Scarlatti

Back in One Way Street Library, a library and bookstore that my Beijing friends have started some years ago. The main venue is at the margin of Yuan Ming Park in the northwest of the city, but there is also a downtown branch. From Yuan Ming Park on clear sky days the mountain range seems very close, but in the garden of the bookstore you only see the trees and hear the peaceful chatter of the customers.

Normally Sunday is salon day. Then scholars, writers or artists are invited for giving talks. Without understanding much of what is going on I have already witnessed the presentation of a poet, a movie director, a former head of a business newspaper, a Xinjiang folk ensemble. Last sunday one of China’s most famous bloggers, Wang Xiaofeng, presented his new book, a chinese language encyclopedia of western rock music. In December I myself am going to give a little talk in the downtown store.

Today is owner’s meeting. W. is going on maternal leave, she has last ideas and instructions for the time of her absence, to be presented to the co-owners and the employees. Even though we’d had an extended Dim Sum brunch together this morning, the voracious girl in her belly is demanding her toll and I’m sent to the neighbouring garden restaurant to bring some fried rice.

There I am greeted by a cheerful group of maybe 15 Chinese, male and female, sitting at a huge table showing the chaotic and still tempting remains of a big and delicious lunch. Turns out they are all Tai Ji teachers, some of them having come from as far as Australia to meet and celebrate the launch of a new instructional book (I’ll be given a copy later). While I’m waiting for the takeaway food they invite me for a drink and toast to my health. After some discussions, one of them is sent to show me the whole Tai Ji form of their school. Fortunately I’ve brought my video camera, so here I proudly present Master Wang Jianhua and his beautiful and impressive skill:

Part 1

Part 2

Now it’s nearly three weeks that I am back in Beijing. I’ve moved to my own apartment in the northwestern Haidian district, home of the most important universities, a three-room in a lively, old-style neighbourhood – not Hutong, of course, but a 70s-style compound with some 20-floor high rise and plenty of smaller apartment buildings, some shops and a lot of community space and green in between. It’s a place where everyday life is very visible, with street vendors selling barbecued mutton skewers until late evening, people sitting outside repairing bicycles or playing chess, as long as the autumn days are mild enough to allow for it.

My exercise routine brings me to a community playground every other day, where the authorities have installed some simple but efficient and colourful gym equipment during the pre-olympic days. Here I can practice my pull-ups and do a little dry-rowing. (On the other days I’m working hard on the “100 Push-ups” goal.) Often when I go there, some old ladies with their grandchildren show up, young and old alike eyeing me with friendly curiosity.

Like during my last stays, I’ve set up my ‘office’ in two nearby cafés. One belongs to the fake-french, Korean-owned pastry shop chain “Tous les Jours”. It’s a noisy place, they are permanently looping through the same terribly stupid maybe 20 R&B tunes. But coffee and pastry are good, so I put up with the acoustic pollution (a very common phenomenon in Beijing anyway). After having had my breakfast I walk across the street and change to “Bridge” Café, a bigger and much more sophisticated restaurant, with subdued jazz music rivalling the sound of the coffee machine and the clatter of other behind-the-counter work. Here I order a mug of Wulong tea, which will be served with frequent refills of hot water and thus keeps me some more hours into the day.

Both places are treating to foreigners more than to locals, it’s language students mostly, with a high ratio of Koreans in “Tous les jours” and many Americans in Bridge (they can be as noisy as the R&B music in TLJ). Both provide free wireless Internet access. So, with a window seat, my tiny notebook computer and my chinese mobile phone, some piece of paper and my pen in front of me I got all I need for work.

Afternoon and evening hours are normally reserved for meeting friends or interviewees, or going to talks or performances. Sometimes I’m joined by the chinese assistant I’ve hired for helping me with research and translation, a very bright and sweet student from China University of Communication. We are talking about current media blog entries, or she’s helping me with my spoken language exercises.

So, that pretty much sums up my daily routine. There will be more to be told about more specific experiences in the next days – like this evening, for example, when I’m going to visit the German Embassy’s reception to (belatedly) mark the national holiday on October 3rd.