Beijing once more...
I can't believe that it has already been 4 years since I've lived in Beijing. I used to look at Beijing with the eyes of an innocent newly-grad. Now, I'm seeing it with the eyes of someone more experienced with the ways of the world.
When I studied in Beijing, I was open to the idea of living and working in this place. I love places which are culturally rich which is probably also why I prefer Beijing to Shanghai. I didn't seem to mind the really crowded buses, though I prefer to ride the taxi or to walk if given the preference. In fact, I did just that on a few occassions when the buses were fully
packed during the winter. The walk was long and tedious, probably from Ayala to Ortigas, but it gave me the opportunity to take in the sights which I normally took for granted.
Whenever I walked along the streets, I imagined what it was like for the local Beijing people to live there and tried to imagine what life was like for their ancestors. Being there was like going back in time and I loved it. I also went to the Summer Palace whenever I had the free time to smell the flowers. The guihua is so fragrant, it's almost addicting. Visiting hidden temples were also a delight for me back then.
Right now, I felt an overwhelming sadness when I went back there. The hutongs that I've once enjoyed seeing were practically turned into tourist spots (I guess that globalization is unleashing the businessman in everyone). Buildings are being constructed here and there. There are still a lot of trees but the nature parks are not as abundant as before. The sky was gray with pollution and it didn't help that it was dusty (it has always been dusty there). There are no more hidden temples or tourist places. Tourists are almost everywhere. The Summer Palace is under renovation. I don't know what it would look like after they renovate it but I hope that it would still retain its old beauty. I can even say that I'm glad that clumsy me fell of the XiangShan mountain... just for the heck of it because I don't know if I'll ever be able to reach the peak again. Tourists are flocking the mountain and it's ridiculous. Not only are they fighting for space to reach the top but they're also fighting for oxygen. I swear, thin air and crowding is not funny. The only thing that I appreciate is probably Silk Street. Silk Street used to be stalls lined up near the embassy road. When it's hot, it's very hot and when it's cold, it's really cold. Now, they've turned it into a shopping complex. It's now a building but they still call it Silk Street.
For a lot of people putting a stop to these kinds of developments is anti-progressive, for me it's preserving history, culture and probably a piece of ourselves.
When I studied in Beijing, I was open to the idea of living and working in this place. I love places which are culturally rich which is probably also why I prefer Beijing to Shanghai. I didn't seem to mind the really crowded buses, though I prefer to ride the taxi or to walk if given the preference. In fact, I did just that on a few occassions when the buses were fully
packed during the winter. The walk was long and tedious, probably from Ayala to Ortigas, but it gave me the opportunity to take in the sights which I normally took for granted.
Whenever I walked along the streets, I imagined what it was like for the local Beijing people to live there and tried to imagine what life was like for their ancestors. Being there was like going back in time and I loved it. I also went to the Summer Palace whenever I had the free time to smell the flowers. The guihua is so fragrant, it's almost addicting. Visiting hidden temples were also a delight for me back then.
Right now, I felt an overwhelming sadness when I went back there. The hutongs that I've once enjoyed seeing were practically turned into tourist spots (I guess that globalization is unleashing the businessman in everyone). Buildings are being constructed here and there. There are still a lot of trees but the nature parks are not as abundant as before. The sky was gray with pollution and it didn't help that it was dusty (it has always been dusty there). There are no more hidden temples or tourist places. Tourists are almost everywhere. The Summer Palace is under renovation. I don't know what it would look like after they renovate it but I hope that it would still retain its old beauty. I can even say that I'm glad that clumsy me fell of the XiangShan mountain... just for the heck of it because I don't know if I'll ever be able to reach the peak again. Tourists are flocking the mountain and it's ridiculous. Not only are they fighting for space to reach the top but they're also fighting for oxygen. I swear, thin air and crowding is not funny. The only thing that I appreciate is probably Silk Street. Silk Street used to be stalls lined up near the embassy road. When it's hot, it's very hot and when it's cold, it's really cold. Now, they've turned it into a shopping complex. It's now a building but they still call it Silk Street.
For a lot of people putting a stop to these kinds of developments is anti-progressive, for me it's preserving history, culture and probably a piece of ourselves.
posted by charlotte marie at 11:03 PM
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