On the way to work

All but one of the lights dim, flicker, and are then cut, and the rumbling starts. Straight away what sound like shrill cries can be heard, but it is no more than some interpretation of a local opera. The sound is made all the more peculiar by the portable amplification techniques used to lend it some weight and volume.

My neighbour, a middle aged man with a youthful, but leathery looking face gives me a warm smile. Rubbing his three fingers together, he warns me of the oncoming crisis. They want our money. Of course, I already knew, but I thank him with my thumb.
Lights return. According to the fact that 'Pants' by Newman lasts the same time as this journey, and also the timetable, it will be exactly three minutes until we arrive at Tian'anmen West (from the East). The singing will not stop until the police are within earshot, and even then, they will not miss me, they will not pass me by.

Midgets! Sitting or standing, this is a pain. I am sitting. They draw a silence in their wake, which will not pass until they are out of earshot. No chatter, and everyone else has bowed their heads. Truly, they are the elite of the 'non-working' world, and outclass the scruffy old beggar, who need merely wash his hands, remove his beard, and his guise would fall.

I have never seen so many midgets in my life as on the Beijing subway. Maybe they live in the tunnels. Either way, I do not believe I have ever seen one travelling, this is their income. The only other people to make money on the subway sell magazines, newspapers, or maps. They are mostly ignored too, but less unwelcome. I believe these beggars have a higher salary than myself, or at least, every Chinese tells me so, and I have never doubted them.

Half dancing, half gliding, the convoy is heading straight for the only foreigner. How much money do I have in my wallet? Too much to show a midget, seeing as though I will only part with half a Yuan or so. My choice was already made.

They are before me now, eyes bearing into me. The leader carries a money purse, and her counterpart the microphone. The singing has stopped, at least I do not hear it any more. Cold, I draw my head upwards. Their stare is hot, waiting to meet me. Head up, I bring my eyes to bear on theirs.

An instant, flash, a thunderclap of sorts. A life's worth of knowledge passes between me and the midget – at least more than you could write down in a page or so. We truly are connected. Electric, I am cold, open, and show them the world in all of its brutal, heartless cruelty. I try to keep a smile on my face, but, its the same for us all. Sometimes you cannot have what you wish for, and sometimes your wish is, well...

Faster and more effective than the wave of a hand, or pretending I just do not see them (the huge conflict of heart is their main earner), no doubt this will have a different effect on fellow passengers, too. What must they think I am doing.

The risky business of eye contact is almost completed. Our eyes still towards each other, the midget also gets off her own salvo. Fierce anger and disappointment. I do not escape without minor abrasion. Its over though, and I have won! They pass, and I have saved the equivalent of 5p. Chatter continues, and we soon arrive at Tian'anmen. The rest of the journey is uneventful.

[EDIT] In answer to one or two questions, these were not children, but real gen-uine midgets.

Reporting now for Monday, which has just passed. Did I miss a day? It was very short anyhow. A lot of sleeping.

I've extended my stay in the youth hostel here, which has proven to be a little costly. I move into an apartment tomorrow, again help from my friend. I'm starting to worry that I'm getting too much help, because really I can't repay it all, and I really don't think she wants to be doing it. Anyway, the apartment will save me a lot of money, but then it shall stop.

I spent all of today wandering the city, splitting that up by eating, and applying for work on the Internet. I've made some connections, and have at least one interview lined up, all English teaching of some description. The adverts are very varied. There are usually some veiled hints that only Caucasians will be accepted, but the best came today. Some of the benefits included to the teacher were Sunday Church services, and listed beside that, the restrictions were no preaching to the class, and no visiting prostitutes. Wonderful.

The city wakes up really early, as soon as the sun is up, there are plenty of people on the street. Its fairly common to see people doing their own stretching exercises, resting on bike locking posts, walls, lampposts. Bit strange at first, seeing old people stretching like cats.

I spent the first half of the day using my garbled Mandarin to get to a Bank of China. I found about 4 banks, none of them would change my YingBang to Yuan. They'd all presumed I'd be bringing in Dollar. On the fifth, I had some luck.

It was my first real day of trying out my language on people on the street, with no obligation to be friendly and understanding. Asides from a few people not knowing where it was, or being vague, it all went well. I tended to try and ask older folk, one lady looked a bit peeved at being asked, and pointed me to some young girls who had obviously been watching to hear how the foreigner spoke English. They didn't know where the bank was, though.

It was all going well until I got back to my hotel, satisfied that my amazingly simple question was received and understood, I decided to freshen and go looking for food. I usually nod and say hello to the hotel staff. I managed to go between one of them and some Spaniards wanting breakfast. Spanish English to English/English and Poor Chinese to the staff. Anyway, tried to say I was hungry and going out, but as soon as I'd said it, oh God. They both shook their heads and said no thank you. Well, I'd not intended to invite anyone out for food, but there you go. She's avoided me ever since. I doubt I will get breakfast tomorrow. Woe is me.

Got lost in shanty town finding food, the contrast between front streets and the interior is something new. Its pretty much a western street on the roads with the main traffic, shopping, bus and metro stations, you just have to walk down one of the smaller anonymous looking lanes and its like an old market in a back lane. I don't know, I felt like an intruder. I know where to go for a haircut, though.

Told Den I'd been to MacDonald's, but in fact, that was a lie. MacDonald's was down the street, and in similar colours, I was just in a Chain Chinese restaurant. I think I met a real eccentric while in there, too. Swapped emails.

Despite getting three interviews, one positive acceptance, and sent off about 5 as yet unanswered emails, changing my money, and getting some decent food off the beaten track, I am apparently a useless failure of a man and human, who has accomplished nothing today except wander aimlessly and feed. Its good to have someone I know in the city, its as though my self loathing has become personified for the brief period where I am too excitable and busy to pay attention to it. On that note, I can happily report to Aaron that I have enjoyed Bishojo Senshi Sailor Moon episodes 19-22 back to back this evening. God knows what else to write here, I'm happier today, having spoken to a few more people.

Getting some odd shifty looks while walking through the streets, have no idea how to react. I feel like an endangered ape, or a very poor example of a poodle. The kids are the most entertaining, they don't divert their gaze when you see them. Bikes are everywhere, all kinds, half powered, modernised rickshaws with televisions and odds and ends piled up in the back of them, some of them like huts on wheels. Little kid yesterday shouting “Hello, foreigner!”, waving from the back of mums bike. Pleased to say I navigated the subway ring route fine, from ChangChanJie to god knows, to meet my friend again. I just had to remember it was one stop after 'Lama Temple'. We met and had another day of it. I was shown Tianamen and the forbidden city. So much iron and gold, although I'm sure it was a little less worn when it was in use. Right from the back where the concubines were stockpiled, it gets more and more public as you walk through sets of gates or arches. Lots of blurb on boards, the two things I remember was hearing how a stone dragon carving was transported across Beijing in the winter, by sprinkling water across the streets, waiting for it to ice over, and sliding it across the ice. I didn't want to bring up Stonehenge, god knows how they managed that all the way from Wales. The other facts they mention were the suicides that occasionally happened, no explanation, though.

Having the same problems with food again, my stomach is still really unsettled. Buying some treatment for it has been the only time so far when I've been absolutely sure I was ripped off. Taxi drivers have been fine, and I've not eaten out alone yet.

My bad habits are all being corrected. Apparently my head nodding is excessive. I think it must be very difficult for Jie walking around with a white person, my limited Chinese still lets me know when I'm being called pig ugly.

Its very difficult for any 'disabled' person to get work here, apparently, I think this may extend to me if I give away that my sight is poor. I've also been told that parents favour 'attractive teachers', its wonderful and brutally honest here, so I'm not getting my hopes up about work.

I saw Beihal park yesterday, too. There was a Tibetan style temple right at the centre, couldn't get it to, not so disappointing as its not in use. Again, a little knackered.

Touchdown

Left Newcastle on a toy aeroplane, and got chatting away to a Scottish lady off to Rome to watch a Rugby match. As ever, I had phoned ahead to explain my eyesight, and so was treated as completely blind for the whole trip. This lasted from getting onto the plane in Newcastle, to getting into a taxi at Beijing Intl Airport.

I am sweltered and exhausted at the moment. The upshot of being 'blind' was that I got to sit for 5 hours in the staffroom at Paris, enjoying the pleasures of free tea, and even a cigarette in a special 'smoke removing booth'. I'll give it to those French guys, their English was suberb, and they were very hospitable. I admire and respect them for it, and I'm sure they were only doing it to shame an Englishman (or at least, I sincerely hope).

The uniforms at Beijing airport were wonderful, and everyone was proud to be wearing them. No other clues, not in the marble or the shiny adveritsements.

The taxi driver didn't know where my hostel was, or at least, that's the best I could make out from his shouting. He passed the famous square, and pointed it out. I was looking the other way, amazed at how we were crossing something more like a concrete lake than travelling a road. Saw the big Mao.

So far I am most embarrassed by my lack of good Chinese, and by the hysterical laughter of yorkshiremen in the pishtle-soaked lobby of my hotel. Foreigners should not be here, including yours truly. I have only seen sprawl so far, 'that's no mist' I shout, on winding down taxi window.

Exhausted, and going for sleep. That's after I check my Ukulele survived transit. I meet Jie in 4 hours.

Didn't sleep because of building work, thankfully the Ukulele is fine. I got taken out for a meal last night. The meeting was very pleasant, but due to some nasty stomach pain, I could hardly eat. I did do my best, and I hate to see food wasted. My excuse of stomach pain wasn't believed though, I don't think, and now my friend thinks I have an aversion to all Chinese food. Must get some sleep.