China

There is no facebook behind this red curtain, but perhaps this may make it to you FB people as well.   The begining, briefly.   I am not editing in the slightest, because I am a rebel.

Clean organized airport.  A bullet train taking you to BJing and a  Subway much like Koreas.  Though after saying excuse me in four different languages I still had to force my way out of the subway car.   The crowds can be orderly at times but when they condense they swell up and begin to bounce around like  shaken can of soda.    Cab driver and anyone asked for direction have been cooperative and english a bit more common than in Korea.   Seems the rules of thumb is to get a haukers price to 10% of the original.  Not that there are all that many.  In the tourist sitesd you may have a  them of of course but still not to be compared with many SE asian countries.    The only trap I have been warned about is of college satudents approaching, kissing ass and going on about being art students.  They will then try to get you to go for tea or somewhere where you will be charged exoberant prices and they will collect a commission for their trechery.  

The first night I manage to locate and visit one of the ritsier clubs in Biejing. “Mix”"  Contimplated storming the stage but it was obviously an all girls zone.  Was content in my corner to groove and observe to a music selection that consited 95% of songs that ranged between 8-15 years old.   It was pretty amusing and the Dj cut them tactifully. Therefore not a minus.  Yet, even though there are no specific incidents to support this there seemed to be a haze of xenophobia and despite the booze, music and girlies dancing you get the feeling that the men of the country could still could benefit from collective enema.  The place also did suffer from the “herd of the uncordinated”where the dance floor consisted of men shopulder to should somewhat gyrating and watching the 6-8 girls on stage of which usually consisted mostly of foreighners.   The techno area was a little more up to date but the dance floor was also stagnant.  You find this in the US as well but it definetly rivals the worse cases I have seen there.  The Chinese women are much more attractive than I expected but I would not get involved in that.  There is already enough tension here because there isn’t enough of them to go around.   Perhaps we could trade some US ladies, two for one.  Just kidding girls. 

Everything is rather massive here, in reguards to the tourists sites and there is alot of walking involved.   Big places, lots of people, the running themes.   The street meat, or “Night Market” had things as mild as frozen fruit and dumplings to scorpions and snakes.    Plenty of eatable things unless yout a strict vegitarian (lame) or very very sqemish. 

The hostel culture has already show it’s perks.  I have dined with a group of South Africans, also residing in Korea, drank with s Floridian, his son and a few Vietamese gents you offered to aide me when I went to visit Nam.   Rooming with a few lovely ladies who I will allow to run my life for the next few days.    It’s nice to have your own incredibly charming French Tour guide.