Saturday, January 5, 2008

Where To Buy A Duckbill Platypus

Grotesque but nice ..

A friend asked me yesterday by email, if we had survived the culture shock well. I must confess to have not been particularly felt much of a culture shock.

We arrived yesterday morning after a long and exhausting flight, and were also equal on Flughafen abgeholt. Total übermüdet ging es dann per Bus richtung Zentrum. Peking ist von insgesamt 6 Ringen einer 3-spurigen Autobahn umgeben. Zwischen den einzelnen Ringen, ausser den inneren, scheinen abwechselnd haupsächlich Wohngebiete und Fabrikanlagen angesiedelt zu sein. Aufgrund der Vorbereitungen zu den Spielen gibt es auch unheimlich viele Brache Flächen und Baustellen. Wir wohnen im 4. Ring.

Was jedoch schon vom Flugzeug aus sofort ins Auge sticht ist der Smog. Smog, Nebel und Staub... und wieder Smog. Im Sommer kommt es wohl hin & wieder vor, daß man keine 50 Meter sehen kann, ohne daß die Luft diesig wird. Derzeit ist es so, daß man ca. 300 Meter weit blicken kann, ohne daß Konturen verschwimmen. Ganz blatantly does it manifest itself in the city. Because where we suspect "clear" sky turns out that after a closer be felt wall behind the cooker at once shilouette a skyscraper. I wonder whether the reduction of one million . vehicles in the city (for 14 days during the Olympic Games) is not more of a proverbial drop in the ocean are.

Anyway ... After we were in any case brought by bus from the airport to our apartments has worked well each of us the jaw at the sight of our homes down. Describes the decadence it easy. Retrieved from "Asia-sufficient conditions" can not even be mentioned.

Kathy and I live in a 120 sq. ft., fully state tten apartment. These include: 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (one huge), washing machine, kitchen with gas stove, a large flat screen TV, DVD player, DSL line, various cupboards and shelves, and various "accessories" such as candles, flowers and water dispenser. Everything not quite our "style", but one can say that it certainly makes life here. It remains only to hope that in the summer, the adjacent highway (about 70m distance from our living room) does not make too much noticeable.

Yesterday we did a little time exploring with a few colleagues in the inner city. In the large and all we can say that the city apart from the beautiful characters not very different from the look and feel of other cities. Tall buildings and office buildings, many people who hustle. I think you can find their way here but settle in very well and when you get used to the pace. Shopping is in any case it is wonderful. A clothes and electrical shops / market joins to the next. In between, small streets with restaurants and shops. All in all a interresting first impression.

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