Unlike, Say, Aukland

Living in this remarkable, compromise capital as winter descends and the lights dim the people are all bundled up and sick, we need reminders I think as two why it is we’re living here. I had a call the other day with a guy in New Zealand.  He knew the region and when I told I lived in Beijing he needed to make the obligatory tart comment about why it was I’d choose to live there, unless of course, I had a passion for pollution.  I said something quick about how it was a place I loved and had been here for a while.  And then I relived that conversation in my mind for days after.  I ought to have said: “It’s the most compelling version of civilizational transformation on earth . . . unlike, say, Aukland.”  Ahh, but that wouldn’t have been appropriate and he didn’t really do anything to merit such a snarky escalation.  What more honest is that he caught me off guard in the middle of my own questioning about why it is I choose to live here.

There is no enjoying this capital without a sense of discovery.  But it's work to discover more of something you already know.  A blanket of malaise can cover my mind when I consider the city's map.  I already know that, and I’ve long since been there, as well.  It's all been populated with strata upon strata of memory.  And cars and cabs are a lame means of urban discovery.  When I enjoyed exploring things I was usually walking or biking around.  And perhaps it's been too long since I've read anything challenging about this town and this civilization.  I found myself reading so much about America this past year to understand what the hell was happening back home.  I think this last election cycle has depleted some of my sinology sinews.  You won't see, less enjoy much civilizational transformation, if you don't adjust the aperture.

In the last few days I’ve had a series of interviews I’ve conducted with senior high school students who are interested in applying to my undergraduate alma matter.  I wasn’t quite sure what to expect heading in to the first one.  They were, each one, categorically outstanding.  As though only the super-students with the ability to climb to the top of the world's largest ant hill, need apply.  I must have gotten a highly refined distillation that had already filtered out all the mediocre, the good and very good, leaving only the exceptional left to consider.   Certainly these discussions, reintroduce a sense of marvel, to this time and place. 

I had to go over to Microsoft today.  That used to be easy when they were down in Wang Jing, but that tower is being phased out.  Now they're all over in Zhong Guan Cun.  My wife ordered me one of these DiDi sedan cars that's a cut up from the regular cars that come.  I could care less, but it makes her happy.  It must be a requirement to provide two bottles in the back seat as just about every car I've gotten like this has two such bottles at-the-ready.  My man was dressed as though he took his job seriously.  Perhaps that's another requirement.  Though I did need to tell him to turn the GPS off, because he was going off the wrong way.

Wednesday, 01/25/17