Eric's Beijing Diary

Well, the Amity church list said there was a Christian church in Beihai that had both Cantonese and Mandarin services. I copied down the address and took the bus into town this morning. Really nice people at the church. They didn't speak a word of English, but why should they? This is China. When I meet young people in China, especially students, I do speak to them pretty strongly about the importance of learning English. But in a situation like this, the onus is on me. I'm learning slowly, but I do have some distance to cover. Which is why I went to McDonald's afterwards to do some studying. There is a nice coffee bar in Beihai, but the coffee there is not cheap, and they really are not set up for studiers. The other night I was there studying, and someone dimmed the lights for the evening. I thought perhaps they hadn't seen me studying, so I asked them about it. They politely brought me a candle. Well, not much you can say. These Taiwanese coffee bars are just not designed for studiers. The coffee bars in Wudaokou are designed for university students. They provide reading lamps. But the Taiwanese coffee bars are really a cross between a coffee bar and a Chinese tea house. If you come in broad daylight, they really are a good place to study, because they are usually quiet, the service is good, and they have some very good menu items if you are hungry. But in the evening, they like to create a romantic atmosphere. Who can complain? It is their right to cater to the type of clientele they prefer.

Fortunately, there is a nice 24 hour McDonald's on the town square. Very clean, not loud, and lots of light for reading. And all McDonald's follow the international policy: free refills on coffee. I met an American there who is retired and just kicking around Asia. He has been in Beihai for awhile now, and seems to be going through a bit of culture shock. He was telling me about taking a bus down through Vietnam. He said there was another foreign tourist who bought two tickets because he wanted to have plenty of room, and then he had to spend the whole trip fighting to keep people out of his extra seat. Amusing. Actually, I don't know whether to say "Amusing," or "Amazing." Never in a million years would I buy pay for two seats on a bus through the countryside of Asia, and expect people to stand or sit on each other's laps instead of taking an empty seat.

A lady from Sweden also talked to me. Actually, she grew up in Beihai. But she has relatives in Sweden. They showed her picture to a Swedish guy they knew, and he decided to marry her. So now she is Swedish. I asked her how she liked Sweden. She said the winters were boring. Much the same thing I say when comparing America to China. America is more luxurious and more boring. China is a bit more rustic, and much more interesting. She asked me if I had ever been to Norway (I had told her that I was Norwegian). I told her that I couldn't afford it. That's one thing about living in China. Travel within China is usually manageable. But travel outside of China is so cost prohibitive when you live on a Chinese income.