Thursday 7:30AM. We didn’t plan for rain. And rain it did yesterday, sheets of it, soaking us to the skin on our rickshaw ride through the Hutong. Clad in a rain slicker, our driver pedaled ferociously through the streets, warning pedestrians and cars of our presence with a shout of sorts. Our destination was an old-style Hutong home, reminiscent of something from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, if on a smaller scale, and rather less elegantly appointed. Our hosts were waiting for us, peering expectantly out the door, shouting at each other in Chinese, gesturing, and marching purposefully back and forth through the rooms. Cell phones were ringing, and someone was cooking. It’s a booming enterprise, I surmise, this showing of the Hutong home. Everything has significance and is well thought-out. Surrounding the quadrangle, the North section houses the grandparents, the south the servants, east the girls and west the boys. References to the four elements and feng shui abound. There is something peaceful and comforting, I think, in things that are thought-through in this way.
Since the weather isn’t cooperating, we head to the Pearl Market. There is nothing peaceful and comforting about the Pearl Market. market. Sellers shout at us the second we get off the escalator, assailing us with their bags, scarves, shoes and wallets. Abby is the darling of the merchants. They seem to love her tentative approach. I am the worst—the worst—at bartering. But eventually I catch on and after spending too much (probably) on a Jimmy Choo knock-off bag, I kind of get the hang of it and have some fun, arguing over an “Omega” watch which I eventually secure for about US$10. A long walk back to the hotel, another visit to the lounge (it is happy hour after all) and then out for dinner where we are sufficiently fed and watered (and beered) for about $10 a family. Not bad.
It’s night-time on the streets of Beijing but it is like daytime. The night market is alive and thriving. Here the merchants hail us, encouraging us warmly to try the fried silk worm, snake, chicken heart or roast baby pigeon on a stick.
There are some things best left undiscovered.
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