The first thing I noticed about Beijing was the smog. The smog is thick, heavy, and all consuming. I live on the 28th floor of an apartment building in Beijing and most days the smog is too thick to really enjoy a view. When I arrived the gray misty smog lasted for three days straight. The sky is one color here.
Unlike the gorgeous steel mill sunsets of Chicago and Northwest Indiana, the smog is so intense that it's impossible to mistake it for anything other than what it is: serious pollution. The air quality is a hot topic in Beijing, and most parents will keep their kids inside on a day with a particularly high air index. Unfortunately, most days are terrible, so there is no use battling the inevitable. I would rather be out in the bad air than home doing nothing.
I want to keep track of what the skies are like here in Beijing. Chicago was such a beautiful city and I fell in love with the sunsets and blue skies of the summertime. I want to document the Beijing skyline from my 28th floor apartment, in hopes to truly enjoy the days where I can see a glimpse of my favorite shade of blue. This post has photos of yesterday, a particularly terrible day for air and smog, and photos from today, a day with beautiful blue skies, a far reaching view from my window of mountains surrounding the city, and a pink cloud sunset.
Having been to Thailand just a few months ago, preparing for China is completely surreal. I have procrastinated everything to leave me just these next five weeks to get my visa, get rid of all of my stuff, and enjoy all I have in the US. I intend to update this blog more frequently as Beijing will be an experience worth documenting.
Thailand update: Though it's been a while, I want to share with the world (really, what, 5 of you who read this?) that I received my CELTA certification with honors. I did well. I am certified to teach ESL anywhere on this boring planet and I couldn't be more confident in my choice of lifestyle. I am no artist, no musician, hardly a writer, and an amateur photographer at best. I can, though, communicate and indeed teach people how to learn English. Yay! Professional communicator.
I have been waking up early every morning. I'm no longer riding my bike 15 miles a day or running around during work for 6-8 hours, combined with early mornings, makes for perfect early morning walks at sunrise. I am in Chiang Mai Province, not the city proper, but I don't think I could tell you exactly where I am. There is not a lot surrounding the small pond enclosed compound that I'm staying at for the next four weeks, but it is beautiful.
The compound is fine and normal and beautiful in front. Ganesh and happy elephants are there to welcome everyone. Ganesha is my personal favorite and, I believe, a popular one in Thai culture, too.
The back of the compound is a bit more... rough? Not as well maintained?
I'm in Bangkok. The last time I traveled out of the country was to Puebla, Mexico just about a year ago, exactly. The trek here was completely insane and I am not yet fully recovered from the 22 HOURS of traveling. I flew with Korean Air, which was great. I know a little bit about Asian flight attendant culture because my manager at my school in Tokyo was preparing to become a flight attendant, and I helped her with her interview questions which had to be done in English. An entirely different realm of society exists between Asian flight attendants and American flight attendants. The differences are based on the companies and the cultures the companies come from, but seriously! I wish I had taken photos. The Korean Air outfit is a khaki skirt-suit with a light blue satin blouse and a twisty thing that is perfectly placed above an immaculate bun and slight bouffant. Look at this video for their "new uniform campaign" (but only look at the Asian women, because there were only beautiful Asian models on both of my flights):
Now compare that ad with the stereotypical version of riding on Southwest Airlines. My former manager, Taka, went through 4 interviews for her flight attendant's job-- 4! Speaking English is a must. Additionally, you must speak whichever language is native to your company's homebase. I wouldn't be surprised if a third language was required. My flight was from Chicago to Seoul was translated from Korean into English and Japanese, and my flight from Seoul to Bangkok was translated with those three plus Thai. Truly amazing. These woman are smart! I got the vegetarian meals, which were blah, but included lots of fruits and salad, so I was happy. The cutlery wasn't plastic, but metal. The bathroom at toothbrushes and toothpaste and fancy face moisturizers. On the flight from Seoul to Bangkok we got ice cream, which I don't normally like, but devoured because it was my 20th hour in the air and I needed sugar. Ok enough.
I am traveling with only an enormous backpack and a small messenger bag. It's 90+ degrees. I have been up since 4am (it's 1:45pm now). The time difference in 12 hours from Chicago: I didn't have to change my watch. Today I did somethings that I have already done in Bangkok back in 2009. I bought jeans from MBK, they fit perfectly and were cut to the length I wanted. I bought eyeshadow from Boots. I trolled around Siam Square where I had a Kiwi ice shake. I drank a hot espresso- delicious! All in all I might actually be tired. I might actually be delirious. I have another flight to catch tomorrow morning, but today is for relaxing, eating, getting over jet lag.
Libraries are almost unnecessary nowadays. Other than for students where the library is almost a sanctuary from the crazy that can be dorm-life, libraries quite often become ignored and forgotten. The library in the town where I grew up was a giant, brown brick eyesore. Dark and dated, the only use I had for my local library was its monthly used book sale. The Seattle Central Library, however, is massive. It is a spectacle. I read some reviews about the downtown glass and steel structure, criticizing, mostly, its interior design. I have to admit that when I first saw the building I was turned off. Typically, I am not hugely engaged by modern design. When it comes to architecture, Seattle's Printer's Row district and Chicago's lake side Michigan Ave. area (with The Drake hotel) are more my scene. The central library in Seattle, is drastically opposed to the general aesthetic of architecture with the personality I like to see.
That being said: photos!
What I have decided I enjoyed about the library design is that it does not look like a library. The library of my childhood is aesthetically depressing, comparable to an institution or worse: a shadowy, neglected structure, once intended for intellectual interaction, now devoid of potential. I'm a lifelong reader and book collector. Bookstores excite me, and a library like the Seattle Central Library excited me.
The interior is sprawling with eleven levels of space, most all of which are available to the public. Levels 6-9 are called "The Book Spiral". This area is where the stacks of books are located, literally a spiral of sloping ramps, easy to glide through. The book spiral is in the center of the 4 levels, enclosed by plexi-glass walls. The concept innately opposed to ordinarily dreary, windowless library stacks. As long as there is daylight in Seattle, there will be natural light in the library stacks.
Overall, the stacks were serene. Surrounded by natural light and a great view of the city, I was comfortable reading for a bit on a big purple couch and later using one of the four hundred computers to plan my next move.
One of the most surprising moments was exiting the elevator on the fourth floor. A long time Twin Peaks fan, I am instantly drawn to anything that reminds me of the red room scene. Creepy, brilliant: Lynchian.
The fourth floor is a giant, circular red room!
I have still yet to visit the Harold Washington Library in Chicago, but Seattle has inspired me to take a look. Seattle's library has continually been the structure I've talked about most from my trip, especially from an economical standpoint. It's free and it has a great view. Personally being one of the few people I know without a smart-phone, it was useful to have a place to go to where I could map out my next move.
