Beijing

北京烤鸭 / Beijing roastduck

DAFT PUNK: AROUND THE WORLD

Lyrics: arouuund the woorld arouund the wooooorld
http://soundcloud.com/28th-street/daft-punk-around-the-world

THE TRAVEL

->  my 4hours-from-airport-to-apartment-story

....After arriving at the airport of Beijing I took the Airport Express Train and changed to the Subway line 10.  The subway is completely filled with Chinese people so that I had some difficulties with my huge backpack. Moreover I took the metro in rush-hour times at 8o'clock. 
I figured local people have a certain technique: They push themselves carelessly to the exit door one stop before they get out meanwhile people standing at the exit door take their places.  Since I stood directly at the door with my huge backpack, I have been pushed around all the time. However, at the end I could get out easily. 

In the subway and on the streets are a lot more men than women. And whoever is walking by, is going to look at you, even the unhelmeted men on bicycles and motorbikes 5 meters away on the street.

Leaving the subway I found myself in the middle of Beijing surprisingly not knowing where to go. Panic would have been an appropriate reaction in this situation. Luckily I printed out the address of the apartment in Chinese. Luckily I thought at first, but it turned out it was not lucky at all. Here's why: I asked about 20 Chinese for the way and got the 4 possible directions as a response: north, south, east and west. Besides, Beijingers will always tell you the way using these 4 directions whereas Shanghaiers use right, left, straight and back. The even bigger problem was that almost nobody spoke English...

Now it was my turn to panic a little since it took me already 2 and half hours so far. Well unfortunately the street where my apartment was supposed to be was more than 8km long. And even worse I didn't know that. I thought that it is not so far from the subway station (looked it up on google maps) but in fact I totally underestimated the distance.

I walked and walked next to the cars, bicycles and mopeds on the one side and Chinese street cookers on the other side. 

Meanwhile I had to cross several highway-sized streets: Of course there is no traffic Island on the half way, which meant to hurry or to pass on red. But as it turns out the only way you can cross the street is JUST GO (nobody would wait for the rare green light like a tourist with a huge backpack). 

After an hour walk with a 14 kg backpack I still didn't know exactly where to go. A Chinese officer helped me. (THANK YOU!) He called my roommate and a taxi. A 3minutes taxi drive later I finally arrived looking like war. Anyhow my roommate welcomed me happily with a warm soymilk. (豆浆)