Doin' it like the locals do

Ted and I would like to think that we have had a fairly authentic experience while in China. We've lived in the hutongs, had porridge and dumplings for breakfast in restaurants with four tables, and we ride the subway around town like nobody's business. But there were a few pieces missing to the puzzle that would really allow us to see and understand the local experience: taking in some of the nightlife in a trendy area, and eating American fast food.

While we have always passed trendy little bars all around town, we never wanted to be those laowais, traveling in China only to be caught indulging in creature comforts from back home. Why would we want to spend 20 Yuan on a small drink in a gaudy bar when we could get like five breakfasts for the same amount of money? But after a while, reality sets in. Not all of China lives in the hutong, and part of experiencing the local culture is also partaking in some of the trendier spots which are highly influenced by western night-life, but nonetheless have their place in this vibrant city.

Bravely adventuring into a new world, we first met up with one of Ted's former co-workers who has been in China for two months as part of a U of O study abroad program. Bringing along a friend of his from the program, the four of us had a double date at a posh little Indian restaurant called the Raj, where Ted and I used a fork for the first time in a month. I never knew I could be so conflicted by proper placement and use of silverware, as I desperately wished I had my handy chopsticks in hand to munch down the yummy rice and curry.

On the way to the restaurant Ted and I had spotted a little bar which advertised their drink special of the night: Mojitos. Lured in by the small courtyard and the fact that no one else was there, we put the hookah to use and talked politics over some delicious Mojitos, made with fresh mint picked from the courtyard. We then continued down a small hutong we had traversed earlier, having a drink at "The smallest bar in Beijing: 12 sq. meters", and drank at another cute place with loft seating decked out with pillows low tables - a perfect place to keep the conversation alive.

With only a 20 yuan cab ride back to our hostel in Qianmen to finish off the night, I have to say that we had a great time and enjoyed every single one of the bars we visited. It is so easy to be overwhelmed in a place like Beijing where there is such a diverse daily reality, making it easy to go overboard on attempting to get a "real" experience. For us, getting this experience (up until recently) had been braving restaurants with no English menus and eating in the street with everyone else.

But the reality is that many Beijingers love to indulge in a good drink here and there at a trendy spot, and live to eat at KFC, McDonalds, and Pizza Hut. So when Ted and I were finished signing in for the IOC's Sport and the Environment conference (which starts tomorrow!), we decided to sit down for a nice date at the nearest Pizza Hut to try this local favorite.

Now, Pizza Hut is not the same in China as it is in the US. In China, they are sit-down restaurants, and have a full menu. Not only did they have American-style pizza as well as more Asian themed pizzas with seafood (shrimp pizza, anyone?), but they also had espresso, spaghetti, fried meatballs, garlic bread, escargot, milkshakes, ice cream cake, and beer. No joke. Although the choices were abundant, Ted and I decided on the 12 inch Hawaiian, which went for 83 yuan ( little over 10 US dollars). I only wish I had a camera to capture this momentous event, if only to prove that yes, there was actually escargot on the menu.

While the pizza was dull and the service wasn't the best we've had, the company was fantastic, and the absurdity of sitting down at a Pizza Hut for a nice, expensive meal was priceless.