The Empress' Visit

Monica was able to finagle some time off for a short visit to Beijing, and I think she had a great time. The shopping alone was enough to keep her happy (not to mention the shopkeepers), but she was also greeted with smiles and curious stares nearly everywhere we went. I have to admit, I felt somewhat like a once-famous actress who has been D-listed. As you may recall, just a few short weeks ago, I had people asking to take photos with me in the street. Well, with Monica's arrival I am officially chopped liver. The combination of her darker skin (I guess they see plenty of white people after all) and her fancy hair (braided for the trip), made her the main attraction.

She posed for numerous photos with random strangers and answered questions on how long it took to braid her hair (6 hours for the curious), but perhaps my favorite incident occurred when we were wandering through an old, narrow hutong just south of the Forbidden City. A young girl came up and decided that she was going to escort Monica to the main street. So, she grabbed Monica's hand and began to lead her along the hutong -- all the while exclaiming how beautiful she was. I, on the other hand was left to fend for myself. Once we reached the main road, the girl kissed Monica on the shoulder a few times, again declared how beautiful she was, and left. [See photo below.]

I think Monica's only recurring complaint was that she thought she would be taller here. (Northern Chinese people are generally taller than the Cantonese Chinese immigrants in the States.)