I'm back in Beijing, and it's a nice day. I was woken by my 'phone pinging but the day started nicely – it's sunny, and the wind that made my flight out from here on Monday so terrifying has blown away the smog, so it's almost a blue sky. It feels like it could be a good day.
First thing's first – EXPENSES!!!! And while completing them, I reflected on my time in Kaifeng (for once, I know where I've been – but that's only because the hotel receipt is next to me on my desk!)…that hotel really was nice, and particularly that view. And for once, I actually managed to eat some food at breakfast…but – look at the photo…
I thought those hot plate things, with little burners underneath were supposed to keep the food warm? SO WHY DO THEY KEEP THE BLOODY LIDS UP? Do they not know the basics of physics – HEAT RISES? As I went along getting food (well, some beans, bacon from pigs that drowned – don't go there – and even (day 2) some hash browns), I closed the lids as I went along, even on the noodle slop stuff which really cannot be called 'breakfast' anywhere but here. I HATE lukewarm food, and cold plates are a no-no…more contributing factors to my weight loss…I can't eat such things…but within seconds, the great unwashed that followed after me left them all up, because it's too logical (and too much trouble) to close them…
I forgot to tell you that in most hotel rooms here, there is a gas mask – possibly because we are close to crazy Korea, and they thing a WW2 gas mask will save them from nuclear fallout – but along with the free bottle of water and an apple, there is usually a selection of stuff you can buy (although it's not immediately obvious you get charged if you dare to touch the items) – wine, chocolate etc…and, usually some ladies things and condoms. In this case, the condoms were placed predictably next to the bed (why not the shower or bathroom sink? Boring people!) – but right next to the bloody gas mask!!! Unless….well….dressing up? Playing games? Leather is one thing but a gas mask? Hellfire…maybe they aren't so boring after all….
I was in a business that had some plant pots on a wall – I asked why and (when the jabbering was translated) was told it was a marketing thing – buy something and plant a seed (a bloody expensive seed, I can tell you!) but I totally abused my position and helped myself. It reminded me of my visit to the Buddhist Lama Temple recently here in Beijing…everyone was lighting incense things and kneeling…I'm ignorant of such things and didn't quite know what they were doing other than some sort of preying…but to the amusement of my 'chums', I lit one and had a quiet moment. And yesterday, I planted a seed…middle row, 4th from the right…deep breath as I did so…
On my last night, I went for a quiet walk near my hotel. I like to sit near trees when I contemplate…just past this busy roundabout, I found a quiet spot, and the sky was clear enough to see some stars…I talk to stars, and the man in the moon if he's there…
Driving back to the airport the next morning, I passed thousands of plastic tunnels, with squillions of strawberries under them – big business here, although I was never offered a single one during my stay (and no deformed fish, thank God!)…the last time I had strawberries here, the box was full of uniformly shaped & coloured things, that tasted of chemicals…which is probably how they get them all to be so uniformly shaped & coloured!!
Which reminds me…remember the 1,000's of dead pigs in the main Shanghai water supply? Same thing happened again, but near Beijing…and loads of dead fish, too – apparently 'electrocuted'….eh? Did someone throw a hairdryer into the river? And as for the latest outbreak of bird flu…fear not, "It is all under control – nothing to worry about".
I love eating 'Snickers' bars, anyway…I have half of one on my desk now…
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