The sun had set about an hour back and the lights of the city had come to life. These weren't the bright neon flashes of busy club districts or the forlon glare from lamp posts in quiet residential areas. Rather they exuded a soft and hushed radiance which fell upon a long and narrow cobblestone street. The light originated from a collection of antique looking restaurants, bars and gift shops on either side of that street, the end of which was lost in the shadows. Each building was different in style, decor and architecture but each was small and enmeshed in an old world charm. Oval lamp covers of reddish hue, with intricate dragon paintings and oriental symbols adorned the porch of the shops. An occasional twang of the strings emanated as we walked past, making a relaxed and contemplative melody. I had stumbled upon this place quite by accident.
This was the Nanlouguxiang hutong, an 800 year old alley, close to the ancient Forbidden City, located at the heart of Beijing.
As I wandered leisurely about the place, I crossed many a unique shop. At last I stumbled upon a place that proclaimed itself as the smallest bar in Beijing.
Looks interesting, I thought. So did my colleague and we decided to enter the place.
In front of the entrance there were two tables and couple of chairs in front of each. The bar was located to its right. The space in front of the bar and to the right of the entrance formed a nice looking window, with a couple of seats that basically overlooked the street.
The place looked very small and yet when we sat on the bar, there was a cozy and warm feeling. The two girls who were bartending were an interesting lot. One was Chinese and presumably the owner while the other was German. Since we were the only two people on the bar seats (and incidentally occupying all but two of them) we had an engaging conversation. The German girl had evidently traveled a lot, was interested and knowledgeable in different cultures. She could also speak fluent Chinese. Or so it seemed to my ears.
Time had somehow ceased to flow inside that place. After five grueling days, our business in China had ended and we were in no hurry to keep up with the clock.
After a while, an odd couple entered the bar. One was a petite and reticent Chinese girl. She had a silent expression in her face and didn't appear to be interested in other people around her. The bar certainly threw people very close to each other and you couldn't easily ignore the person next to you. But she didn't acknowledge any of the others present and focused solely on her companion.
There was certainly a stark contrast when it came to that man. A middle aged, podgy European, full of hustle and bustle with a geniality that was endearing to the casual acquaintance. He was extremely loquacious and soon struck a vigorous conversation with each and every person around him. He could also speak Chinese. I was slowly getting the feeling of being left out.
Since he was seated right in front of me, I was the major recipient of his ideas.
And he did seem to have lots of them. He was apparently a professor of social sciences in UK. He had various theories about globalization and he was writing a book on the same topic.
He spoke in an animated fashion about global citizens and how national borders were becoming diluted by various economic activities of people. As I listened to him, without contributing much to the conversation, I migrated to a state of stupor. His words fell into my ears without registering into my thought process. Maybe the alcohol also had an effect.
But then it changed all of a sudden.
He was explaining the impact of the rise of India and China in the global economy. As I listened to him, he paused all of a sudden, as if some point had just struck him. He then pointed at me and stated in an exhilarating voice, "Look at yourself -"
I was shaken out of my inertia. What had I done? His next words were revealing
"You were born and raised in India. You came to the United States for further studies. You got a job in a Japanese company and now you are in China to attend a business meeting."
All that he had said was true. I had done what he had said, but no one had managed to put all of it as succinctly and eloquently as he had just done. As I listened to him stunned, he went on to add,
"You symbolize all that I have been speaking about."
We stayed for some more time there and then it was time to leave. Not only the place, but also to Nanlouguxiang and Beijing as we would be leaving China the next day. The past week had exposed me to so many new experiences but all along had made me feel completely at home. I was a bit sad to be leaving the country.
In case you are curious, the name of the bar is 12SQM. I highly recommend a visit if you ever end up in Beijing and have a couple of hours to spare.
This was the Nanlouguxiang hutong, an 800 year old alley, close to the ancient Forbidden City, located at the heart of Beijing.
As I wandered leisurely about the place, I crossed many a unique shop. At last I stumbled upon a place that proclaimed itself as the smallest bar in Beijing.
Looks interesting, I thought. So did my colleague and we decided to enter the place.
In front of the entrance there were two tables and couple of chairs in front of each. The bar was located to its right. The space in front of the bar and to the right of the entrance formed a nice looking window, with a couple of seats that basically overlooked the street.
The place looked very small and yet when we sat on the bar, there was a cozy and warm feeling. The two girls who were bartending were an interesting lot. One was Chinese and presumably the owner while the other was German. Since we were the only two people on the bar seats (and incidentally occupying all but two of them) we had an engaging conversation. The German girl had evidently traveled a lot, was interested and knowledgeable in different cultures. She could also speak fluent Chinese. Or so it seemed to my ears.
Time had somehow ceased to flow inside that place. After five grueling days, our business in China had ended and we were in no hurry to keep up with the clock.
After a while, an odd couple entered the bar. One was a petite and reticent Chinese girl. She had a silent expression in her face and didn't appear to be interested in other people around her. The bar certainly threw people very close to each other and you couldn't easily ignore the person next to you. But she didn't acknowledge any of the others present and focused solely on her companion.
There was certainly a stark contrast when it came to that man. A middle aged, podgy European, full of hustle and bustle with a geniality that was endearing to the casual acquaintance. He was extremely loquacious and soon struck a vigorous conversation with each and every person around him. He could also speak Chinese. I was slowly getting the feeling of being left out.
Since he was seated right in front of me, I was the major recipient of his ideas.
And he did seem to have lots of them. He was apparently a professor of social sciences in UK. He had various theories about globalization and he was writing a book on the same topic.
He spoke in an animated fashion about global citizens and how national borders were becoming diluted by various economic activities of people. As I listened to him, without contributing much to the conversation, I migrated to a state of stupor. His words fell into my ears without registering into my thought process. Maybe the alcohol also had an effect.
But then it changed all of a sudden.
He was explaining the impact of the rise of India and China in the global economy. As I listened to him, he paused all of a sudden, as if some point had just struck him. He then pointed at me and stated in an exhilarating voice, "Look at yourself -"
I was shaken out of my inertia. What had I done? His next words were revealing
"You were born and raised in India. You came to the United States for further studies. You got a job in a Japanese company and now you are in China to attend a business meeting."
All that he had said was true. I had done what he had said, but no one had managed to put all of it as succinctly and eloquently as he had just done. As I listened to him stunned, he went on to add,
"You symbolize all that I have been speaking about."
We stayed for some more time there and then it was time to leave. Not only the place, but also to Nanlouguxiang and Beijing as we would be leaving China the next day. The past week had exposed me to so many new experiences but all along had made me feel completely at home. I was a bit sad to be leaving the country.
In case you are curious, the name of the bar is 12SQM. I highly recommend a visit if you ever end up in Beijing and have a couple of hours to spare.
2 comments:
Good to have you back, Altamont!
I wonder if the Professor was prophetic/Holmesian enough to deduce your pedigree and profession.
Thanks IncogRito... well I had mentioned the pedigree and profession but those information were spread over an hours conversation. At the end of it, he managed to summarize all that in the most precise fashion.
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