The best 12.5 cents I’ve ever spent
While over the past several days I’ve become far more comfortable with the lifestyle here, and even consider myself a “Beijing-er” in my own way, for my first 24 hours in Beijing I definitely felt overwhelmed and lost. Without internet or a working cell phone, and equipped with only about 100 words of Chinese, my prospects were not good. During that time, my only refuge became the first floor of “Wu Mart” – the closest thing China has to Wal-Mart. It was here I discovered that few thrills can be found in life that match the experience of finding the rare oasis of familiarity in a place as foreign to me as Beijing. As Joe and I wandered directionless around Wu Mart, we suddenly came across a sign that bore the text “1 Y” (one yuan, or RMB). The sign indicated that a single ice cream cone could be purchased for just 12.5 cents. Relieved to have found something easily recognizable, I made my first purchase in China.
As petty as it may seem, from that point on I suddenly felt comfortable in Beijing. It’s amazing how liberating it feels to be able to perform the most simple tasks in a different language, place and culture. The next step up was ordering my first full meal, which was slow-going, but ultimately successful. With each step forward Beijing ceases to be a foreign place, and becomes more and more like home, albeit a temporary one.
In planning this trip, we collectively feared inadvertently spending 4 weeks surrounded by expats, foreign students, and various other English speakers, but much the opposite has happened. We are in fact among the only foreigners in the area, and the crutch of the occasional English speaker is simply not there. If you get lost, you’re really lost. But this has had the effect of forcing us to communicate using whichever tools we can (Chinese, English, Chinglish, hand gestures, sound effects, etc), and Chinese has quickly become the tool of choice. I’ve become more confident in my ability to communicate with Beijingers and try to work my way through a new situation every day. Each day means a new 12.5 cent (or perhaps now 1 kuai) ice cream cone.
Brendan
