The Bookworm - My Favorite Place in Beijing

You really have to hand it to the people who run the Bookworm, they know what they are doing.  The establishment clearly caters to ex-patriots, myself included.  It has a fully stocked bar featuring craft beers and the ever popular Pimm's, great food, and of course lots of books.  They really know how to target the expat market really well.  I bought a 1 - year library subscription from them yesterday (cost: 300 RMB).  It's a great deal for me because I can check out books for my English students (see future blog posts for more information).  The place serves as a central-hub for expats from all over the world.  Just the other day, a Swedish man stopped me in the street and asked for directions there.  That's right, just out of the blue, he asked me to help him find this treasured Beijing institution.  I simply had to tell him to follow me, because that was where I was headed.  Their rooftop area is one of Beijing's true gems, and the establishment hosts many events such as movie screenings and author talks.  The movie screenings are geared toward a slightly older crowd and feature some of the biggest movies from the 1980's (before my time).  Whenever I feel homesick or bored, I always make an effort to stop by the Bookworm and browse through the shelves.  And of course have a drink or two.   

Chinese Culture and Ktv

I went with a few friends to a Ktv venue Friday night (Ktv is the Chinese term for Karaoke).  When they told me that we were going to a karaoke bar, I instantly though of suffering through a bunch of drunk renditions of "Don't Stop Believin'" in a small, dinghy bar.  I found something much different when we arrived at the Ktv building.  Instead of the traditional bar, the established offered private rooms that seated roughly 8-12 people.  Our room contained its own person karaoke machine and screen, and a private attendant to deliver our drink orders.  The people that I went with described it as a very "Chinese" experience, and I must say that I agree.  The whole experience had a slightly surreal feel because of the self-contained nature of the event (and possibly because of the booze).  We went to a building to do something that we could have easily have done in the privacy of someones home.  Only people from our group witnessed our singing. I found it very different than karaoke nights in the US where the audience is one of the biggest (and in some cases best) parts of the night.  Maybe things are more culturally different here than I previously thought.            

The Ashes from an American Perspective

Last night, I caught a few hours of the Ashes at an expat bar with a friend.  That's right, I have friends (my parents are just as surprised as you are).  The bar was filled with Australians quietly watching the poorly streaming video feed from SkySports.  For those unfamiliar with cricket, the Ashes is the semi-annual meeting of the English and Australian International Cricket Teams.  One website yesterday referred to the event as the greatest rivalry in sports that won't end in a nuclear exchange (I think this is a reference to India and Pakistan, and a quite good one at that).  As a general sports fan, I love going to things like this.  Learning about the game is half the fun of going.  That is especially true for a sport as unique as cricket. It resembles baseball in both its game play and the cult-of-the-game that surrounds the sport.  The match was played at Lord's (the birth place of cricket) and I have actually been lucky enough to attend a match there myself.  To the uninitiated, cricket probably looks like a bunch of foreign people, hitting a ball and running pointlessly back and forth, and this is pretty much true.  Sometimes, they even break for tea to further reinforce cultural stereotypes (not a joke).  The most noise the bar crowd generated was when the video feed from the shady website the bar was streaming the game from inexplicably cutout.  The strange atmosphere of the bar mirrored the slow pace of the play on the pitch.  We eventually left (I don't think my friend cares much for cricket, or sports in general for that matter), but seeing expats so far from their home nations support their national side made me oddly homesick.  All the more reason to check out the American baseball games tomorrow morning when the all-star break ends.        

Visiting the Lama Temple

The Lama Temple was better than the Forbidden City.  That's right, I said it, shriek in horror if you must.  However, for me at least, it's true.  It's really refreshing to go to an important cite in Beijing and see it functioning as its intended purpose.  The temple is a real, working temple instead of a preserved ghost town like the Forbidden City.  I really enjoyed learning about the Buddhist prayer rituals.  People light these incense-like sticks, pray, and then leave them at an altar (obviously I don't know much about Buddhism).  If you have an interest in world religions or are just curious, this is a great place to learn.  Also, the statues and structures are amazing.  Be prepared to look like an idiot tourist because you are going to snap so many pictures it won't even be funny.  The Lama Temple should be near the top of anyone's "must see list" when visiting Beijing. Make sure to go all the way to the back of the temple complex to see this amazing statue.

In Praise of Paul Simon's Graceland

I know....I know, there isn't a person on earth that doesn't love this album, but did you ever stop yourself to ask why?  For me, this album was my first introduction to any popular music from the continent of Africa.  It opened a door onto an area of music that many didn't even know existed.  Aside from the African melodies and musicians, Simon really created his own personal magnum opus with this album.  I don't know why that girl in New York City calls herself the "human trampoline," (I can think of a few possible reasons of the top of my head) but I love that lyric.  If you still haven't listened to this one, do the world and yourself a favor and pick it up.  I saw a review for the anniversary edition that called the album "musical prozac."  I must say that I completely agree with their assessment.  The album is sure to put you in a good mood, and is a lot cheaper than a prescription drug habit.    

Expat Culture

Beijing is a hard nut to crack.  The sprawl of the city makes it difficult to explore on foot and the crowded subway and inadequate bus service make getting around, at times, difficult.  However, nothing worthwhile is ever easy, and the city offers so many great hidden gems that it is almost always worth the struggle.  Coming to Beijing, there were two types of culture that I wanted to explore, Chinese culture and expat culture.  Finding the best parts of either of them require you to explore alleyways and get lost in the maze of moderately sized skyscrapers.  Working the Chaoyang District, I never have to go far to find an English speaker.  Which is nice, but my Chinese is terrible to non-existent (but improving).  A coworker took me to one of the city's great ex-patriot hideaways on the north side of the city next to UIBE.  Ahave, the name of the restaurant, was great find offering paninis and other sandwiches.  It's places like this that make all the walking and waiting worthwhile.  I am hoping to checkout a few bars this weekend near the SOHO building. 

Sports

I am currently trying to find a local bar/venue to watch my favorite sports teams, but am not having much luck.  It is definitely more difficult than I though it was going to be.  For one thing, Beijing is 12 hours ahead of the east coast, and 8am isn't exactly the greatest time to crack open a beer (however, there is no time like the present).  Also, and this is a very broad generalization, sports aren't as big over here as they are in the United States and Europe.  Still, some expat bars have sports on during the afternoons.  I actually caught some of Wimbledon the other day, not on purpose though.  I don't really care about tennis.  In the meantime, I am trying to adapt by following Beijing Guoan in the Chinese Super League.  They are currently fourth in the table, and it's nice to root for a team that doesn't always lose (I should mention that I am a QPR fan).  Likewise, China has a baseball league believe it or not, and I intend to check out the Beijing Tigers play on the south side of town.  If anyone knows of a good bar that shows American sports, make sure to let me know.