Mandarin Immersion (Part 2)

This entry is part 2 of 40 in the series Mandarin Immersion

May 16, 2023

Mandarin Immersion (Part 2)

By Simon J. Lau

My first day in Beijing, and to get over jet lag and get settled in, I willed myself across the city (with help from a small boost of coffee). A little over 14 miles (according to my Fitbit). Not bad for my first full day!

In the morning, I had a traditional Chinese breakfast. However, the real highlight was dinner, where I had Muslim street food. Since New Zealand, I’ve become very fond of lamb, and many Muslim dishes include lamb. Here are my lamb skewers (loin and kidney) and lamb belly. 🐐🤤

Separately, I’ve had to adjust to the weather and pollution in Beijing. At around 4:30 PM, I thought it was nearing sunset. In fact, it was just smog, with a chance of light showers. 🌧️ Sunset wasn’t until 7 PM.

Lastly, the Chinese people I’ve met so far have been very accommodating to me. They can see that I’m learning Mandarin, and they genuinely love seeing foreigners learn Chinese. It amuses them. For instance, today I spoke with a pastry vendor. When she could see that I was a non-native Mandarin speaker, she spent more time explaining her pastries to me.

She then told the folks behind me, a middle-aged woman, and what I presume to be the woman’s mother, how I was learning Mandarin, and falsely claimed how good I was. 😅 The older woman kept smiling at me, giving a thumbs up, and saying in Mandarin, “Excellent! Excellent!” It’s what I imagine she does with her grandchildren. In any case, it’s nice to have so many kind strangers willing to accommodate and help me along the way.