I’m spending my first night in Beijing here at the Holiday Inn Central Plaza. It’s a five-star hotel at a bargain-basement price of around $60 a night. Aside from the fireworks outside celebrating some unknown Chinese holiday I could look around my hotel room and fool myself into thinking I’m in America. Especially if the loud American women in the room next door keep jammering.
The plane flight was smooth and not nearly as long as I expected (they never are). We got off to a late start when Continental not only got into an oversold situation but managed to board one oversold passenger for a seat that didn’t exist. We had to get the jetway moved back in to let the poor schmuck off.
When I checked in yesterday morning I saw a row still empty while my row was full. Like an idiot I reseated myself into the free row, center seat, thinking this would give me at least one seat free on the aisle. Nope. I rode the whole way in the center seat while at least I could’ve had a window seat. The passengers on either side were cool though. One was Chinese and didn’t talk much while the other was from Ohio on his way to closing a deal on a steel-forging furnace his comopany makes. I chatted with the steel guy off and on throughout the flight. He was pretty friendly.
As we neared the North Pole (and our half-way point), I slipped out of my seat to peek out the window near the lavatory. I saw nothing but dark and clouds. The next visit to the window showed clouds, too. My third trip was rewarded by a spectacular view of Siberia – a few roads and villages etched into the snowy hills. A fellow passenger told me that a look a half-hour earlier showed complete desolation – no sign of human civilization as far as the eye could see. I marveled at the thought of flying over a country once considered our enemy (and later landing at the capital yet another one). The world sure does change quickly!
The first thing I noticed when we landed is the haze. There was a thick haze enveloping everything. The 4 PM sun was a deep orange as it burned through, reminding me more of late summer sunsets than midafternoon winter days. Smoke clogs the skies of Beijing. The air is not healthy at all.
Getting through customs was a breeze. The U.S. is far more strict than China, which I find amusing. One is the Land of The Free (TM) and the other is a totalitarian state. Can you guess which is which?
Jasper, the bizdev guy here, is taking good care of me. He picked me up from the airport, drove me into town, checked m e into the hotel, bought me my first Chinese beer, booked my sightseeing tours for the weekend, took me out to South Beauty restaurant for a good Chinese dinner, and then brought me back to my hotel. He’s made things so much easier than they otherwise would’ve been. I’m very comfortable already.
In many ways Beijing has become just another Westernized Asian city. Yet there’s something different. I’d read accounts of Chinese people gawking at foreigners but those accounts were ten years ago. There are many more foreigners here now yet they still do draw attention. I felt like Godzilla walking through the restaurant tonight (yes, I know I’m mixing cultural icons here. Name me a Chinese Godzilla-equivalent, smarty pants). As a caucasian I can blend into many different cultures, but not here. Not completely, not yet. Its a different feeling to be a minority as a white guy.
I’ve snapped a few pics of my first day which I’ll post shortly. Then its bedtime. At 8 AM (Beijing time, 7PM EST Friday), I take the first of two guided tours around the area. They each last 8 hours each so I should be pretty spent by this time tomorrow.
