I am now in Beijing. The lowest temperature recorded today is -5 degrees celsius. I was welcome into Beijing with the smell of polluted air which reminded me of our South East Asia haze problem back in 1997 and 2006. Despite the cold weather, which I normally like, I am not so please this time around.
What has happened to the fresh air I breathed in a few weeks back when I was here in Beijing? What happen to the pledge for cleaner air when the Olympics were taking place?
Nonetheless, the low temperature or the smoky smell did not deter me from going out. I had a Japanese meal in a familiar chain, Yoshinoya. It must be my appetite for something oriental and Yoshinoya just happened to be the most convenient one.
Interestingly, when I was in the restaurant, I could not help but notice a Caucasion woman surrounded by locals. She spoke fluent Mandarin which would definitely put me to shame with my very limited vocabulary. Dressed in smart corporate wear, holding a complimentary Radisson bottled water, I just admired how comfortable she behaved, out of her comfort zone. I may be observing and forming a conclusion rather superficially, but I know what it takes to master a foreign language and custom, especially when your native culture is so distinct from the Chinese. Truly, our world is converging!
She won my adoration while I was turning the pages of Mark Penn's Microtrends and a copy of China Daily in hand. Sitting in a restaurant, in a Chinese city, with the people of my skin colour and a foreign woman who speak my tongue can be rather fascinating...
