Beijing in October

Beijing in October is surprisingly nice. The weather hasn’t really turned cold yet (I turn the heater on in the morning, but leave it off when I sleep) and the sky is actually blue every once in a while (as opposed to almost never). There’s a little wind, which perhaps blows away the pollution, resulting in visible clouds and breathable air; although, yesterday I saw a man jogging down the middle of the bike lane, risking life, limb, and lung in a way that I’m sure outweighed whatever benefit he got from aerobic exercise.

But today the sky really is blue, the pollution seems to be at low ebb, the wind is what I’d describe as a nice breeze, and Beijing in the autumn is in full swing. I woke up this morning to the smell of yummy wonton soup, my insane dog barking and skitching all over the floor, and had a feeling that all was right with the world. Even though I was still sick (sore throat), still uncomfortable (super dry air makes my nose all icky), still in slight pain (sore throat again and a cut on my finger that got a little infected), and still exhausted (jet lag combined with my new and longer hours at my new and better job) – well, you get the point. Life isn’t perfect, even when all of the environmental things add up to niceness. Anyway, out of bed and into the world I emerged, no shower and ready for my Chinese day. Here’s how it began:

Walking to the subway, I pass through a few nice and old hutongs. Some of the houses are old and rickety; some have recently been redone (well – the facades, at least) to present a more presentable Beijing to the world just in time for the 2008 Olympics; some aren’t houses at all, but typical not too tall Chinese apartment buildings. The public bathrooms in my neighborhood have also recently been redone (outsides and insides … a breath of fresh air – at least for a little while), and there are a lot of them. Many of the houses in the hutong are bathroomless. The abundance of public bathrooms is one of the things that make Beijing such a liveable city. The other is the six cent mutton shish kebobs available almost all night and all over the place. The big bottles of beer that cost less than a quarter are another, but I’ll get into that in a future article. Anyway, where was I? Ah – the walk to the subway, past the morning bun sellers, fruit sellers, everything sellers. Through the little park behind Jianguomen station, where rollerbladers go round and round, and skaters practice skating near old ladies who aren’t frightened of self propelled, wheeled things (that’s China for you). Into the subway I descend for the three stop trip to Dawanglu, where I work. And that’s where I am now – sitting at my desk, staring into this computer, taking a break from editing reports, and getting ready for some greasy Chinese lunch – delivered, of course. Just like being back home in New York – Chinese delivery. Some things in life never change.