The joys of being a foreigner

Weather: chilly
Temp:2-10
Exchange rate: RMB1 = R1.45
You looky, looky: Wungfujing's food street is full of the weird and wonderful food.

The thing about being a western foreigner in China is that you can never blend in. It's the round eyes that give you away, every time. Mostly it's ok to stand out. It doesn't bother me much and by now we're pretty used to the inquiring glances and sometimes blatant staring. Last night we went to Wungfujing, one of Beijing's famous pedestrian shopping streets. We were actually trying to get to a movie cinema, but got lost, wandered down the wrong hutong and by the time we found Wungfujing, it was too late for the late show (9:30) and we ended up strolling around, not really doing anything. I don't know if you remember the email that went round before the Olympics about the weird food you could get in Beijing? Seahorse on a stick, scorpion on a stick, silkworm on a stick? Anyway, those photos were taking at the Wungfuging food market and that where I got something to eat. No, don't worry, I skipped the scorpion, but opted for veggies on a stick. Or 5 sticks to be precise. In my local market's food section that would cost me RMB 5. Last night I was charged RMB65. No I kid you not. Yes, I know, I should have asked for the price first, but knowing more or less what it should cost I certainly did not expect to get charged that ridiculous amount. But that's the thing about always being the obvious foreigner, in one of the touristy streets in Beijing - they can spot you a mile off and hey, maybe some tourists are willing to pay that, but I certainly wasnt'. We sorted it out and in the end I only paid RMB25 - which is still tourist price, but a spot better than RMB65. I think what irks me most is that to this guy I looked like just another foreigner, fresh off the plane. It also highlighted that we really need to learn the lingo, otherwise this sort of thing is always going to keep on happening.

As a Beijing newby you're also reliant on guidebooks to give you a the lowdown and usually this pans out but not today. I'm busy looking for a birthday present for my favourite godson Jackson. So what does one get a little boy for his second birthday that unique and special and from China? You research, you cross reference and eventually you think you have sure winner: a shop that sells unique, hand-made toys made by a 5th generation toymaker. How cool does that sound. If the New York Times thinks it's cool it must be. Right, so off I go. I can't find it on the map so I take a taxi and voila -we find the shop and although I spend a good half an hour in a shop the size of my couch I am unable to really find what I'm looking. What I don't get is why it's on the Top10 list of must-visit shops in Beijing... Live and learn.

We also met our first South African! Elkarike has just moved to Beijing (from somewhere else in China) and we're going to have her over for dinner soon.