Lost and Found Tea

Beijing, July 9
This morning I managed to get myself lost. I went to the bank machine which is about ten minutes walk away, that means walking east about 1 1/2 blocks along Dazhalan and then north five blocks on the closest main street, which is called Meishi. Then 1/2 block west on Qian Men Xi is the ATM for the bank. On the way back I decided to go into the hutong and wander a bit, knowing as long as I kept heading more-or-less south I would come out either on Dazhalan or a street parallel to it. Full of self confidence I just kept walking making turns that I thought were appropriate. When I eventually came out of the hutong I did not know where I was.

I thought I recognized a couple of familiar landmarks in the distance so I walked towards them hoping to be re-assured about my location and direction. Whoops, they were familiar alright, but I could not remember why or when I had seen them before. More importantly I did not know where they were in relation to the hotel. I turned off the main street I was walking on into a quieter pedestrian area and stilled my brain. Then I had the best thought I had since I left the hotel: it was only about 8.30 am. That meant the sun was in the east. Then I realized I had been walking south since I left the hutong instead of walking north. So I headed back the way I came. Then I remembered when I had walked on this street before. This street was Nan Jinhua, it marks the western edge of the hutong where the hotel is located. I kept walking north until I got to Qian Menxi, then east to Meishi and south to Dazhalan and then to the hotel.

Except I did not go to the hotel. I walked past the hotel and went to the tea shop I first visited yesterday. I spent over an hour there, seeing, smelling, tasting tea. I bought a few hundred grams of tea which I could make last a very long time if I wanted. I could save them them for very special occassions and very special people, or I could enjoy them as they should be enjoyed, which is what I intend to do. One of the things I found out was the tea merchant will ship tea to Canada if I tell him what I want, and if I pay for it of course. Now I have a list of five or six teas I like very much which I can order from him whenever I wish. He does not speak very much English but his daughter was very helpful. She sat with us and translated when necessary. It was a very good start to the day, and a very nice change from being (almost) lost.

The tea merchant is the Yaxiang Tea Shop, Tiehuxie Jie #4 Beijing. The owner's name is Zhang Heming. I have an e-mail address and two phone numbers if you are interested in ordering. Tiehuxie Jie is at the western end of Dazhalan, maybe five minutes walk west of 365 Inn. (Jie just means street or road or avenue or way.) If you visit tell him Robert from Canada sent you.

After we finished our most pleasant business I went to the grocery store to buy water for tea. According to my host nobody in Beijing drinks water out of the tap. That is partly because most Chinese will not drink anything cold, but mainly because tap water here has a distinct odour, usually a little like sulfur. It is quite safe apparently just not pleasant.

In the afternoon I caught up with some work and watched some TV. I wondered what people will be doing in church in Toronto on Sunday. My host and I hope to go to one of the art districts in Beijing tomorrow afternoon. I have seen some of the main historic attractions, I have seen the modern commercial side of Beijing, perhaps tomorrow I will see some of the avant-garde side. This city has over eight hundred years of history (four hundred years more than Quebec City) and is a vibrant and forward looking as the fresh shrimp you will have for dinner next week. How all of these parts work together as well as they do I am not sure, and I will probably never be sure. Right now I am just enjoying swimming in as many streams of Beijing culture as I can.