Weekends in Beijing
The Beijing air was hanging particularly heavy and thick today, as the dust and pollution of the city mixed densely with the clouds. Visibility and air quality was reduced significantly, so much so that essentially all air traffic into and out of the city was canceled.
I think it’s safe to say, that in this day and age of chemicals, radiation, and manufacturing, it’s likely that we’ll all die from cancer one way or another. But in regards to China’s poor excuse for oxygen, I quote the Matrix and say, “Not like this, not like this!”
:D
On a happier note, I had a great weekend! Saturday I woke up early to get half-priced tickets to see a Chinese movie with my friend. 失恋33天 - a story of a young girl getting over her first love. Although being one, completely unnecessary scene too long, it had some really interesting points on love.
1. The girl, being too selfishly absorbed in her own self-pity, has no idea why her boyfriend left her. Shamelessly, she drunk-dials him and gets him to come pick her up from the bar she’s passed out in. Being cold and unfeeling towards him, he eventually breaks down and pleads with her to realize that all she’s ever done is treated him like a pet, forced him to beg for her attention, stripping him of his dignity, leaving him with no pride as a man.
Interesting. The games that women play. Thinking we’re testing the love of our man, never once thinking that maybe, just maybe, in toying with his love, we strip him of the very nature of what means to be a man. In loving another person, doesn’t a man already sacrifice enough of himself in terms of his vulnerability, his dreams?
2. Later on, the girl asks a very wealthy, talented, bright, and handsome young man why he’s choosing to marry a complete ditz who is clearly only interested in the material lifestyle he can provide for her. His answer was something along the lines of…
“For girls like her, she sees things like LV and Prada as necessities, while love as a luxury. You, on the other hand, see LV and Prada as luxuries, but regard love as a necessity. Life is long, and love is complicated. How can I promise you love forever? I will undoubtedly disappoint you. But girls like her, will always be happy with a man like me.”
I like it. Although to be honest, while I don’t consider myself to be particularly materialistic or dumb, I don’t really see love as a necessity anymore, either. But then again, I’m thinking of myself as a girl. Perhaps in this scenario, I play the role of the man.
3. Although I really love this part in the movie, it’s actually quite brutal to watch and serves no real purpose except to show how cruel women can be.
A woman tells her story of how she was giving birth to her son, and while at the hospital, the nurse mentions that her husband has also been visiting with another woman in another ward who came for an appendectomy, and asks if it’s another friend of the wife’s. Instantly realizing that this second woman is her husband’s mistress, she goes to see the other woman. She says…
“Hi, my name is Y, Mr. X’s wife. He told me all about your surgery, and I just wanted to come and say I hope you’re feeling well. I know it must be hard for you as a woman, being here at the hospital alone, with no husband, and no one to look after you. I think it’s quite the coincidence that we’re both here at the hospital at the same time. Only while you’re here to dispel of something unwanted from your body, I’m here to give life to our new baby boy, who will grow up big and healthy, loved by both of his parents in our family.
“I feel lucky that I have given birth to a boy, he will get big and strong, and I won’t have to worry about him. Having a daughter, on the other hand, we would have to worry over her, to make sure she takes care of herself and finds a good man, and doesn’t get into any bad habits.
“Alright then, I’m feeling a bit tired, and I think you need your rest. Here, I’ve brought you some soup. My husband keeps making it for me every day and I’m quite tired of drinking it. I thought since you’re here by yourself, I’d share it with you. Do take care of yourself, and stop with your bad habits. There’s a reason why you got sick.”
Ouch. Big time.
Anyway, after the movie, we drove out west to 西山 and hiked a bit. It was a beautiful day actually, with blue skies and everything. CrAzy how quickly things change. When we finally got back into the city, we went for Vietnamese food and had some awesome pho. Then went for massages nearby. Totally productive day! If you measure productivity in levels of fun :D
Sunday was good, too. Korean BBQ with friends, lots of “The Walking Dead”, and cookies that were actually quite delectable, from Belgium, and bought at a two-for-one price! (Which is important to note here because later on when I went to the store to get groceries, I realized that I had essentially no cash left in my wallet)
Alright, until next time…
—-
*crossfingers&shaking*
