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Steadily getting settled into life in Beijing. Actually found an apartment this past Thursday and moved in today. Got a furnished a 1-BR for a little over 200 USD/month*. Word. I have accommodation capabilities now.
*This was only made possible by my Auntie Eulalia, who speaks Chinese and opened up the hometown channels.
Also found a place to eat reeeeeibs!!! (See the video below, which is actually a melange of clips).
(1) I told you Chinese people like lights. I am pretty sure that's the biggest LCD I have ever seen. This was actually that new mall, The Place, I had mentioned earlier with the Adidas store bumping Gin and Juice.
(2) Not sure about you, but when I saw that gate, I really didn't expect it to be such a thoroughfare. Then I wondered if anyone has ever gotten stuck. Then I thought that the gate discriminates against fat people and people with big heads like myself.
(3) Beijing's cuisines are diversifying on the quickness. Of course you got the 3-Wheel Motion grub purveyors, who I think have been doing their thing for years.
But then I also went to a place that serves reeeibs yo. This place, Tim's BBQ, has been open for about 6 months. Before this place, my understanding is there was no ribs place in Beijing. Ever. This is the first. Decent, but ain't no Gale(sp?) Street Inn's, or even Fat Willy's.
This last restaurant is probably the nicest Chinese restaurant I have ever been to. The decor is all classy, which is something you don't really see too often (like never) in Chinatown. I ate some more mean @ss duck (but no goose) meat. Once again, big ups to Susan Chen and Mr. Stanley.
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I'm also getting all edified. My work colleagues, Dan and Adam, were gracious enough to invite me out to
Artwalk , this event their girlfriends had organized in what's called the 798 district. Apparently this is one of the few areas in the city that officials have decided to protect against the unremitting onslaught of high rise construction.
My favorite exhibit was called something like, "Workers painting black and white." Genius. At first, I wondered if this another one of those China things where the gallery owner was like, fock we're not done painting. Fock it!
Another example of "one of those China things" is the practice of employing an elevator attendant in apartment buildings. Like even real crappy ones. So this apartment I looked at last week was on the 11th floor. After midnight the elevator attendant goes home for safety reasons (for the attendant or the residents I'm not sure about). I imagined coming home after doing the roger rabbit and the cabbage patch all night and then contending with 11 flights of stairs. Nah nah I don't gets down like that.
My new apartment actually has the same deal, but I'm only on the 3rd floor.
Anyway, there was also a party at the end of Artwalk, which reminded me of the First Friday's parties at the Guggenheim, albeit on slightly smaller scale. Beijng hipsters!
They had these classic photos blown up from the Mao era with the revolutionary design aesthetic, which I actually really dig.
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And speaking of aesthetics, I'm pretty sure this guy was a bad guy in a Jackie Chan movie or something. He got a hurricane kick to the dome and fell off the bamboo scaffolding. Ganxta!
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"Frank, I am telling you I am loving my new location. You know the old barbershop, I mean I just couldn't take it anymore. Everybody's always talking sh!t. I needed some peace and quiet from all that. Sometimes you just gotta get some fresh air!"
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Just like the barber above knows, sometimes in China you gotta just mellow out. Word to Moe and Amanda for independently putting me on to Phoenix, who have moved into heavy rotation. Below is not my favorite Phoenix song, but the video is kind of cool.
But if we're going to be on some stop motion graphics ish then I gotta go with these dudes.
And that's about it y'alls.
1 comment:
that guy with the hair is so badass and mythical
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