As the temperature continues to drop outdoors APEC fever has descended on Beijing, and the capital is enjoying some unwanted attention from foreign media sources. Yes folks, all the old "whipping boys" are making their appearance in the western media from poor air to China's infamous social decay. In an effort to combat it's less than stellar image abroad, the Chinese government has stepped up "face saving messures", and it's the citizens of Beijing who are benefitting most. Some great APEC related externalities are making the lives of Beijingers easier. This phenomenon was highlighted in a recent article in the South China Morning Post where the paper referred to us a "long-suffering". While I wouldn't go that far, it is nice to finally see somethings work right.....or some people work (at their jobs) for that matter.
VACATION - APEC isn't just a meeting of important word leaders. To millions of Beijingers it is a bona fide holiday. Non-essential government personnel and students all getting the week off for the event. However, the resulting babysitter shortage is really putting a crunch on working class Beijingers. I am taking the opportunity to write a few blogs and read now that baseball season is over. It also might be fun to watch the political chess game unfold at the conference, considering I have a ringside seat to the event. I am very curious to see what Chinese state media has to say about the Taiwanese delegation (if anything), considering the comments of the nation's president regarding the Hong Kong democracy protests.
AIR QUALITY - The title of this post comes from a joke circulating on the Chinese communication app, We Chat. Think the Chinese carbon copy of What's App. Beijingers awoke yesterday to the first blue-sky day in a long time. I am taking the opportunity to breath as much moderately clean air as possible before the smog returns.....which will likely be in ten minutes. The clean air initiatives have been so successful that there are already calls for holding a BPEC, and if need be, a CPEC.
CROWDING - Those stories you hear about homeless people in Beijing disappearing before the 2008 Olympics are probably true considering the evaporation of the city's street people in recent weeks. They are cleaning up everything here, including people. There are so few people in Beijing right now that I actually go to sit down on the subway for 10 whole minutes yesterday.....which leads me to my next point.
SUBWAY SECURITY - Travelers to the "Big B" are usually shocked when they learn you must go through airport-style security every time you enter the city's expansive and terribly inefficient subway system (now the world's longest). My loyal reader (that's correct...reader) will know that I have no love for Beijing's subway as explored in the post Trainspotting. It should come as little surprise that security has increased for the event. However, the situation isn't all bad. The security screening staff are now actually doing their jobs. It's sort of like the equivalent of going to 7-11 everyday and the woman behind the counter makes you checkout your own items and make your own change. Then one day you come in and suddenly they actually do it for you. Crazy idea right. Trays have appeared at most of the subway screening machines, meaning I no longer have to place my items on the disgusting conveyer belt. I also witnessed a security person check the x-ray screen when my bag was going through the machine.
Yeah times are good here in Beijing thanks to APEC. It's up to the livability of Chernobyl outside the immediate fallout zone. So anyone contemplating a visit to the capital should certain consider visiting during BPEC. I'll keep you posted on the upcoming dates.
VACATION - APEC isn't just a meeting of important word leaders. To millions of Beijingers it is a bona fide holiday. Non-essential government personnel and students all getting the week off for the event. However, the resulting babysitter shortage is really putting a crunch on working class Beijingers. I am taking the opportunity to write a few blogs and read now that baseball season is over. It also might be fun to watch the political chess game unfold at the conference, considering I have a ringside seat to the event. I am very curious to see what Chinese state media has to say about the Taiwanese delegation (if anything), considering the comments of the nation's president regarding the Hong Kong democracy protests.
AIR QUALITY - The title of this post comes from a joke circulating on the Chinese communication app, We Chat. Think the Chinese carbon copy of What's App. Beijingers awoke yesterday to the first blue-sky day in a long time. I am taking the opportunity to breath as much moderately clean air as possible before the smog returns.....which will likely be in ten minutes. The clean air initiatives have been so successful that there are already calls for holding a BPEC, and if need be, a CPEC.
CROWDING - Those stories you hear about homeless people in Beijing disappearing before the 2008 Olympics are probably true considering the evaporation of the city's street people in recent weeks. They are cleaning up everything here, including people. There are so few people in Beijing right now that I actually go to sit down on the subway for 10 whole minutes yesterday.....which leads me to my next point.
SUBWAY SECURITY - Travelers to the "Big B" are usually shocked when they learn you must go through airport-style security every time you enter the city's expansive and terribly inefficient subway system (now the world's longest). My loyal reader (that's correct...reader) will know that I have no love for Beijing's subway as explored in the post Trainspotting. It should come as little surprise that security has increased for the event. However, the situation isn't all bad. The security screening staff are now actually doing their jobs. It's sort of like the equivalent of going to 7-11 everyday and the woman behind the counter makes you checkout your own items and make your own change. Then one day you come in and suddenly they actually do it for you. Crazy idea right. Trays have appeared at most of the subway screening machines, meaning I no longer have to place my items on the disgusting conveyer belt. I also witnessed a security person check the x-ray screen when my bag was going through the machine.
Yeah times are good here in Beijing thanks to APEC. It's up to the livability of Chernobyl outside the immediate fallout zone. So anyone contemplating a visit to the capital should certain consider visiting during BPEC. I'll keep you posted on the upcoming dates.
No comments:
Post a Comment