Xin Qi Er, Qi Yue 29

Tuesday, July 29

Today, my Dad flew in for a two-day work trip, and I got to go out to dinner with him! This was one of the few times that I have been out of the hotel, and it was exciting! We went to this district in Beijing called Hou Hai. This is the older part of town where Chairman Mao’s workers lived. It was convenient because this district is located just North of the Forbidden City, where Mao lived.

It is kind of a little town with old buildings that has been converted into shops and restaurants. There is also a lake in the middle of the district.

My dad and I were standing in line to rent a boat to cruse throughout the city on the lake, when these two sisters in front of us started talking to us… one of them spoke a little bit of English, and I spoke my Chinese to them. They were also waiting for a boat, and asked if we wanted to come with them.

They were both with their boyfriends, and were all between 20 and 23. They were from Fujian, which is in the southeast part of China. They came to Beijing to work in the factories making clothing. I found it really interesting to see how they act and what they like here in China.

I found it to be just about the same as American teenagers, surprising enough! Half way around the world, the only thing that was slightly different was the food that they ate.

When we first got on the boat, they opened a whole bag full of their Chinese snacks. It was nori paper, leachy nut jello, and some sort of things that were kinda like cheetos only they were prawn flavor. Although these seem very exoctic to an average American, the snacks were actually delicious, and different, but in a good way!

For dinner, just my dad and I went to this place called No Name. This resturant also has no address! But with the recommendation from numerous people, we somehow found the right spot! It was in the back alleys near the Hutongs.

Hutongs are the old places where people still live today. It is like an alley doorway that leads to a courtyard, and from the courtyard, about 4 families live in separate houses. In these places, people remain neighbors for many generations. It was really interesting to see this. Also, about each corner, there was a little family run general store about the size of a closet, and this was for each of the neighbors that lived on that specific block. Although it was almost 11 at night, people were still sitting in front of their shops playing ancient Chinese games, like Majong and just hanging out. I got this sense of a family communitly when I walked by… which was really powerful, since we were in the back allies in the middle of nowhere that we knew, yet, it was welcoming to be there.

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