Adjusting.

The days are going by fast and it's already mid-July.  I don't notice the deep throat hacking of passing Chinese men, as much.  It still sends a chill.  I don't just jaywalk, I walk between taxis, bikes, and trucks, waiting on the middle dividing yellow line until a space opens to allow me to pass across.  There aren't $70 dollar jaywalking tickets here (unlike Iowa City).  The walk sides are usually just used as a suggestion, one usually ignored.  Bikers follow zero rules.  

I think I am adjusting.

Today after we took the long transfer to Xidan, we window shopped in the district.  The only thing I purchased was a coffee oreo blizzard at DQ.  After leaving the very opulent shopping mall with floor levels organized by sporty, crash, sexy, etc.  we wandered around to the cheap Chinese markets.  We landed in knockoff land.  It was five levels of random thrown together.  On the bottom was a Chinese bakery.  The Chinese love their bakeries, usually French (Tous Les Joures, Paris Baguette), although this was the first Chinese bakery I had seen.  The difference was a lot more questionable baked bread goodies stuffed with meats and dried seasonings.  The next floor was Disney madness.  Once again, the Chinese enjoy "cutsey" fashion, Hello Kitty, Mickey, it's all cool.  I found it strange that they had a Nightmare before Christmas store included (the goth alternative.)  The floors above this were more of the same.  Knock-off fashion, not as good as the markets we usually frequent boasting Nike, Adidas, Coach, Jessica Simpson, Prada, North Face.  Anything name brand they have.  If it is a truly good fake, they have a hidden stock in the basement.  You can pick your style and color by the picture books they have waiting in their makeshift store.  The quality at this market was not even comparable.  It looked like the clothing would fall apart just by trying it on.  The top floor housed what could be described as a Claire's warehouse of the jewelery that wouldn't sell.  It was a bazaar or bizarre.  In this case, both spellings are correct. We hadn't even been in there ten minutes before we descended down the five levels of the escalators.

Outside we bought some more bottled water and kept walking.  A little boy surrounded by his parents squatted down with his crotchless pants and peed on the ground.  Fully exposed to everyone, yet no one seemed to pay any particular attention.  Four weeks ago, I would have gawked, sputtered, and thought, "What, did I just see that?"  Today it was just another quirk of China.  Just like the public make-out sessions of young adolescents experimenting with their new freedom.  In the bakery, a couple passionately kissed for half an hour as we sipped on kiwi smoothies and the birthday girl ate cheesecake.  

Behind the massive shopping plaza, partly hidden we discovered some more hutongs.  My favorite part about Beijing.  The capital city's history lies in these homes of yesterday.  On the outside walls, some homes have been converted into shops selling food and gifts.  One home had skewers poked with lettuce, tofu, mystery meat, and so many obscure foods.  It housed more food on a stick than the Iowa State Fair.  Disappointed that I forgot my camera I just had to take a mental picture.  (The picture above is from Shanghai, I love photographing China's street food.)