Subway Travels

‎Since I was essentially without wheels for the duration of my recent Beijing stay (a minimum 90 day visit is required now to obtain a provisional  driver's license; as opposed to the 30 days-only granted during my '08 Olympics visit), I spent a lot of time either on rubber heels or underground on Beijing's Subway system.

Despite the cramped conditions, the Subways are clean, safe, and staffed by a smiling and cordial Corp of‎ uniformed officers.

Bright Lights, Big City

Now I don't want to give anyone the impression that the retail/merchant economic environment in Beijing only operates at sidewalk‎ level; far from it! Beijing is the Capital City of the People's Republic of China; home to some 22 million inhabitants; and is without question both the cultural/political engine and catalyst of Asia.

While my examination of neighboring business establishments‎ could be characterized as a micro-perspective of businesses here, it's now time to put a macro focus on what drives the City and Country's consumer economy:

The Chinese are spending money; in a big way; and while they are *Chinese* -- "Orientals" if you will; my biggest takeaway after several years of coming to the PRC: they want to be "Occidentals"; *Westerners"; and perish the thought -- Americans!

(But don't we all?)

Now don't get your flamethrowers out yet; my own casual and unscientific analysis points directly to that conclusion...

Don't forget, this is a country that for some 30 years was all but closed to Western visitors; which maintained strict uniformity in daily attire; which even discouraged the use of western terms such as "Blue Jeans" in their media; lest the Nation's language become corrupted...

Since opening-up, China has steadily adopted western culture; claiming it as if it were their own.

With that, I will look at 3 distinct and representative major retail centers in Beijing; the first, the Mother of all things retail -- East *and* West -- Wanfujing.

Situated a short distance from Tiananmen Square, Beijing's governmental hub; Wanfujing is a broad boulevard of retail Malls and smaller shops; all beneficiaries of an almost auto‎mobile-free environment; where shoppers can meander across its expanse; stop for photo-opportunities; or just rest their feet.

Wanfujing is a unique blend of merchants; melding the older traditional type of Chinese products with both the trendy Western retailers and ‎iconic brands.

I am typically a third-wheel at this stage of the game, grudgingly dragged-along on some shopping quest not of my own ‎initiative; I've been here; I've done here; and besides, it feels just like everywhere else...

Street Life

The story of my Monday afternoon stroll down Yinghuayuan and Hepingli did in fact have a happy ending...!!!

I ultimately was able to locate the sought-after Lightning to USB charging cable that was the original impetus for my journey. After an initial visit to one of the many telecom resellers who jostle what seems every fourth retail space -- pushing mobile phone equipment and competing carriers like so many dumpling shops -- everything becoming commoditized; I scored what I believed would prove the best possible deal...

With prices ranging as high as189‎ Yuan for the exact connections required, ultimately my second of many shop stops was my purchase decision; and at 20 Yuan, which, with the current U.S. Dollar to Chinese Yuan conversion going at a ratio of 1 U.S. to 6.2 China, well you do the math...

But in the end, just before I turned off the bustling boule‎vard of my afternoon to evening odyssey, I came upon a street vendor, one of many I would encounter that day, hawking his own array of after-market tech wares; and much to my amusement, he was actually able to offer the same knock-off unlicensed hardware for 5 YUAN less than my own purchase; but probably a wiser choice was made in the end, as the store I got my goods from had an address -- I knew where they lived -- and this guy was on some kind of 3-wheeled motorized Radio Shack; the better to never be seen of again, should *his* goods fail to perform.

Just one of ‎the many unique and diverse array of proprietors encountered that day -- from Moslem food sellers selling Hallal organ meats (he wouldn't let me snap them); to mobile pet shops; and even outdoor kitchens; ideal for morning *and* evening pedestrian commuters -- all participating in an economy that is as wide open and sprawling as the spectrum of ethnicities and traditions which make up this nation.