Beijing: Pardon our construction.

So Beijing is a HUGE city. It's quite expansive, compared to typical asian cities, which are building up because they're out of space. I guess Beijing is building up as well. It seemed like half the city, not to mention all the tourist sites, were under construction, everyone preparing for the Olympics in 343 days (there are countdown tickers all over the city to remind them how much longer they have to get that building done!). Some of these projects they are undertaking, I have no idea HOW they will have them completed, functional, operational, and SAFE in under a year. But I guess with a virtually unlimited workforce that works around the clock, it can be done.

Just some thoughts, observations, etc, before I go to work (they're a work in progress, forgive me):

Subway: There is currently a Line 1 (Red), Line 2 (Blue), and Line 13 (Yellow). Red goes west to east, blue is a loop line, and yellow is a spur off of the loop line. Thus begins the mystery of lines 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. According to Faye and other Chinese insiders, all the subway lines have been planned in advance; these three are the only ones that are done. In one subway station, I saw plans for lines 5, 8, and 10. And the other day in Zhongguancun, I saw a crane that said something like "building the future line 4". Thus remains lines 6, 7, 9, 11, and 12. Interesting, though, that a city this big is just beginning to get a subway system.

Bus: It's because everyone depends on the bus. These cans are packed like sardines all the time. But it can be cheap: Some buses charge .40, some charge 1, some charge per km or per stop. How this is determined? Who knows. But buses can get you anywhere, it's great. Too bad most of them stop running after around 10 or so.

Nightlife: Maybe it's because I'm a family man now, but it seems like, unlike other asian cities, there's not much that happens after 10 or so. No night markets, karaoke, etc. Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong place.

Tourbooks: Anyone who's traveling to Beijing, don't count on a travel guide book like Frommers or Lonely Planet, especially if it is out of date--like 2006. I got one from the library that was 2006, and had trouble finding places because a lot of places have moved because of the Olympics. There was one store I really wanted to go buy stuff from, I told the taxi driver to take me to a place close to it, but just to make sure, I asked him if he's heard of the store, and he said it was no longer there, it moved to make way for a highrise. And this book was dated 2006!?! Argh. So I told him to go to the airport instead because traffic was horrendous anyway.

Cars: Interesting conversation on television was talking about reducing pollution by telling people to take public transpo, while at the same time, cars are just becoming more and more popular, people are trading in their bicycles one by one for a car, and the novelty effect probably hasn't worn off yet. So they have a little "Maodun". Another thing: Black Audis and Black VWs seem to be the status symbol around here. If you have money, you most likely have a black Audi. They're nice, but when everyone has one, where's the novelty in that?!

Foreign vs Domestic: I went to a fast food beef noodle shop (wasn't that great, but oh well) and got a can of coke for 5 RMB (about 70 cents or so), which I already thought was a rip off, since a can can cost about 2-3RMB usually. But then I go back to the American-owned hotel I was staying at, and was a little thirsty, and since I was sitting in the lobby lounge mooching wireless internet, I felt bad that I was sitting there not ordering anything, so I ordered a can of pepsi. Can anyone guess how much I paid? 34.50 RMB (5 bucks or so). Crazy. The same type of charges can be seen in transportation costs as well. Taxis are 10 RMB to start, and then 2 RMB for every few KM (I don't remember exactly how it works, but it's still relatively cheap). Pretty much it costs about 20 RMB (about 3 bucks) to get places in town (on average; going across town is another thing). Cheap, yes? But get this. Taking the subway to go across town is 3 RMB (less than 50 cents). That's cheap, right? But wait, there's more. Taking the bus (well, I wrote it earlier) is only .40 RMB to as much as 2 or 3 RMB as well! (so 5 cents to about 50). And one wonders why everyone takes the bus.

People: It's funny, these people are always scrambling to get places. Not the most orderly, but I was told by some Malaysians that it's worse over there. I can't even imagine. The way people drive is the way people get on and off the subway, on and off the bus, and in and out of food lines. Drives me crazy! I like Japan because it is the exact opposite--a lot more orderly. Makes DC traffic look like cakewalk, that's for sure!

Another comment: You wouldn't think China was a communist country. Did anyone else notice that? I mean, other than Tiananmen Square and the Great Hall and all that out there, it would be hard to tell. I bet it's even harder to tell in Shanghai.

Well I'm out, I'm completely out of clothes and need to get the laundry done--it needs to last another week or so!

More later.