Stick a Chopstick in Me - I'm Done

In a few hours I'll board a plane to Vancouver and put my month in Beijing behind me. I'll also leave behind three t-shirts, a pair of pants, shoes, and a well-soiled baseball hat to make room in my luggage for Tommy Bahama knock-offs. I will, however, take away fond memories, lifelong friendships, and video footage to preserve the former and strain the latter.

While I wait for the Air Canada ticket agents to complete their pre-shift inspection and song, I’ll share a few observations about Beijing and China. As I mentioned in an early post, I had expected a crowded, loud, and dirty city. Beijing is a far cry from that caricature. It is a clean (smog excepted), safe, and relaxed community where the people will always soften their curious stare with a smile when one is offered to them. I have found my hosts and the service to be welcoming, warm, and gracious from arrival through departure.

There have been some headaches. Email is hit-and-miss and the security infrastructure often removes even the most benign file attachments. While I have been able to keep this blog, I can't actually read it because the blogspot.com URL is blocked. I won’t miss taxi rides that rival the final lap at Talladega for terror, nor the army of vendors that has attempted to sell me a Chairman Mao wristwatch. But why whine about that when all you really need is meat on a stick, a fifty cent beer, and a karaoke catalogue full of Whitney Houston ballads. Beijing has plenty of that.

My time here would not have been one of my most rewarding and satisfying experiences without the friendship of my fellow CTPers - Dylan, Elaine, Habeel, Louise, Matthew, and Nadia (and honourary CTPers Thao & Dave). Whether it was bargaining for shirts or snoring through foot massages - I'll remember every minute of our time together and I'll miss you all. For those continuing your travels, I'll be thinking of you. For those showing up at work over the next few weeks, I'll be calling you to grab some deep-fried pork fat.