Lina in China

Crossing a Street during Rush-Hour in China

Crossing a street as a pedestrian in China is not easy for a German. We Germans are pretty used to everything being in order. In Germany cars stop at red traffic-lights and a green walking light means that you really have the first right to go. Not so in China’s Traffic. That you as a pedestrian have a green traffic-light in China does not mean much.

Zebra crossings seem to have no meaning at all. Neither at a zebra crossing nor at a green pedestrian light a car will stop to let you pass.

The traffic police standing with a flag and a whistle at every important crossing in Beijing whistles and shakes its flag – I could detect no influence a present traffic policeman had on the traffic in China.

When you are in the middle of the street and a car is coming you can either boldly jump in front of that car with a stopping hand movement or you decide to stay where you are. In the later case you will be caught in the middle of a Chinese street with cars coming from all sides. This is not a nice feeling.

When I finally thought I got the hang of crossing streets today this situation happened that proved me once more that I as a German women am simply not prepared for Beijing’s Traffic:

I wanted to cross the street standing behind a parking car. Looking for traffics coming from whatever direction I did not watch for the parking car and he just drove backwards and bumped into me.

I slapped on the car real hart so he knows I am there. I was not hurt but in total shock standing on the street crying. And he just drove away. This behaviour I have been told about and could never believe. But it seems to be common in China. You are trying not to get noticed for any price. And no one wants to be the one who hit an Olympic Visitor with his car of course.

I was in complete shock and just sad down at the edge of the street crying and crying. After only a few minutes or so a very nice Chinese man with surprisingly good English came towards me and asked me what the matter was.

First thing was of course he wanted to call an ambulance. But I refused. Then he wanted to bring me to a coffee. I had just been on my way to a bank. And it was short before 6pm. So he led me to a bank in order to have me my money exchanged.

Then – I was still in shock – he brought me to a coffee and bought me a drink. We had some most interesting conversations.

And even though the moon festival had not begun yet he let me try the first mooncake of my life.

Then he brought me to a nice restaurant, helped me order something and had a quick drink. While I was eating he ran to the pharmacy for me where I had tried to buy medicine for my inflamed toe without success.

I feared that he would also want to pay for my food (it is very hard to obtain the right to pay the bill in china) I paid while he was gone. Earlier we had discussed about that Europeans are in China often allowed to go against certain rules. For example because the Chinese fear the language problems etc.

So I told him, “I can just leave the restaurant without paying” and walked away. Of course he tried to go and pay then and we had a big laugh when the food was already paid for by me.

He did not leave me until he was sure I knew the way home. As merciless and uncaring Chinese can sometimes seem in certain situations like the traffic or rushing to get a taxi as nice they are when you meet a Chinese face to face.

Today I eat in a Chinese restaurant that has middle class prices for Beijing. A meal at about 20 Yuan that are about 2 Euro. Most restaurants I have been to tried to be very helpful. The usual case in Beijing is a menu containing pictures – the food often does not look like the picture later – and more or less funny English translations.

Todays restaurant offers the following:

- Mix tofu wire
- The pig’s liver of salt solution
- The yellow croaker soaks the cake
- Is addicted to the pig’s intestines
- Does the pot tea tree mushroom [?]
- The daily family activity cooks the hairtail
- The onion explodes the mutton
- Burnt slides the meatball
- Three fresh stuff pie
- Little confused immortal liquor

And I am eating “The agricultural wife and children fry the meat” which is some kind of unidentified meat with some kind of undefined green vegetable and chilly.

Going in the disco is also very interesting in China. Being European you are almost like a star. I was invited by several people to their table just to cheer them with my glass once.

Also many people, especially girls, were dancing with me. Other then that disco is very much the same like in germany.

The bear costs 35 Yuan (3.50 €) and is very expensive for Chinese average people. Just as in Germany there are VIP tables Sponsored by a rich person for his friends. These often drink a mixture of Icetea, Ice cubes and some alcohol whose name I don’t remember. On each VIP table in my favourite Chinese disco there was a beautiful basket of watermelon, grapes and some other fruits.

I was invited to such a table by a total stranger who does not speak a word in English but found it cool to drink with an European. Drinking on such a table can be quite dangerous as you don’t really know how much alcohol the Ice tea contains and your glass is constantly refilled. So I just decided to drink no alcohol at all.

Another time I was invited to the table of 3 young Chinese men and 2 Chinese women. Suddenly at 3 am they decided they are hungry and to introduce me to some Chinese breakfast. Still inside the Beijing-Disco I did not realize how drunken they are or I would not have followed them.

Once in the taxi I realized how drunken they were. Oh how good that hardly anyone in China owns a car. When I arrived with the Chinese disco-kids in the restaurant one guy suddenly started to throw up while the others ordered. A service woman came, cleaned up the mess at an instant, gave him a plastic bag to puke in next time and smiled friendly when he ordered more beer.

So the young men drank more beer, and through up again: Once more on the floor. The service woman came, cleaned up the floor, gave him a plastic bag, friendly suggested he should use it, kept smiling and served more beer. I suggested he use the plastic bag next time and tried to coax him to drink tea and eat something. He kept to my advise for about 5 minutes then returned to the beer.

All the while I was coaxed by the others, also very drunken, to try some Chinese specialities. I just could not. So I murmured something about an appointment (at 4 am!). Drunken as They where the Chinese hospitality never stops. They not only invited me for the food, they also lead me to a taxi and insisted on paying for the taxi.

The patience or service, or I don’t know how to call it of the Chinese service women in that restaurant really astonished me. I have watched similar situations since then. Weather you are drunken or your child that pees on the floor. A customer is a customer in China. And the patience of the service personnel is unbelievable.

Wellness in China: Foot Massage

One of the best things about being in china is the foot massage I believe. It is – compared to western standards – not to expensive.

When entering the building the first thing you do is taking your shoes of. This is about the same as in any Chinese home. The Chinese are very strict about taking ones shoes off, be it at home or in Wellness areas.

Then we went upstairs in a room containing three very comfortable chairs and a TV. The Chinese idea of high class comfort and wellness is just not the same like mine.

My Chinese teacher Lideng told me, he ordered a beautiful young man for me and a not so beautiful young woman for himself (as he is freshly married). Well seems like he did not order in Chinese what he told me in German ;-).

Chinese Foot Bath with traditional Herbs

Then they brought us a large wooden water bucket, made watertight by plastic. In the water were Chinese herbs. I was told that depending on the choice of herbs used the price for the massage can range from 80 RMB (8€) to 160 RMB. The herbs are Chinese medicine, my Chinese teacher told me.

After a while the herbal foot bath was taken away and the wellness in form of massage could begin. The foot massage began at… if you expected me to say “foot” I must disappoint you. The Chinese foot massage started with our shoulders. Then my masseur slowly worked himself down to my hands. The Chinese foot massage on my hand was far from gentle. My teacher told me if it hurts more then a little I should say stop… Every single finger of my hand was pulled.

Chinese Massage finally reaches my feet: I am ticklish

Then the Chinese foot massage went where it was supposed to go: too my feet. Again the massage was not gentle at all. He even knocked on my feet, far from gentle but with an interesting effect on my body.

First my right foot was thoroughly massaged. The Chinese foot masseur again and again rubbed my foot until it got hot and hotter. Whenever I thought I could take it no more he stopped and did something else.

Then he wrapped my right foot in a towel to keep it war I guess. Then the left foot was massaged. The massaging of the left foot took much longer so I started to wonder: Why had the Chinese massaged my right foot for such a short time in compare? Turned out what I had taken as full massage of my right foot was just a warm up ;). After he was done with my left foot he also massaged my left lower leg up to the knee. Good news that I had waxed my legs in before leaving Germany for China.

Wellness, TV and Mobilephone don’t contradict in China

Then he returned to my right foot and lower leg. Every single toe was pulled. On the toes I am very ticklish so that we had a lot of fun.

My Chinese teacher Lideng and the two Chinese foot masseurs where discussing all the time little of it was translated to me. While we were having our foot massage my teacher was using his mobile phone several times. There seems to be no place in china, were the mobile phone is not used – even in the restaurant or while getting a massage.

If Ive got a Hammer…

When I thought that the massage was really over the two Chinese foot masseurs returned with two little rubber hammers. The female masseur started on Lideng so I started to wonder if this is going to hurt. But when he started on me it felt funny but did not hurt at all.

After they where done with the rubber massage

Then the massage was really over and we got a new pair of socks as gift of the house.

I did not expect to find catholic churches in Beijing. But on the first evening already my friend called and said: I am waiting in front of the church, could you come. Church?!? In Beijing? I was surprised. I asked my friend of course to come and get me from the hotel. Later she showed me the church. It did look old. After consulting my Beijing Tourism Guide (produced by the Chinese for Olympic visitors in English) I found out it was the Church of St. Joseph, a catholic church. The land of the church was given by the Emperor Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty 1655 to two foreign priests. The church was destroyed several times by earthquakes. The current building is from 1904. So actually it seems like churches do have an old history in Beijing.

Having found out about this church of course I got curious about the service. Still the Jet Lag lets me wake up quite early. My original plan for this Sunday morning was to go to Tiananmen Square and see the raise of the Chinese flag at about 4:30 am. But when I wanted to leave the hotel there was a bad thunderstorm and rain going on. So I decided not to go to Tiananmen Square this morning.

Since I did not know at what time the St. Joseph in Beijing has its morning mess I just went there on good luck at 6:30. The service was already in the middle. Because it was still raining so hard I had a very wet jacket. Many church visitors were staring at me and I felt very bad for disturbing. So I just sneaked quietly on a bench. On the inside the church is also very beautiful.

The service of St. Joseph in Beijing felt very much like any catholic service I have seen in Germany with my grandmother. Just some of the singing sounded more Chinese somehow.

It was amazing how even the oldest women would kneel during the prayers. And stupid long-nosed me was not even able to do it for one minute. My knees hurt like hell and I could not keep still. So I decided to skip the kneeling.

Other then in German catholic churches I have seen the doors were open, people kept coming and going and the end was not defined. Some people got up and left, some were still praying.

Even though the priests were male of course much of the service a woman was speaking. I don’t know about her role but I found this interesting.

Church of St. Joseph
74 Wanfujing Dajie
Dongcheng Disrtict
Beijing
+86 10 65240634
Beijing Subway Line 1, Wanfujing, walk north 1km
Catholic morning mess: Sunday 6 am

Nan then took me to the Tiananmen Square. The Chinese flag was already down unfortunately. The place was very impressive and so were the soldiers. They were wearing very beautiful uniforms and moved in perfect synchrony. Yes when they where marching I really wondered how they were doing it.

Seeing the Forbidden City palace and the picture of Mao on the wall was also very impressive. Nan told me that the Forbidden City was build by Chinese of the tribe Mansur and not Han like the majority. To her words the architecture is similar to the Tibetan architecture. To me it all just looked very Chinese

The Tiananmen Square itself is like the heart of the heart of the country, the middle of the land of the middle. It was very impressive. I liked the way they had changed the decoration especially for the Paralympics. Everywhere Chinese tried to sell something to me. But I learned fast to tell them 谢谢， 我不要！(xiexie, wo bu yao! Thanks I don’t want to buy!) When I was answering in Chinese they usually laughed or said some compliment.

At the night after returning to my hotel I bought some instant noodle soup. Boy, the Chinese really do know something about producing instant noodle soup! It is hot and good and the spices, sauce and vegetables come in separate bags preserving their taste. “5 Minuten Terrine” could really learn from them!

Then I turned on the Chinese TV, eating my instant noodle soup. The Jet Lag just makes me hungry at crazy times. Zapping through TV I watched some commercials for a push-up bra that was really very funny. I could imagine all the lonely man watching this advertisement. It went on and on and on….

I grew tired of watching so I zapped and found the Paralympic Opening Ceremony. Once again the show was very impressive with hundreds (or thousands?) of Chinese doing uniform movements and such to create a nice picture. I was a bit disappointed that all of them seemed unhandicaped though? Having 1.3 billion people there should be enough handicapped to prepare such a show with them… Or maybe it were the same artists like for the Olympic opening a month before? I do not know as I did not understand what was being said.

I kept zipping and found an English Politian making empty words about the Paralympic Opening Ceremony. When a Russian women spoke I zapped away and ended on some Chinese Kungfu movie – the favourite movie for the Chinese I came to believe.

My friend Nan took me to the most famous Pecking Duck restaurant. It did look impressive and the food was for Chinese standards very expensive. Yet the two of us did not even pay 300 Yuan (30 €) for a complete high class menu.

Inside it looked very luxurious. Nan headed for the stairs but they send us to the elevator. China has this very nice way of blocking an entrance by putting a smiling woman all day in an entrance that is supposed to be blocked. And when you try to go that way she smiles and points the way that you are supposed to go. Sounds like a good way to solve some employment problems at home in Germany…

Upstairs the waitresses even helped us sit down. The menu was written in two languages and had large pictures of the food. Only problem was that the food we got later did not really look like the pictures.

Choosing from the menu was also very funny. Even though Nan is 100% Chinese she does not eat many things that I also would not eat. She said for example: This is duck tongue. I can order for you if you want but I am not trying. Seeing some scorpions offered as food she even turned her head disgusted.

Eating Pecking Duck in Beijing

In the end we settled for some mixed pickles that are very famous in some areas of China and are really almost as good as Spreewaldgurken. And then also ate something that was supposed to be salad with duck breast. But it neither looked like salad nor like chicken breast nor any like the picture. Nan even complained to them in Chinese but they told her important is what is in the words not what is in the picture of the menu…

Even going to the toilet was an experience. There was one employee just for the toilet and she was not like in Germany a cleaning woman. No, the toilet service woman walked me all the way to the right, western style toilet (I wanted to use the Chinese standing toilet as I find them cleaner but she insisted). Then she gave me a paper seat for cleanliness (The toilet did not look very clean though and even with a paper seat I would have preferred the Chinese toilet. But she insisted.) Then she waited right in front of the door. Afraid I would fall in the toilet? I got no idea. A little privacy …? But privacy is a foreign word in China anyway… I kept waiting in the hope she would go away but she just busied herself doing whatever right in front of the door. When I went to wash my hand she did not only show me how the soap-mashine worked, she even got the paper towels out of the supplier for me. Now that was a nice service! How often I have cursed the paper suppliers in Germany!

When I returned from my morning trip in search for breakfast the Jet Lag caught me and I feel aslepp until waking up at 2 pm. By oversleeping I even missed my trip to the Forbidden City! In the afternoon I made my way back to the internet café. It is some kind of Chinese Starbug called rbt. They offer free internet access. My cappuccino in rbt costed more then 5 times what my morning meal had costed (25 Yuan = 2.50€). Even the cold green tea was still very expensive (15 Yuan = 1.50€) compared to what a normal meal costs you.

Even in rbt itself some of the food they offer is cheaper than a cup of coffee! A salad for 23 Yuan, Spaghetti Bolognaise for 28 Yuan… But the atmosphere is very nice, the music is a nice mix of western and Chinese hits and the internet access is as fast as at home.

The Teachino I did not try yet but cold sweetened jasmine tea can be recommended.

Getting back from rbt I tried to grab a cab. The first taxi just shook his head before I even told him where I am going. The second Beijing cab driver stoped, 3 cabs behind him honking. After he had a look of where I am going he shook his head and returned the card to me. I managed to stop one more Taxi in Beijing rush hour. But before I even could react 3 Chinese girls jumped in my cab.

Back to the hotel I got the next nice surprise: My card did not open the hotel door anymore. Some employee I complained to (Good thing about china: always an employee available or two or three…) said some things in Chinese to me I did not understand. Then she opened my door and ran away. Now I had the door open but in my hotel they have a funny system: When you are in the room you put the card in the slot and have electricity. No card no lights. So I was in the dark room preassured to take a shower and be ready for dinner. Just that I had no lights. Luckily the employee returned with my card. Turned out I was supposed to make another deposit for the next night. So they just turned my key of.

RBT 东单店
北京市东城区东单北大街69号
010-65277896

In the morning I was awakened by some yelling and bumping against my door. But when I had the door opened there was no one. It seems like the Chinese, who are always so quite in Germany here are very loud. Much that sounds as if something is wrong is nothing but some general chit-chat it seems.

Since I was awake at 6 am now anyway (it was midnight in Germany) I thought I could get up as well. So I decided to make myself some coffee and try to find some breakfast.

One of the most valuable things I brought to China is a little jar of instant coffee and some canned milk. Even tough the green tea offered in the hotel room is quite good I just would hate to start my day without coffee.

KFC in Beijing, China

So then I started “Lina’s Little Journey through Beijing” in order to find breakfast. And when I talk about breakfast in China I don’t feel like I should eat a plain old cheeseburger at McDonalds.

My first guess was to ask at the reception. Even the English speaking employee was present. At first they said I should go to the 8th floor. 8 that makes sense as the Chinese word for 8 is spoken “ba” which is similar to the word for “rich”. 8 is a common lucky number in China.

But as soon as I was heading to the 8th floor in order to find my Chinese breakfast they were calling me back. Why I did not understand and I thought – thinking of my limited mandarin knowledge – it would not be a good idea to ask “为什么“ (wei shenme = why).

So they started to explain me in a mixture of Chinese, English and handsigns where I should go for breakfast.

Bycicles in Beijing

I started walking in that direction, happy about the coffee in my thermo-cup. I saw a lot of teenagers all wearing the same clothes. Probally a school uniform. I watched people on bikes of every form. Teenagers on their way to school, employees on the way to work and so on. Almost all bikes have a front basket and in almost every front basket there is a thermo-bottle of green tea.

So I went – or I think I did – in the place in Beijing where the hotel stuff had told me to find my breakfast. And I found a KFC. So I kept asking people – improving my Chinese – where to find breakfast.

Only problem: I had forgotten my dictionary and did neither know the words for “breakfast” nor for “search” or find “find”. In the end „吃饭在那里？” (chifan zai nail? = where is food?) worked quite good and I was send first to a McDonalds and then to another KFC. I started to get so despaired the next McDonalds I was send to I entered. I could have eaten a burger for about 18 Yuan = 1.80€. But even though my stomach started to hurt from no breakfast I did not see why I should eat a burger for breakfast.

In this litte Beijing Street I found breakfast

So in the end I decided to return to the hotel and force them to tell me where I can find non McDonalds breakfast in China. Then I saw a beautiful little street and more out of curiosity then real hope I entered.

First thing I saw was a little restaurant or something like that. Real and Chinese breakfast! It did not look very open to me so I asked a guy in front: “有吃饭？” (you chinfan? = have they food) and he took me inside and tried to explain everything to me.

When I entered the restaurant everyone was staring at me. I guess not many foreigners enter there. There where nice pictures on the wall and plastic seats in strong colours.

Breakfast in Beijing

There where like 5 different kinds of strange looking soup, some filled noodles, some boiled eggs and salad that I would rather not try.

I decided for the big filled noodle and some Chinese, white rice soup. It cost 4 Yuan (40 cents). I hope this is not a bad sign. The number 4 is in china a number of bad luck just like the 13 in Germany. 4 (spoken “si”) is similar to the word for death. So I just hoped I would survive my first real Chinese breakfast.

Everyone was watching me and I was watching everyone. At one table there were 3 women and one young boy of preschool age watching me. And me watching them. Small Chinese children always make a fuss about eating from what I watched. And they get a lot of attention through this. Even thought they are old enough to eat their breakfast themselves they are being fed. A Chinese once told me they are pampered until they go to school. Once in school Chinese children are very disciplined. But the change from being a child to being a school-child must be very heard for Chinese children. I wonder how they manage.

While I was eating my Chinese rice-soup for breakfast the young boy shyly waved at me. So I waved back and said “你好” (nihao = hello). But he was to shy to answer even with his mother coaxing him some.

After a while they left so I said “??” (baibai = byebye) and the little boy answered byebye. After I finished my boal of rice soup I left the restaurant. On the street I met the 3 women with the little boy once more. They greeted me very friendly.

Chinese Employees starting work

Walking back to the hotel I saw a lot of women in uniform dresses. Coming closer it seemed like they were all employees of a jewellery store. They where doing something like a dance interpreting “We are the champions”.

An English lady walked by and took a picture so I also dared to make a picture. Turned out she was English, but quite aggressive. She said “Very impressive, very mechanical though!” And I answered that I think it’s a much better way to start your work day then how we do in Europe or America. Seems like she preferred Europe since she made some more unfriendly comments about the mechanical Chinese and then left.

Back in the hotel I was hungry again. Seems like some rice soup does not keep you satisfied long. And the filled noodle I did not really like.