The Opera Populaire

The trip to Beijing was slightly disappointing for me because I had expected to get so much out of the trip to the capital. Perhaps it was because the whole thing was conducted in Malay and some stuff were probably lost in translation. Our local guide happened to be a Mongolian girl who studied Malay by the way. And also probably because most people were not as interested in history as me or my Mom. But still, it was amazing to find out that a lot of those who worked in the tourism industry actually know Malay or Bahasa Indonesia and some actually spoke it very fluently.

It was also an endless source of irritation to keep being brought to shops selling stuff like medicine, jade and pearls and wasting valuable time that could be used to see places like the 颐和园。By the time we reached 颐和园 it was close to dusk and worse yet, my camera started to jam so I couldn't take pictures till we reach Hong Kong. Having said that, 颐和园 was indeed breathtaking and one could not help but think of the excesses of the late Qing dynasty which surrounded its building. The lake was frozen and some people were walking on it. It must be lovely to go there in summer.

Some attractions in Beijing were also closed for renovation in preparation for the 2008 Olympics. We could not see the 故宫 in its full glory, which was a huge pity. In fact, 2008 seemed to be the buzzword for Beijing these days, with the icon appearing everywhere. Still the City was astounding in size and we walked but only 5 km of it. My fingers were frozen stiff even under the gloves, so much so that I could not fiddle with my camera and I probably look like a terrorist hiding under the hood of my brother's jacket to keep my head and ears warm. But overall we brought enough of the right kind of clothing to keep us warm during the trip.

The 天安门 Square was beautiful at night, lit up with lights. I never knew it was actually immense till I set foot on it. 长安街, the street where it is located, is actually an extremely broad street. One could not help but feel the sense of history when you stand there.

Our trip to the 天坛 was a short one and my impression came more from seeing the group of senior citizens at the courtyard outside than the Temple of Heaven itself. They made an interesting sight, playing games from chess to kicking 毽子. Sometimes I think it's never too early to start preparing for old age, from eating healthily, exercising to keeping your mind active just like them.

My favourite part of the trip to Beijing had got to be climbing 万里长城. I never realised just how steep some parts of the wall is. It made me wonder how the guards in the past actully run up and down without the railings to support them. And in winter, it can be bitterly cold, like that day when we went up. But we soon felt hot and even sweat after climbing. I only conquered the 1st post because my Mom was not feeling too good after reaching there. An old uncle in our group actually went all the way to the 6th post (envy, envy). Think I could have easily conquered the 4th post myself (ego, ego).

We also went to watch a performance by an acrobatic troupe. I have watched acrobatic performances on TV before but watching in real life was a different experience. Nervous drops of perspiration also formed because as destiny would have it, a certain big head sat on that empty place next to me and talked to me throughout the entire performance. I have always been shy of conversing in Bahasa becos my manner of speech betrays the fact that I dun use the language often. And now I had to do a bit of those PR thing when I am just a green lass with nothing to commend herself. I was not in the mood for socialising during the entire trip actually, but things still happen as God would have His way. Anyway, the head was an easy person to talk to, as it turned out. I have met small fries who throw their weight about but this head had a way of socialising in a humble yet friendly manner which really impressed Mom and I. But hmm...if there is one thing I learnt, it is that 日久见人心. In the biz world especially, it is perhaps better to reserve judgement. And sometimes, I learnt that I should learn to differentiate between 客套话 and words from those who truly have your interests at heart and not take everything at face value, sad as it is. I dun think I have become more cynical...I think this is perhaps what maturity is about...learning to see beyond the masks that some people put on.

Overall, I would love to visit Beijing again because there were so much we did not cover.

Recommendation: Do try 燕京啤酒 in Beijing. The texture is light and it goes down smoothly. But do beware because my throat was very, very dry the next day after downing a few glasses.

Tip: Petroleum jelly is a lifesaver during winter especially if you have Sahara Desert for skin like me. You can use it on top of your normal moisturiser and as lip balm. I did not suffer from chapped lips or peeling skin at all this time round.

Labels: Travel Diary