Basser’s Day Off

Classes have been running very slowly, and most days we emerge from classes after four hours feeling like our time has been somewhat wasted. This is why when Jakob suggested taking Wednesday off for an ‘adventure’, it could be reasoned that I may almost learn more Chinese with him than I would throughout my class.

We set off early in the morning (well, early by my standards) to the Tianjin railway station. We hopped aboard the bullet train and I realised the seats were larger and there was more leg room than I was used to. ‘oh yeh, I bought us first class seats’ Jakob explained casually. It cost us an extra 10 yuan for the upgrade- the equivalent of an AUD $1.50. When in China…

Newly rested and beautiful from our short stint in first class, we emerged in Beijing and hopped in a cab to the 798 art district. China’s version of New York’s SoHo,a series of factories and warehouses occupy the space, and were built by the East Germans. Large and full of light, these contemporary studios are surrounded by a range of shops and cafes that transport you into another world that is all of its own.  We spent the day looking through a range of galleries, shopping through the small stores full of eccentric bits. I also managed to have my first bit of western food since arriving. A heavily overpriced Panini proved to be disappointing, and reminded me why I have not yet grown tired of the Chinese food constantly on offer.

As it grew colder and we grew weary, we headed towards another factory of galleries. To our surprise, the demographic of people suddenly shifted. More people were around, very tall people. Dressed in slinky black dresses, and heels the size of my face, we realised we had stumbled upon a gathering of the beautiful people. Models!! We sat for the next couple of hours watching the whole situation play out, as the models were selected through a vigorous process for China fashion week. We discussed which ones were clearly the best, those who had had surgery and the ones that were so tall they must have had knee extensions. As the night turned colder, and the models changed into their boots and cardigans to go home, we decided it was probably time for us to wrap it up as well and find something for dinner.

We hopped in a cab, Jakob the adventure guide promising a meal of delicious water dumplings. Since arriving in china, all I have been able to find is heavily oiled fried dumplings. Whilst delicious, there is a set number one can ingest before assured death via artery blockage. The ever organised guide, however, had failed to write down the street number of the restaurant. After running the length of the street with the very accommodating cab driver, we managed to stumble across our intended destination. The dumplings were as good as promised, and came in an array of colours, from purple and green to orange.

The trip home was a hazy blur, falling between slumber and brief periods of consciousness to transfer from taxi to train and train to taxi and returning to our hotel. I returned home to be told that ‘class was a waste of time and we didn’t learn anything’. “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it”. Well put, Ferris.