Day 3 was one of my most anticipated days since I would finally be able to meet in person a friend I had met online for language exchange. James lives in Beijing and we started talking last summer, when I had just started to learn Chinese. Obviously, back then I wasn't good enough to make conversation so we mostly spoke in English, thanks to which he says his speaking has noticeably improved! These days I can converse in Chinese a bit better, so he's reciprocating the favor superbly and I think my spoken Mandarin is slowly improving as well. Anyway, after nearly a year of texting and video chat, it seemed surreal that it would be the first time I met someone I already considered to be a rather close friend.
Fangyin had to work that day, so until she got off most of the day was spent with James - and well spent to say the least. We met at 10 in the morning, and our first destination was Gongwangfu, the former residence of an infamous Qing dynasty official named He Shen. I hear there are mixed reviews about him; he is usually depicted as extremely greedy and corrupt but James considers him a shrewd opportunist. I guess I know too little about Chinese history to be able to elaborate, so this is pretty much all I can say regarding the subject.
It was rainy all day, which we saw as a blessing in disguise because there weren't that many people, especially considering that Monday was a public holiday. The photos look dreary but the day had an overall picturesque atmosphere, which is probably because the place itself blends so well with the trees and nature. Nature tends to be beautiful in all weathers.
Apparently there are a lot of elements embedded into all the architecture, plants, basically everything so it seems, that represent wealth/fortune/prosperity. I heard more explanations but can't remember. One thing I do remember is that the pronunication of the word bat and fortune ("fu") sound the same, hence the use of bats in decoration.
The photo above was supposedly two dragons or something a lot more majestic than it looks now; it's become its present state over centuries of errosion. There's also a story behind this which was pretty interesting but sadly I can't remember... something about some people who wanted to steal it and the measures they took so it couldn't be moved. Anyway, behind this is a cave-like entrance which leads to a stele apparently with the then-emporer's handwriting, which was extremely rare to find and therefore considered lucky. People line up to slide their hand down this stone for luck, so of course I did the same. The wish I made was pathetic now that I think about it... I should have wished for something more profound or sophisticated. Oh well, too late.
The stone was the highlight of this palace according to my friend, and actually the sole reason of our visit. He said he knew I was preparing to study in China next year, so he brought me here for good luck, so that I would succeed in my endeavors. I was touched at how considerate and sweet his objective was, and that alone I'm sure has already blown some positive energy into me.
Lunch was at a restaurant called 那家小馆 (Ni Jia Xiao Guan). The waitress there apparently took one look at me and recognized me as a Korean; I'm not sure how! :D Especially since I hadn't said a word while my friend did all the ordering.
The place has a more traditional ambience, the building and music being big contributing factors. The food was awesome, as it usaully is for me.
 |
| 黄坛子 Huangtanzi, some sort of chicken soupish thing where you mix your rice in as well... YUM |
 |
| Mashed potatoes... I've missed this for a while since it's not a common dish in Korea |
 |
| Tofu with assorted sauces to mix with |
 |
| Veggie xianbing... would prefer with meat next time >_< |
Right nearby this restaurant was the 798 Art District (798艺术区), a neighborhood which used to be a bunch of old military factories but is now known for its thriving modern art scene. I would call this place a hipster paradise, as many of the artworks displayed in the open are unique, eccentric, and just cool, for lack of a better word. There are dozens of tiny exhibitions - some free, some for a small entrance fee - with a variety of themes to choose from. I couldn't cover the whole district due to limited time and bad sense of direction (turns out James is even worse with directions than I am!) but I still got to see a lot and I immensely enjoyed exploring this part of the city.
-Some exhibition full of monkeys
 |
| One of my favorites! |
Our last stop in 798 was a store/exhibition all about COWS.
 |
| Only picture I got with this guy :D |
So all the song selections are on a tablet PC on the wall, OR you can use your smartphone instead to play songs directly. How cool is that? No need for an actual remote controller, and there are so many ways to navigate songs! Plus, KTV here has a much wider selection of English songs compared to Korea, but not as many Korean songs as I would have liked. Still, way better than the English songs we've got, and Korean karaoke has a pitiful number of Chinese songs, so I'm not one to complain!
 |
| Call button for services |
 |
| LOOK AT THIS, WHO GETS AFTERNOON TEA AT KTV? ONLY IN CHINA! |
Meat, meat, and more meat.
Though I really liked the veggies too.
 |
| 虾滑馒头 (so my friend says); these bits of shrimp are dropped into the hot pot in bite sized pieces to become like the photo below; whoever thought of this is a complete genius. Once again, props to you, China. |
 |
| Mantou dipped in condensed milk, was about the closest thing to chocolate or pastries or heavy and fattening Western desserts I was addicted to back home. Upon eating this I had realized how I hadn't had any junk food in China, and that I'd forgotten how much I loved sweet carbs. I devoured half of these with no regret. |
 |
| They ordered one shaobing (烧饼, a bready cakey thing) for me to try; it was delicious!!! |
The first building we arrived at was the notorious Uniqlo, which became a landmark some time ago after a couple had sex in the fitting rooms and the video was leaked online, going viral all across China. Every Chinese person I mentioned this Uniqlo to immediately knew which one I was talking about, LOL!
Then we had cocktails at a bar called "First Floor." I don't remember what I ordered but it tasted rather nasty and I always hate myself for trying out new drinks because they never work out. I must remind myself to just stick to my pina coladas in the future.
An end to a long, long day!
Comments
Post a Comment