Sunday Stroll

Meeting:

Once again, I found myself looking for Paula. This time, I was at the Silk Market. Our meeting was well planned this time. Noon at the Irish Sandwich place in the Silk Market we would meet for lunch.

Just before noon, I arrived via subway, bumbling about in B1 of the Silk Market, I learned quickly that the sandwich place was not down there. Leather shoes, purses and belts were sold on this floor. I circled the area, just to be sure, avoiding the constant request for me to, "Come see." "Have a look" and "Need a bag?" I made it back to the stairs. At the top of the stairs was the Irish Sandwich place sign. I stepped outside and sat down at a table outside the shop. There was a bit until noon, so I ordered a smoothie. The prices were excessive, as expected from somewhere in the silk market. I sipped the berry smoothie, waiting for Paula. The flavor was pretty bitter, but not unpleasantly so. Despite the excessive use of ice, I enjoyed the beverage well enough.

About fifteen minutes after I sat down with my beverage, Paula peeked around the door to the Silk Market. We smiled in greeting to each other, and headed out. She knew we wouldn't miss each other meeting at an unmistakable place like an Irish Sandwich shop. There could be only one near the Silk Market.

Paula had a restaurant in mind for lunch. It was a Sischuan place, but she wasn't entirely sure where it was, or even if it was in this area. We crossed the street to a long strip of restaurants, but none were the one she was expecting to find. We did find a nice Thai place and settled in for a good meal.

After finishing lunch, we headed to retrieve her parka from the tailor where she had commissioned it. She got a really nice deal on it. It was lovely and looked so warm. She really needed one since she was headed to Lhasa. It looked wonderful on her, such a perfect fit.

She then demonstrated an event that she told me was common on her previous visit to Beijing years earlier. She went to buy some fruit from an alleyway, but the officer guarding the alleyway wouldn't let her in. She had encountered this the previous day when she commissioned the parka, but this time she was determined to get her fruit. She insisted that she give the police officer the money to buy the fruit, but he wouldn't take it. Finally a woman with a baby outside the alleyway who understood what was going on helped Paula get the fruit she wanted and we were on our way again. I had never seen such an event. The officer insisted that we were not to enter the alley, and put himself in front of Paula every time she moved to enter.

We then caught a cab to head back to Wangfuxing, to the hostel where she was staying. The hostel was tucked into a hutong area. This quaint little humble hostel was beautiful inside. The community bathroom was amazingly clean. The rooms were small, but clean and beautifully decorated. The small courtyard area was full of healthy beautiful plants with some caged parakeets and a cricket. Neither the birds nor the cricket were singing, but the sun was lying beautifully upon the wooden table decorated with flowering plants. I was impressed. Paula told me the girls that keep the hostel cleaned the table with a toothbrush the day prior. They were very friendly and kind.

We decided to take a short trip over to the near by park. Paula and I walked for a bit, and then I saw the immensity of the park. After checking the time, I was sure I would feel rushed if we went ahead inside, so she walked me back to the subway and I made it home in time to get ready for dinner with Kwong, Logan, and Cullen. Having walked so much, I was worn out. Paula is in amazing shape. She didn't slow for a second.

Dinner was hot pot at a mushroom place. The dinner was wonderful, and when I got home, I was so ready to crash. I felt that long walk for days.