insufferable heat and humidity. It was great to see Aman as well.

Among the highlights of our trip (aside from the previously mentioned "hutong" antics and the flock of people dancing in unison):
1) Finding the "hipster hutong."
Aman and I took a random excursion one day while Jaspal was at the conference, and we discovered this cool little hutong that is being redone with cute little shops, cafes, and bars. There was a yummy Indian restaurant, a great cafe, and some unique t-shirt shops. On the one hand, it's kind of sad that it's no longer a "traditional" hutong, but on the other, at least it's not been torn down, like a lot of the others. There are huge sections of the city that are under wraps right now, underneath which they're tearing down hutongs to make way for shopping plazas.

2) The giant TV screen.
This was an Aman discovery, and he kept hinting about a cool TV screen, but we were not prepared for its magnitude. It was about the size of two football fields, and hung overhead, broadcasting undersea and outer space views. Very mesmerizing.

3) Bargaining at the Silk Market.
As we all know, I love shopping, especially when there is a bargain involved. The Silk Market is about four floors of bargaining madness, where you can buy everything from fake Louis Vuitton bags and Nike sneakers, to fake antiques and North Face jackets. Basically everything is fake. I came away with three pairs of shoes and a fake Le Sportsac Tokidoki purse. Ahhh...

4) Our Mall.
For some reason (okay, it was the food court and the air conditioning) we kept finding ourselves at the Oriental Plaza mall, close to our hotel. The food court was awesome. It had everything from Beard Papa and Dairy Queen to traditional steamed buns and hot pot. The most interesting thing was a concoction called "Indian Roti Prata" that was more like a crepe than anything else. The best part was when we ordered it, the girl at the counter called someone on a cell phone, and two minutes later, a real live Indian person showed up (complete with chef's hat) to prepare our treat.

5) Olympics Madness.
Needless to say, Beijing is very excited for the 2008 Summer Games. Everything is emblazoned with Olympics mottoes, and the "Five Fuwa" (cute little animal mascots) are all over the place. I finally broke down and got some magnets at the airport.

6) Harry Potter.
I got the book. It was the regular price (about $30), but I had to have it. Two days later I found a guy selling pirated copies in the subway for 50 yuan (about $7.50), but whatever. I didn't want to buy one and find out that chapters were missing or something. Anyway, I can not put it down. I've read up to page 500-something in the past two days, but I haven't reached the end yet, so don't say anything!!! I'm terrified to find out the conclusion, but I can't stop reading.

A word to the wise when traveling to Beijing -- DON'T buy the current Beijing Lonely Planet -- a lot of the listings in there no longer exist (this happened to us with three restaurants). I think they're probably coming out with a new one for 2008, so the current version is outdated.

More soon!

Hutong Clan

I love Beijing. Not as much as I love Tokyo, but it has some similar qualities. Our first night here, we went to an area near Beihai Lake that was very happening. There were about 150 people (of all ages) doing a synchronized Macarena/Line dance in a somewhat listless manner. It was one of the best things I have ever seen.

We climbed the Great Wall today and managed to avoid the organized tours that take you to the "museums" that are actually stores. We took the local 919 bus instead. We decided to go early into our trip "to get it over with" (as Aman, Jaspal, and I agreed).

Before we arrived, Aman emailed us about a scam he'd been approached with several times his first day here, involving young Asian ladies, foreign male tourists, and a $400 tea ceremony (long story -- just Google it if you want to know the details. Apparently it's quite common here in Beijing). Once we got here, he became fixated on showing us how it happens. In a mall, he wandered off a bit away from us and, sure enough, a girl approached him within minutes. He shooed her away after 30 seconds (don't worry, Vicki), and then I watched as the same girl approached another young desi guy -- and totally scammed him. As I followed them, eavesdropping, I heard him saying, "It's so hard to get to know people here because my Chinese is very bad. Where do you want to go to lunch? Anywhere you want." In the name of desi solidarity I almost ran up and told him he was being scammed, but if he's dumb enough to think a hot Chinese girl wants to go with him to a tea ceremony two minutes after meeting him, he's pretty much a chump.

The word for "alleyway" or "sidestreet" is hutong, which Aman and Jaspal are obsessed with. I think they have substituted the word hutong for every possible (and impossible) situation, as in, "Let's get some hutong ice cream," or "Let's get a hutong taxi." Their comedy antics have hit a low point.

Many, many more Beijing stories and pictures to come!

Pocari Sweat

Today I woke up with stomach trouble. Yucky. I won't go into any details at all, but it was not pleasant. I have a feeling it was related to the Chinese food I ate yesterday. So I spent the day lying around, listening to "This American Life" podcasts I saved on my computer (I am so glad I brought my laptop, by the way).

They don't have Gatorade in Mongolia (that I've found, anyway) and that's usually my favorite tummy-sick drink. Luckily, I remembered the last time we went to the grocery store that a new drink was being advertised, direct from Japan -- Pocari Sweat! Anyone who's been to Japan will be familiar with Pocari Sweat (Ion Supply Drink). It has a sort of opaque quality and looks kind of like...sweat. This is why, despite a long visit to Japan and numerous trips to Japan Town, I never once tried the stuff. Until Mongolia.

It wasn't the best drink ever, but it does have that sweet-salty Gatorade quality that seems like it's keping you hydrated.

So hooray for Pocari Sweat, for re-supplying my ions. We're off to China tomorrow, so hopefully I'll be fully recharged and tummy-trouble free.

Horse Power

I think I forgot to mention our horse riding adventure last week. It seems to be an annual thing with me now (Sarah and I had an unforgettable horse riding experience in Turkey last year). Since this is the country that worships horses so much that they're on all the money, we figured it was necessary to give riding them a try.

Jaspal has ridden horses numerous times (he even has the hat to prove it), but I'm definitely a novice, so I requested the slowest, oldest horse available, and I got my wish. K and MB both wanted a bit more oomph in their horses, but things went awry. MB's horse seemed to do whatever it pleased (sidling up to all the other horses, stopping in front of oncoming cars, turning the wrong way) and K's horse refused to go fast. I think this was because his version of slapping the horse's rump to get it moving was more like a delicate tickle.

I had fun, anyway, because my horse and I had deep conversations (topics included: "Mr. Ed: Pro or Con?," "Unicorns: Heroes or Show-Offs?", and "Peer Pressure: Just Because the Other Horses are Going Fast, You Don't Have To.") and generally went at a leisurely pace. Mongolian horses are considerably smaller than Turkish horses, so that helped, too.

At the halfway point we stopped at a traditional Mongolian ger and had some homemade yogurt with the traditional Mongolian family who just happened to be waiting for us. They were very pleased when we happened to give them some cash to thank them for their hospitality. Just like in Turkey when we happened to come across a cafe halfway through our horse trip. Oh well, either way it was a welcome excuse to get off the horses and give our bums a rest.

I think Jaspal and I might go back with a friend after our trip to China (this weekend through next weekend). Hopefully I'll be able to get my same horse.

Movie Corner

Another thing I've been doing out here is watching DVDs. One, they're super cheap; two, Jaspal generally has a lot of work to do during the day. Also, he's sick right now and can't talk.

Anyway, I watched Notes on a Scandal last night. Oh my God. SO incredible. Everyone in it deserved an award. Judi Dench's character is one of those I would love to play (or write). She has that Ursula the Sea Witch/Miss Hannigan quality that always gets me. Evil, yet pathetic.

I know the rest of the world has probably already seen it, but I'm generally late in the game when it comes to waching dramas, even Academy Award-nominated ones. But now that I'm on vacation in the land of cheap DVDs, who knows? I may even watch Dancer in the Dark again (just kidding -- just thinking about that movie makes me want to fling myself from a balcony, and Jaspal's apartment is on the 7th floor).

I also finally saw Me and You and Everyone We Know.
)) <> ((
forever.

On our way to pick up a pizza this evening, we caught an outdoor rock concert and chatted with a Tibetan monk from Dharamsala. Even a semi-blah Sunday can yield pleasant surprises.

Mystery Illness

Jaspal is still sick. Not sure what's wrong, though his throat is pretty swollen. He started taking antibiotics a few days ago, but so far he's still in pain. He has resorted to communicating in strange charades that don't look like anything, such as pointing in the air to mean "ice cubes" and scratching hs armpits to ask "Have you taken a shower?"

It is like living with a chimp.

MB and K left just now, and hopefully will be back in Boston in a few days. Last night we had a mini birthday celebration because I think everyone will miss each other's birthdays. For those of you who are unaware, Jaspal and MB have the exact same birthday and K and I have the exact same birthday. Crazy.

All right, off to rub some Vick's on Chimpy's neck.

Book Corner

I just wanted to recommend a great book to any of you who are searching for a good summer read: The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai. It won the Booker Prize last year, so many of you may have already read it. I haven't finished it yet, so don't tell me what happens after chapter 40 if you have read it!

I'm trying hard to pace myself, but I can't put it down. It's set in a small mountain town on the border of India, near Darjeeling, and deals with teenage romance, post-colonial identity, rebel separatists, and much more. It's fabulous.

I also brought Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (Robyn's recommendation), The Body Project, which I saw on Dani's Amazon wish list and finished on the plane, and six issues of the New Yorker. Hopefully I can stock up on English books when we get to Beijing. I'm hoping to find the last Harry Potter there, so I can keep up with the rest of the world!

Spiders and horses and wrestlers, oh my!

So. We have returned from the countryside. We were supposed to get back two days later than we actually did, but...

Here's how it all unfolded:

After scurrying around UB searching for a driver (with many false confirmations) and buying enough food and supplies to last us for a few weeks, we set off on Saturday around noon. We were driving on a lovely paved highway when we took what I thought was a brief detour onto unpaved dirt roads because there was roadwork. Turns out the "roadwork" was in fact the road needing to be built. So 95% of our drive was on bUmPy dusty roads. Picture being inside a vigorously shaken container of orange juice. For six hours at a stretch. It was intense. Granted, we were in a Toyota Landcruiser with seat belts (!), air conditioning (!), and a driver, Bat Baatar, who wasn't drunk (!) and actually tried to make the drive comfortable (!). This was high class living.

We only got one flat tire during the whole trip (see photo), which, according to Jaspal, is amazing.

Our first night was camping, during which we made a moderately passable version of bengan bhartha on our gas stove. I also had the delightful experience of peeing on my pajamas when I misjudged the direction of the wind at 3a.m. We awoke by a lovely river, with a horse enjoying the view (of us?) nearby.

Our final destination was The Great White Lake (Terkhiin Tsaagan Nuur) and on the way we saw a beautiful Buddhist monastery, and some incredible scenery (not to mention thousands of goats, yaks, and horses).

At the lake (nine bumpety hours later), we decided to stay at a ger camp, which has little gers that tourists can sleep in. This would have been lovely, had it not been for the camp's inhabitants: millions of spiders, grasshoppers, moths, and other assorted buggies. Usually, a spider or two here and there don't bug me (pun intended). This, however, was different. They were EVERYWHERE. On the floor, in the sinks, on the walls of the gers, on the ground, in the restaurant, in people's hair...I think I will have nightmares for months.

The next day (I spent the night huddled, sweating and terrified, in my sleeping bag), Jaspal awoke feeling very ill. So K, MB, and I decided to take a trek (only about 40 bumpety minutes) to the local Naadam festival, where we hoped to see horse racing and wrestling. We did, kind of, though it was definitely a small-town version.

Upon our return to the ger camp, we broke down and confessed to poor Jaspal that we couldn't take it any more and wanted to leave. Right now. So poor, sick Jaspal told the bewildered driver and camp owners that we were "tired" and wanted to leave. We drove five bumpety hours back to a town called Tsetserleg and stayed at a glorious, beautiful, spider-free guest house run by foreign missionaries. I kept seeing spiders and hearing flies every time I closed my eyes, but the latte and scrambled eggs the next morning banished those horrendous visions.

On our drive back (bump, bump, bump), we saw another Naadam festival, which was a little more happening, as well as an action-packed horse race. It was super cool. The scenery on the way back was amazing. Sky, sky, and more sky.

We made it back to UB at around 11:00, and unloaded all the supplies we'd barely touched. I think I have a rash on my butt from all the bumping around in the car.

Sigh.

Once again, the fact is made blatantly obvious that I am a city girl. I don't know how Jaspal puts up with me.

The smog thickens

Last night we went to Zaisan, a hill view just outside the city. We climbed up many many stairs (following nimble-footed young ladies in stilettos, of course) and got to the top, where there was a Russian-gifted mosaic featuring the history of Mongol-Russian relations. There was also a Buddhist uvuu (a pile of rocks with Tibetan prayer flags on top).

Afterward, we went to a nearby statue of Buddha that was giant and beautiful. The sky was incredible, because it was about to start raining (thankfully). Thunder and lightning ensued, while we hammered away on a taiko-esque drum and gong. Quite lovely.

Today, though, you'd have no idea that it poured last night, because it was ridiculously hot and smoggy. Yech.

On a side note, I found an Indian channel on the TV, and watched this news broadcast from Delhi last night. They spent about 45 minutes showing some insane footage from this traffic accident/murder/beating (someone shot a motorcyclist who was carrying a briefcase full of cash. Then the crowd beat the shooter unconscious while they waited an hour for the police to come. Ah, India.)

We picked up MB and K and hopefully will be off to the countryside soon.

Hot hot hot!

For a city that supposedly the coldest capital in the world, this town sure is hot. At least it's not humid, which is what we'll be dealing with when we get to Beijing.

I think the high was about 93 today, which I guess isn't that bad, but the sun is really strong. It makes my brain feel all melty.

I spent about an hour and a half in line at the Chinese consulate today trying to turn in Jaspal's visa request (I got mine in SF). We went a few days ago but the lovely, helpful, and friendly lady at the counter turned him down flatly and could only respond, "I don't know" to his questions. So today I went, hoping that I'd be luckier. It worked (she actually smiled!), but I had to stand in a looooooooong line.

So, a question for all you SATC fans out there -- you know that episode where Carrie goes out to the country to visit Aidan's cabin? I have a feeling that's what I'm in for in a few days (really, I feel like that already, and we haven't left the city yet). We'll be headed out to the country with friends from Boston, who are arriving tomorrow. I think I have the following things to look forward to: 30 hour car rides, no showers, bugs, dust, and some of the bumpiest roads on earth. Yee-haw! But, on the flipside, there's supposed to be some of the most beautiful scenery on earth. I'll let you know which has more of an impact on me when we return next week!

Where are we?

So the American Embassy 4th of July party was...weird. It was held at this apartment complex that looks like it could be in the suburbs of any American city. Very cookie-cutter. And the people who live there are either embassy folks or military. So most of the people at this event fell into those two categories, and the majority of the rest were Mormon missionaries. There were a TON of them. Growing up in Santa Rosa, I became very used to Mormons, but some of the other folks we were with were very afraid. I was more afraid of the military people. We met this one guy who was showing us the proper way to shake hands, depending on what kind of message you'd like to convey ["Vote for me" vs. "Pleased to meet you (wink wink)"]. It was kind of nauseating.

We got to meet the ambassador, which was cool. I guess. It was about 800 degrees that day and they ran out of anything remotely vegetarian by the time we got there (they imported hot dogs from a U.S. military base in Korea), so we made a hasty exit when I started to feel faint.

Outside of "Americaland" I am liking things here. We bought some DVDs on the way home -- Surf's Up and season one of Entourage for under ten bucks total. Sweet. Last night we played pool and had a drink at an outdoor bar. The weather was perfect -- warm enough to sit outside at midnight wearing a tank top and shorts.

Another thing I love is the fact that the women here are running around in stilettos and the streets are a total menace -- very rough and bumpy. I'm amazed.

And I got a cell phone for 30 bucks. Wow!

All right, that's all for now. More later...