Tailors, Art, and Chinese lessons

We spent this morning at a tailor, where we worked with the lovely Holly, a very skillful veteran of the trade. We picked out fabrics and designed a number of suits based on magazine pictures. She asked us to come back tomorrow night for a final adjustment, and that's it! Not only does the dollar go far when you're getting tailoring done in Beijing, but we think we got "special price for you:" $150 for a full suit and $12 for a dress shirt.

After lunch, we headed over to an amazing enclave of artists tucked away into old factories, some of which are still working. Apparently, the artists moved into these industrial spaces in the late '90's in secret, in order to showcase their work. It was since discovered, but because the eyes of the world have been on Beijing since they won the bid for the Olympics, the authorities have so far allowed the artists to remain where they are. Unfortunately, the most moving installations that clearly reflect government suppression are accompanied by write-ups that seem obviously government-censured in their blandness. However, all in all, it was a fantastic experience not only to get a sense of art in China, but also to walk through these amazing converted spaces, which were often just as interesting as the art itself.





After winding our way through dozens of galleries tucked into former factories small and large, we sat in a pleasant open courtyard for a beer, blended fruit drink, and banana cake. It started with one translation request, and quickly became an in-depth lesson in Mandarin that lasted for almost an hour, with the full attention of both waitresses and the surrounding patrons, giggling all the time. Our pitiful attempts at pronunciation were clearly hilarious, and in trying to practice with our ad-hoc teachers, we often found ourselves saying something completely other than what we had intended, as indicated by laughs from the peanut gallery and utter confusion on the part of our instructors.

Tomorrow is our last full day in Beijing and we have a packed schedule, starting with 6:30 Tai Chi in the Summer Palace, the Emperor's former summer residence, where despite being just a few kilometers out of town, it is 10 degrees cooler than the Forbidden City.