The Wandering Monkey

Hello Folks-

On Wednesday I had a feeling I should leave Nanjing.  That's what I like about impulse traveling; as soon as you feel like going, you get on a train and go. It's the best freedom.  BUT, for some reason I hesitated.  I thought it would be a good idea to stay one more day in Nanjing.  It wasn't really.  I did not do much during the day.  But in the night, I took a train to Beijing.  This was pretty cool.

 

From Nanjing to Beijing is over 8 hours by train.  I took the 'sleeper' car, which is four bunks to a room.  Two bunks on the floor, two above (bunkbead style).  They've got a pretty nice setup on the train.  I had dinner in the dinner car.  Actually, it was quite good.  I just had nui rou mien (beef noodles), but it was very tasty.  Then I went back to the bunk.  It turns out that at the foot of each bunk is your own TV set, plus earphones you can use to listen to it.  Nice.  I didn't want to watch TV, but in case I go again I'll try it.

 

The train hummed along at a pretty good speed.  It had a hypnotic affect, and I was soon asleep.  I woke up the next morning, and I was in Beijing, and the sun was up.  The beds were not too hard or too soft, and I actually slept better there than I have in the hotels I've stayed in.  The only downside of the sleeper train is that is is relatively expensive by China standards.  400rmb Nanjing to Beijing, which is about $50.  That does not sound like much for such a deal in the US, but you can stay at a near-luxury hotel for 400rmb per night (if you know where to look).

 

Today I walked out of the train station and had breakfast.  I've been to Beijing before.  Took the train in once before as well.  I knew the area and felt comfortable enough.  Last time I came here was with the swing dance crew, over 2 years ago for the Shanghai-Beijing swing dance exchange.

 

So, now its time to talk about work.  I am taking this trip for a few reasons, but one of them is that there is a potential interview here.  That does not make much sense, really -- to take a train to Beijing for a *potential* interview, but I did want to travel anyhow.  I also thought it might "push" the process along to say, "I'm in Beijing just this one week.  Can we meet now for a quick interview?"  It's a large corporation and they tend to move like molasses.  Gotta poke 'em with a stick from time to time.

 

Erstwhile, I am getting almost daily offers for work back in the US.  Short-term EDI contracts in different cities.  Boca Rotan (sp?) Florida.  Los Angeles.  Some in Chicago.  I don't think I'd go back to Chicago this time, not specifically.  If I can arrange a job offer, I think I'd go back to California, or to the East Coast.  Some place interesting.  Chicago was OK, and it was great to see my family again, but blah blah blah.  It was boring.  I could not help but get the "Here we are again" feeling coming back to where I started from.

 

I don't know what Beijing will be like.  I am sampling the life here.  There is an existing swing dance group, which I could participate in if I decide to get back into that.  I don't think I'd teach or organize, just go and have fun.  It's about time for that, no?  Maybe hold a party once a year or something.

 

But I want to see what day to day life is like.  Are the people friendly?  Is the nightlife good?  How to the taxi drivers treat you?  Do people try to cheat you, and in what ways?  How much is housing, and can a person enjoy themselves here?

 

I noticed in Nanjing that because of the very few foreigners in the city, I was treated especially different.  Just to talk to a foreigner (me) who speaks English is an event.  Plus, very few people spoke English, and those who did spoke it poorly.  My Chinese was better than their English, and that is the crucial ingredient for learning.  I could stay there, and every day everyone I met would speak Chinese with me.  There are some major merits in that as opposed to staying in Shanghai.  I also understand the rents are very low.  If I were spending unemployed time, it would be much cheaper to do so in Najing than in Shanghai, and I would be improving my language.  Let's see what happens on that one.  Not saying anything now.

 

So if there is a job offer with a somewhat reasonable salary from this company in Beijing, I'm almost positively going to take it.  If the job offer does not come, or the salary is ridiculous, I'm going to cherry-pick the offers from the States and take the one that makes the most sense, based upon salary, potential to learn new skills, and location.  Every now and then, when I think of it, I'm in a great position.  Really.

 

So I'm going to visit with my friend Jouni.  He's letting me stay in his guest room.  Jouni is Finnish.  I met him in my first month in Shanghai during my apartment search.  Back in those days, you ran into anyone who spoke English, they were your best new friend.  But Jouni has lasted the test of time, and I have seen him even though he's moved back and forth to Shanghai, Tokyo, Beijing, and I think India for a while.  Jouni was the archetypical "mobile" foreigner.  I remembered looking upon his life with envy, seeing new cities while I remained here in Shanghai, doing the same swing dancing club promotion every week.  Such as it is, now I am mobile, and I think this suits me.

 

Not too long ago, someone asked me, can you be happy with a life like that?  Would you want to be moving from one city to another every several months, then returning to Shanghai just on occasion to rest?  Damn straight I'd be happy with that.  I've noticed that I like to 'change' people very often.  Even in the short-term.  If I have hung out with one person for 24 hours, at that point I like to say, "Hey, that was fun.  See you next week, ok?"  Even if it was a good time, even if they are the greatest person in the world.  I just like to change often.  It doesn't mean we won't stay long-term friends, but I like a variety of things.  I also very much like the idea of keeping an apartment in Shanghai while I am on my job assignments in America.  I have for a very long time felt like I had no 'home'.  I don't, either.  But I could rent a place in Shanghai, or even buy one.  I could work 50% of the time in America, and still probably afford the mortgage in Shanghai (or Beijing, or wherever).  I like the prospect of that.  That is an acceptable future for me.

 

All for now. I am at a coffee shop.  Drinking coffee.  After I will drop off my bag at my friend Jouni's place then take a trip to the Forbidden City, or Summer Palace, or something.

 

Peace out,

Jimbo