In this country, there is only one Chairman, and it ain’t Sinatra…
We have George Washingtons, Abe Lincolns, the famed “Benjamins,” and so on. Here it’s the Maos, the Maos and nothing but the Maos. His slightly smiling countenance (I’d call it a modified Mona Lisa look) is on the one, the five, the ten, the twenty, the fifty and the hundred yuan …
Had my first subway experience the other day. Throughout the 20th century, the American standard of reference concerning crowded subways was the Tokyo subway, where they actually employ people to push people into the cars. I believe Beijing will be the standard of reference for the 21st century.
Of course, it was 8:30 a.m., height of rush hour. The first car arrives and I have never seen anything so crammed with humanity. I watch with interest and astonishment as a young woman attempts to exit the car. People here are not good about ceding space. No one made any attempt to help her leave. And she didn’t. The door closed, and off she went. She may still be going.
Seconds later, a second car arrived. Again there was no possibility of gaining entry. I decide I will make my move on the next one, and so I did, managing to squeeze in. I was hoping there might be a key stop, a Park Street equivalent, where many people would exit, and so there was, about three stops along. Whew. Now it was just crowded.
Their subway car etiquette aside, the people here have been exceedingly friendly and helpful. We attempted to find a popular Western restaurant the other night, and at least 10 different people tried to help. Two phone calls were made for directions. Of course, we still couldn’t find it, but the thought was there.
At last, there is a place where the dollar goes somewhere. My client and I were stuck in a cab for an hour and 20 minutes trying to get from Point A to Point B the other night. The total cost: 66 yuan, or between six and seven dollars. I don’t think you’d get off that cheaply in Boston…
Ask someone there if Mao really had an appetite for 12 year old virgin girls.