Between Hong Kong and Yunan
As a got off the plane in fresh from my trip to Hong Kong, I was struck by the extent to which I could literally taste the Beijing air. During the winter, the amount of coal being burnt to heat the city increases and, with this increase, the pollution becomes intolerable. I know that I harp on the pollution quite often, but it is honestly the thing that I’ve found the most disagreeable since I arrived in Beijing. Were the pollution not so bad, I think that living here would be much, much easier.
After returning to Beijing I only had 36 hours in the city before getting back on a plane and heading to Yunan for a few days. While I did not go back to Beijing specifically to attend the Yale Club Christmas Party, I was happy to be able to attend the event. While the party ran smoothly and has a complete success, there are a few points about the party that I’d like to point out. The first is that sharp contrast that existed between those people attending the party and the lao bai xin, or “regular joe” Beijingers on the street. Don’t get me wrong, the ability to have a conversation in English from time to time and to attend a function that feels as if it is taking place in the States is one of the reasons that I like living in Beijing—it’s comforting to know that, should I want to feel like I’m in the States, I’m able to do so. The one thing that struck me most about the party, however, was an aside that one of the younger club members made to me. While having a glass of wine/chatting away, I mentioned that the cost of attending the event and joining the yale club—only club members and their guests were allowed to attend the party—was rather steep. I went on to say that, as a recent graduate who only teaches enough English to support his language study and travel habits, I found the price to be nearly out of my range. After explaining this concern, she flippantly replied, “well, you come from money, anyways, so it really doesn’t matter.” Wow.
For the most part, this young woman is very amiable and agreeable, so I don’t want to speak poorly of her. My point is that her assumptions that I: a) came from money and b) implicitly, that mommy and daddy/my trust fund were funding my time in Beijing infuriated me. In short, the reason that I liked Yale is that I never encountered that type of moneyed and elitist snobbery while I was an undergrad. Moreover, hearing that while at a party that cost me as much money as I spend on food for at least two weeks made me realize that there are two worlds in a place like Beijing: one for those with money, and one for those without. I’m not saying that I’m in the latter group—I’m far from it. The more I read about migrant workers in this city and see their working conditions, the more I realize that I’m incredibly lucky. My point is just that, as someone on a limited budget who bikes everywhere instead of taking a cab to go from place to place, I think that I see, breathe, taste and live in a different world than many expats here.
After returning to Beijing I only had 36 hours in the city before getting back on a plane and heading to Yunan for a few days. While I did not go back to Beijing specifically to attend the Yale Club Christmas Party, I was happy to be able to attend the event. While the party ran smoothly and has a complete success, there are a few points about the party that I’d like to point out. The first is that sharp contrast that existed between those people attending the party and the lao bai xin, or “regular joe” Beijingers on the street. Don’t get me wrong, the ability to have a conversation in English from time to time and to attend a function that feels as if it is taking place in the States is one of the reasons that I like living in Beijing—it’s comforting to know that, should I want to feel like I’m in the States, I’m able to do so. The one thing that struck me most about the party, however, was an aside that one of the younger club members made to me. While having a glass of wine/chatting away, I mentioned that the cost of attending the event and joining the yale club—only club members and their guests were allowed to attend the party—was rather steep. I went on to say that, as a recent graduate who only teaches enough English to support his language study and travel habits, I found the price to be nearly out of my range. After explaining this concern, she flippantly replied, “well, you come from money, anyways, so it really doesn’t matter.” Wow.
For the most part, this young woman is very amiable and agreeable, so I don’t want to speak poorly of her. My point is that her assumptions that I: a) came from money and b) implicitly, that mommy and daddy/my trust fund were funding my time in Beijing infuriated me. In short, the reason that I liked Yale is that I never encountered that type of moneyed and elitist snobbery while I was an undergrad. Moreover, hearing that while at a party that cost me as much money as I spend on food for at least two weeks made me realize that there are two worlds in a place like Beijing: one for those with money, and one for those without. I’m not saying that I’m in the latter group—I’m far from it. The more I read about migrant workers in this city and see their working conditions, the more I realize that I’m incredibly lucky. My point is just that, as someone on a limited budget who bikes everywhere instead of taking a cab to go from place to place, I think that I see, breathe, taste and live in a different world than many expats here.
posted by jr at 6:23 AM
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