Humming
:: Mar 31, 07:55 AM

There is a constant hum. A symphony of working (or broken) machinery is present in Beijing. Whether it’s an idling train or a pipe in the walls stuttering in predicatable intervals, ambient sound comes in the form of automation.

Perhaps because these machines are working in metronomic consistencey, the people are less rhythmic. Moving to their own beat, human communication is unpredictable and confrontational. In other words, it’s very real. Coming from Tokyo, where inhabits the most robotically speaking residents I have ever encountered, I feel very present here in Beijing. I as for attention, and suddenly three people look up at me, wondering why I have interrupted them.

“Ni hao,” I say.
“Get on with it” their faces say.

But this is not unfriendliness.

“Do you have a pamphlet on Beijing,” I ask the concierge.
“No, just the one in your room in Chinese… next!”

She spoke nothing but the truth. No skirting around the fact that they didn’t have what I asked for or pretending like they were sorry for not having what I was requesting. Being real is novel.

I hover somewhere in between the humming and reactive communication – taking comfort in the language of machinery and that cross-cultural thing called smiling.

1. Sounds like New Yorkers! Same thing- ppl think that NYers are unfriendly and gruff, which they can be, sure. But if you catch a NYer on the street and ask for directions, you’ll get 3 or 4 who stop to try to help you. It’s a wonderful thing that comes from having immense pride in your very tough city. I assume Beijingers have it too.

   How did I not know you went to Beijing???

   — kayoko akabori    Mar 31, 22:37   

2. Oh, you just got there!!! You’re on your way around the world now, I get it! Enjoy your travels, Yoko dear. Look forward to seeing you in a month or two. Be safe, eat well. xx

   — kayoko akabori    Mar 31, 22:39   

3. I have heard that there is a restaurant in SFO that features waiters who respond like that. They must keep getting fresh talent from Beijing every few months as others descend into American civility.

   So glad you are blogging.

   — lakshman    Apr 2, 04:28