Eric's Beijing Diary

Went to the police station today to register my new address. You have to do that if you are a foreigner living in China. If you don't, you risk being arrested. It's simple and free--just one of those things that you do need to get done. I went there yesterday with my passport, but the cop on duty told me I had to bring my landlady with some specific information. I knew he was going to tell me that, and as soon as he did, I gave him my landlady's phone number, and he called her and told her what was needed. If I had brought her along, she would have had to take two trips. She's never done anything like this before. Never rented to a foreigner.

But there was another reason why I went alone the first time. During the weeks that I was looking for an apartment here at Fragrant Hills, I had several occasions where hesitation was expressed about renting to a foreigner. One guy said that the police had told him, "If you rent to a foreigner and something happens, you are on your own." In today's China, foreigners are allowed to rent local apartments. They are not restricted to special areas like they were in the past. But sometimes local police are not excited about having strangers in town. So I felt it was important to show them that I was not a threat. Today, when I brought my landlady, I heard the officer talking to her. "He speaks Chinese!" How threatening can someone be if he speaks the language? My Mandarin leaves much to be desired. But even the little bit I can handle makes a big difference in village China.

Finally moved into my new apartment here in Fragrant Hills.It is very small, but very convenient, and the location is perfect for me. It is a short walk to the mountain trails I spent so much time hiking last spring, and a five minute walk to the bus stop, where I can catch the 331 for a 45 minute ride to Wudaokou.

It is peaceful out here. Quiet at night. The youth culture in Wudaokou would not likely be keen on living way out here, because they would have to give up the night life. Personally, I think it's a fair trade.

I left James' apartment down in the southeast corner of Beijing this morning with my arms loaded--the heavy handmade quilt I bought from a village woman in Shanxi Province, my barley husk pillow, a bunch of clothes, and my computer.

My apartment is basically a studio. No living room to speak of. But right now I don't really need one. I used to have a lot of functions in my apartment at Beihang, but the past couple of years, I haven't been doing that very much. We usually meet in coffee bars. So the smaller accommodation doesn't affect me much. I usually come home to sleep. And this place has a good Internet connection, so I can work here when I need to. It's about 100 US dollars a month. And, again, the location is good--very near the mountain trails, and a five minute walk to the bus yard.