Another Week in Beijing

There's a little food stall on a street corner in Shuan Yu Shu, near the MC office. Previously, when I have walked pass this food stall, they sold traditional, ready-to-eat Chinese street food. Yesterday when I walked passed the stall, amongst the roasted nuts, there were French fries. Heaps and heaps of golden French fries just waiting to be sold and end up on someone's dinner plate. Of all the places to sell French fries! I wonder if they are any good... If it's not that great, McDonald's is just up the street anyway. And for healthier alternatives, the Subways in the adjacent street has a special deal on Tuesdays. Buy one get one free.

During the taxi ride home last night, the driver asked me if I was a foreigner or not. I tell him, no, I'm from Beijing. Why does he ask? He replied because when I speak Mandarin, I sound like a Korean. That's the second time since I've been back someone thought I spoke Chinese like a Korean. A few years ago, people usually thought I sounded like a Xingjiang person when I spoke Mandarin. I wonder how long I have to live in Beijing to sound like a Beijinger again.

Cooked at the MC apartment last night and taught Ellen how to make some simple Chinese dishes. Mixed cucumbers, stir-fried eggs and tomatoes, tomatoe and sugar, and a winter mellon soup. For protein, we obtained some Yan Rou Chuar (xingjiang style lamb kebabs). Dessert was a pastry cream cake. For kicks, I taught Ellen and Delphy how to play Zheng Shan You after dinner. Once they were proficient, we raised the stake by infusing Rose Wine and Pim's into the game.

Tonight we're going to the Chinese Opera and tomorrow, hot pot dinner. Hopefully, this weekend I will find myself in Chengde. I won't mind a change of sceneary from Beijing right about now.

The weather is getting better. After a day of rain, the blue sky that appeared yesterday afternoon looked glorious (yes, there really are days when the smog dissapears for a bit and the sky is blue!).