Beijing, take 3

I head over to Mary from Couch Surfing for dinner. Dinner was great and met a Swede named Carl who is there to learn Chinese. We laugh and I learn Chinese all night. We had Jaudzu (at least that is how it is pronounced) dumplings and another dish, I don't know, but good food.

I don't mind people staring if they say Ni Hao and I am still not comfortable with the attention but find I live for the people who shout out in English "HELLO" or NI HAO. I was in a restaurant and people were staring from the back (yes the whole table). I give a big dorky wave and they wave back shouting NI HAO! Great stuff. I have decided if you are staring then you are fair game to have your picture snapped. As a result, I have got some really really, great people shots of people staring at ME!

One of the funniest but most annoying things that happen is rather than pointing to me and then to the camera indicating you would like to take a picture with me, people will position themselves in my vicinity and then have their friends (or whoever) take a picture of me in the background OR just stand next to me and have their picture taken almost like I am not going to notice!

Something else I absolutely hated was at places where West meets China, the Chinese people working often had very, VERY Anglo names, like, Heather, Mary, Jane, Peterm which to me is as funny as the aliens in Alien Nation having names like: Virgina Ham, Johnny Walker, Chicken Little and Albert Einstein. Come on!!! Even my friend for dinner, Mary, her real name is Liping!

If by chance there are any Beijing cab drivers reading this KNOW that I know you drove me across the river and through the woods to get me to and from my hotel, but that's OK, I got to see alot of cool stuff that way.

I will definitely be back to Beijing and next time be fully ready for the "assault" of attention.