798:
When we woke in the morning, the sky was once again clear and blue. It was so beautiful, we decided not to waste the day inside.
I have been wanting to start a new project. For this project, I am in need of some air-dry polymer clay. I have yet to find a decent art/crafts supply place. In all the literature we have found about art and art supplies in Beijing, the "Art District" or rather 798 has been listed. 798 is an old factory that has been altered to an art area. This includes an artist commune. Located on the other side of Beijing, so it took some free time to explore, we thought it would be the perfect day to take a look. With our backpack loaded and ready, we headed to 798.
The taxi ride was pretty short, considering the distance. The traffic was light at 2pm on a Friday evening.. something I can't say for Houston traffic on Fridays.
When we got out of the taxi, having seen the brick walls around 798 decorated with amazing 'graffiti' (we suspect that this graffiti is actually planned works), we were ready for some real artwork. I expected some dirty, fresh works that spoke of the current mood in China. Something that would convey an inner emotional cry or a joy. Something that would really speak volumes.
What we found, though artistic and beautiful in it's own right, was very craft-like, precise artistic renditions. There were some examples of great visual experimentation with warping of the sculpture or image. A few images that toy with the mind in a strange bold way. We even saw 3 of the red dinosaurs that we had seen in front of the Houston Museum of Science prior to leaving. Most of the Art was beautiful, and of Museum quality. Something that can be appreciated... but not what I expected with an artist commune, and grungy graffiti outside. I don't know why, but I was really expecting something emotional... something hard hitting.
There was a very nice artistic commentary on the dangers of mining. There was another gallery with images by an artist that obviously had something to say... but some of it was definitely social commentary that I just didn't understand about China. She had an image of a pregnant woman next to a calcified fetus with a water purifier in between them. I have searched the internet for the connection, but have yet to find one. It was very simple and nicely crafted. The image was precise, yet... I am still baffled by it. Another painting had some really nice images to showing video games which the artist used a mosaic-like tiling of her colors to create the image.. appearing to simulate pixels maybe. The talent of the artists was clearly conveyed with her ability to perfectly sculpt the characters with their paints or their cameras.
There was an old steam engine train sitting next to a large pile of coal that appeared to have been abandoned hastily. The crane was collapsed into the coal as if it had just been dropped when the operator was told to vacate. The thick odor of grease and oil filled the area reminiscent of the past of the area. The train was painted over, to keep it looking fresh and rust free, but the near-by towers and machine did not get the same treatment. The towers were coated in thick orange rust. Black drops of sap were pulled up out of the wooden planks by the heat. The sun was warm and this spot felt so raw and worn.
Cullen had to laugh at me sometimes when I was too busy taking pictures of the broken windows in a building, the graffiti on the wall, or the moss growing in an obscure corner, and would miss something like the behemoth of a metal fist in the middle of the sidewalk.
There was a small area with loads of people sitting on the concrete, selling their goods... some embroidered clothes and shoes... some toys... key chains... belts.. hats.. Though most was obviously NOT handmade, some of it was, if not completely hand made, at least partly so.
Despite the area being an "art district" things were definitely not at "starving artist" prices. The prices were high for somethings, reasonable for others, but the only real deals were with the peddlers sitting on the concrete, and you really had to work for those, because they didn't seem to stress about whether you would buy their goods or not. They just knew someone would. None of them tried to push their goods like they do in the Silk Market. They just sat there, pretty calm and ready to show you something if you looked interest.
There was only one art supply store, or that's all we found. Most of the little shops here sold clothes, tourist treasures, jewelry (there was a shop with jewelers tools and what appeared to be a real jeweler... though his jewelery on display was very unrefined and raw.. it definitely had a certain charm to it), or post cards. We didn't find any more art supplies. Just loads of dark corners and interesting graffiti.
With our search ending in defeat, as they often do the first time, we set out to fill our bellies.
Peter's Tex-Mex grill:
After the sad disappointment at the Roadhouse, we were a ready for some decent Tex-Mex, but didn't really expect to find it in Beijing. I had read several reviews for Peter's Tex-Mex Grill, but despite these reviews, still did not want to expect too much from the restaurant. The Roadhouse reviews were good too...
We stepped up into the entry to the restaurant and heard the old familiar Mexican music. That same Tex-Mex restaurant music they use to set the stage back in Texas. Entering the cozy Texas-Mexican dining room decor, we sat down in a booth with grandma style throw pillows on the benches. The booth was roomy and far enough from the children's play area that we could enjoy a meal without disturbance or being crowded into our seat.
The menu was a mix of Tex-Mex and good 'ol Texas fare. It included fried chicken, and chicken fried steak.. not to mention real steaks and enchiladas. My affinity for avocados and my curiosity cased me to pick an interesting dish. It was called Crispy chicken breast stuffed with fresh avocado slices. Cullen chose his old-faithful Beef Fajitas. There was no free chips and salsa, and we forgot to order some, so we had ourselves a margarita and Cullen explored the restaurant's reading selection.
One wall of Peter's Tex-Mex Grill is a large bookshelf filled with books and Texas nick-knacks. Including a wooden boot painted with the Texas flag and some stuffed chickens. The sort of thing you would find in your eccentric aunt's house, or some craft shows. The books were all in English, and there was a request written in green ink on printer paper requesting any input into expanding their library. I fear this may have impacted my opinion of the restaurant. That and the fact that the waiters and waitresses didn't fret over the customers like every other restaurant we have been to here in China. The were very laid back and let us sit and relax.
The very first thing to arrive was the fragrance of tasty fajitas and the sizzle of said fajitas on an authentic cast-iron skillet with a cover still on them. The wooden holder was just as reminiscent of the restaurants back home as the music that continued to play. Moments later the waitress arrived with sour cream, beans, rice, and salsa each in their own dish. The waiter then arrived with the chicken that looked perfect. It was sliced into bite-sized strips, served with steamed broccoli and carrots as well as some scalloped potatoes. The final thing to arrive was the home-made tortillas. I didn't expect that they would be able to buy any tortillas, but it always makes me pleased to smell the fresh odor of newly made tortillas.
My first bite into the chicken was so much better than I expected. The combination of crispy-coated chicken, cheese, ham, and avocado created and texture and flavor that made me so much more than happy. The chicken, and Cullen described it, was as if they had made chicken cordon-bleu but added some avocado when they folded over the chicken. The vegetables were perfectly steamed, and though I don't like scalloped potatoes much, these were flavorful and reasonably fresh.
I tasted the fajitas and the flavor was perfect and the meat was tender. The vegetables grilled with the fajitas were not too soft and not too crisp. The tortillas were a little tough, but authentic for sure. The beans were exactly what you would expect refried beans to taste like. Cullen didn't like the rice. It tasted like an aromatic rice sauteed with butter instead of oil, and then very light seasoning. It wasn't bad, just different that he expected.
If we had visited this restaurant in Houston, we would definitely go back, so being that it's in China... well... there are no more worries about finding a decent Tex-Mex restaurant. We found one. (I give them a check plus.)
