Well, a Chinese li is not equivalent to a mile, but I decided to succumb to temptation and come up with something snappy and derivative. I couldn't write yesterday because my gas machine was on the fritz, and consequently, my sister and I were sitting around in a frozen stupor. Beijing in March is painfully cold, I discovered, and being cold indoors feels worse than being cold outdoors (where it seems more reasonable given the close contact with the elements). I remembered the good old days 5 years ago when I had to dip my hands in near-boiling water every hour to keep them thawed out. That was Beijing in December and I had no control over the heat. Now that the repairman has set things right, I have cranked up the heat and hope to sleep without experiencing the nightmares that come with extreme cold...
I promised insights on Sanlitun (and yes, the Olympics) but I actually don't know quite what to say. Anyone who has lived in Beijing probably knows all about it, and the (dis)appearance of a restaurant or two probably doesn't make a great difference. The bars are aplenty. Restaurants cover cuisine from all over the world. Even the shopping is premier. There is a small complex called Nali that holds a tapas bar, Brazilian restaurant, and about twelve shops with the most unusual women's clothing I have ever seen. Shoes go for cheap -- about $30 for what would normally cost $100 or more in the US. Pedicures are only $8, and although this is expensive for China, the enthusiastic staff seems to make the experience all the more appealing.
What I learned from Sanlitun is the power of effective imitation. China has been well-known for replicas and for the gradual adoption and remolding of "foreign" cultural elements. What impresses me now is that things seem more -- real. Just as China has become a bona fide capitalist economy, what would be formerly dismissed as imitations are genuine and indeed, much of what we non-Chinese appreciate in our home countries have really come home to China.
The "New Sanlitun" promises to reproduce Milan, London, Hong Kong, and Santa Monica. Can't wait to see the finished product.
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