More Hearty Wraiths

A friend introduced a friend.  Would you like to meet?  Certainly.  He’s provided a link: “I’m staying in this hotel.”  I hesitate as I click on the link.  Beijing’s a big town.  It’s as though I’m in Westchester and I dread the guy telling me to go meet him in the Far Rockaways.  To my surprise, he’s staying at the airport.   “Well, that’s perfect.  Happy to meet you then.”  I live fifteen minutes away. 

This is my second time into the Hilton Capital Airport Beijing.  There is an obligatory Christmas tree standing in the center of the lobby.  I walk around finishing up a call, considering the cavernous austerity of this uninspired Hilton property.  Often international hotel chains tend to put their best foot forward with notable hotel designs in the competitive China market place.  This is not one such establishment. 

Later we dine with friends for dinner.  It’s cold and I’m carrying rice in one hand and a bottle of Prosecco in the other.   I have no gloves, no hat.  It isn’t much further.  I see the light of their door.  But I’m thinking about New York where I’ll be soon.  It will be much colder.  I must dig out my winter things from last year.

One of the boys has a video game on a large screen.  A vaguely Nordic looking guy with a sword is on a quest, trotting around a rather remarkably vivid, misty world.   A swarm of harpies descend upon the Viking guy.  My teen host makes who’s manning the fellow, makes short work of these pests.  I ask and he confirms that he’s taken a few points of damage for stumbling down from a tall wall.   Wraiths that seem ferocious but prove to be a mere nuisance, fly down and are cut to pieces.  I inquire and there are apparently other more hearty wraiths who are more difficult to dispose of.  

It occurs to me that I would have probably invested many months of life into such games were I to be a teen today.    And I know that virtual reality games that are pending will make this feel like Atari.  Walking home, I'm still considering the wraiths and I’m glad there I won’t have to fight my way to the car.  That would be a nuisance.