lao youtiao
We must come to terms with the fact that I am gentrifying hipster scum. Shichahai is Old Beijing. I live between Xihai and Houhai lakes in an area with countless hutongs and alleyways. Beijing is a difficult city to get lost in because most of the roads run NS/EW. But it's comparatively easy to disappear in a place like this.
But escape is far from my mind, for once. I like the here and now, for now. I'm having difficulty manipulating my usual fantasies.
When not busy moving in or getting used to the neighborhood, I've been meeting some local girls via a local social networking site for food and conversation. To dismiss Chinese girls as either bound by tradition or bound for places West is completely absurd. Maybe I'm just lucky, but I keep meeting the sorts of genuinely quirky chicks I've always loved. And they get me, somehow, even though I am a totally mysterious number.
Do you know why I am awesome at life? Paradoxically, it is because I have no confidence. You have known this about me from the very beginning. Me too. But when I realize it I JUST LOST THE GAME.
One girl in particular has completely swept me away. I'm not even sure what to say right now. Her name's Corinne and she's a Beijinger. I'm so goddamned happy right now. I hope this isn't another hallucination. Smart, funny, independent, and sexy as all hell. We spent the better part of two days in each others arms, doing BLESSED NOTHING. This is life. I couldn't be more fortunate.
Spring Festival is just around the corner. I'm actually looking forward to going to the temple fairs (miao hui). It's a great place to buy cheesy decorations and silly shit. Plus they're so goddamned busy and crowded that my being a foreigner doesn't present as much of a disadvantage in negotiations.