This month, I went and did a bit of travels to visit an old friend in Beijing. This was the first time I had been in that city since I was about 5, so this really felt like a whole new experience. To be honest I was a bit anxious about the trip in some ways. I haven’t travelled to China by myself before, and despite knowing how to read complex chinese and how to speak Cantonese, Mandarin and simplified chinese is a whole different ball game. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how I did manage to communicate pretty well, and how quickly I felt like I was a resident of the city while I was staying at my friend’s home. Coming back, I already miss the fried pancakes made fresh on the streets, and the fresh fruits that were in season that did not have to be frozen during their transportation from southern China.

The highlight of my experience was exploring the history of Peking Opera and seeing a live performance of one. Like so many things, seeing a live performance allows you to appreciate much more than what can be conveyed in a video recording. I was surprised to learn that the art form is only about 200 years old, barely a dent in China’s almost 4000 years of history as a civilization. It was also a thrill every time I bumped into a chinese music instrument store, or walked in on a rehearsal of some kind of performance and watching it for a while (no one kicked me out!), and sometimes even overhearing an ensemble practicing inside a building. A visit to the Heaven Temple also lead to the discovery of a “Ministry of Music” that dedicated its work to support the Emperor’s ritualistic offerings to the Heavens, with instruments that I could play with to boot. Did I mention that I saw maybe 5 other people in that exhibit while I was there? I guess tourists don’t like the cold nor do they like to walk!