Beijing International Airport
Do you recognize this brand? It's Wal-Mart.
Already a morning ritual-breakfast and happy go-lucky CCP approved news (great newspaper though, I'm not knocking it. Its very international in scope)
The view from one side of the apartment. It was a huge Olympic training complex for the athletes during the games.I swore up and down that I would stay far away from Starbucks while in China. Its criminal to pay Y40 for a cup when it costs Y4 to buy a full breakfast for two people. However, lattes and free wifi were too much to resist. It also doesn't help that there's a Starbucks practically 50ft from my place. The barrista is the same guy from this summer during the Summer Olympics! I'm probably way more excited about that than he is...[unless he loves his job, which he might!]
I landed in Beijing a couple of nights ago; now I am 13 hours ahead of EST...does that mean I experience history before those of you in the U.S.? Walking out of Beijing International Airport took a full 50 minutes....they're not kidding around when they say it is the world's biggest airport. The hospitality team was there to greet me with a sign "JENNIFER YING LAN."
After settling into the place; they asked me what I felt was missing. Needing a few household items, I was soon whisked off to my new mecca in Beijing, a Wal-Mart with EVERY SINGLE product you could imagine. Orange juice? I counted 21 brands---from Florida's Natural to Chinese Wa-ha-ha. Yogurt flavors? It took up 2 full aisles. Unbelievable. I wanted to take a lot of photos; but the people I was with would have thought I had just landed from a 3rd world country and was amazed by the produce. [Instead, I 'kinneared' the flour bag bc it says Great Value, which from my days in Texas I believe is the Wal-Mart brand.]
Work hasn't officially started yet, they've given me this week to get over jet lag and to get my ducks in order. I've spent the past two mornings reading the China Daily newspaper and trying to get up to date with domestic issues. Did you know it hasn't rained [significantly] in Beijing since October '08? It is the longest drought in over 50 years. Although the scientists are facilitating rain in the farmlands outside of the city to keep the wheat crops irrigated, the CCP is expecting a major downfall in staple crops this year and wheat prices have already risen accordingly. [My father the agricultural engineer would be so proud of me for being interested.]
I have my first meeting in a few minutes regarding how to set up a bank account, cell phone service, etc. Its crazy moving to another country so quickly...I am without access to domestic bank accounts/credit cards. I don't feel like whipping out the AmEx so that my Y40 latte can be Y50 instead. That might be how much the cleaning lady makes a week. The income disparity here is ALARMING.
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