That is such a downer title! Wow. Before you get all worked up and think i had a terrible day let me explain myself. It’s in honor of the movie, “10 Things I Hate About You.” The apex of the movie is when what’s-her-name is reading her poem to the class and she’s rattling off things she hates about this boy, but in the end she says something to the effect of, “What i hate most is that i don’t hate you at all, not even a little.” I don’t know the exact quote, but if you remember it feel free to leave it in the comments for our enjoyment. So… keeping in mind that i don’t really hate Beijing at all, not even a little; here are 10 things i hate about Beijing:
- Spitting. All the darn spitting.
- Puke on the sidewalk. Don’t ask.
- Taxi drivers who talk like they have marbles in their mouth and expect me, the silly foreigner, to be able to communicate with them. I’ve heard from many locals that they even have a hard time understanding some drivers.
- The middle elevator in my apartment building not only experiences minor turbulence at about floor 10, but the button for floor 19 doesn’t work so i have to go to 20 and take the stairs down.
- Buses that are in serious need of new brakes and new shocks.
- The overwhelming smog. (Although today and yesterday were both breathtakingly beautiful)
- The paper bills that are valued at less than a kuai (chinese currency). Useless. Utterly useless. It’s the equivalent of having a paper bill that equals a penny.
- How i always forget my cloth bag when i go to the grocery store and then i have to pay for a plastic one. I’m always annoyed at my forgetfulness.
- My growing impatience for subway line 4 to open. In reality, i probably won’t use it that much, but i keep telling myself that life will be all peaches and ice cream after there’s a subway stop outside my apartment.
- What i hate most about Beijing is that i don’t hate it at all, not even a little. I love living here. It’s not perfect, but it’s marvelous.
Katherine
September 9th, 2009
Bisquick,
You know, don’t you, that this post makes you sound all romantic and sweet… “Not even a little”…The fact that you know that line by heart (forget the fact that guys memorize movies like it was nothing) may draw some extra attention.
Glad to see you are doing well!
Katherine
Mom
September 9th, 2009
#9 will be very convenient- I bet you will use it all the time. And no place is perfect, but it’s important that it’s marvelous. Love, Mom
Laura
September 10th, 2009
Ahh #8! Yes - we were constantly forgetting to bring our bags. We finally got in the habit of leaving at least 4 or 5 bags in one of hte kids backpacks. I really like the idea of charging for plastic bags, and wish they would go to that here in the states. #1 and 2 I actually think they tried to withhold those vile habits during the Olympics as we only saw a small bit, although our interpreters said it was very common. Yech!
Rita
September 10th, 2009
I hate spitting!
Katherine
September 11th, 2009
Here is the entire line: “But mostly I hate the way I don’t hate you. Not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all.”
Great movie! It has been absolutely gorgeous in Beijing the last few days-I have been loving it, and it is definitely football weather!! (Btw, I got a Sling which is hooked up back in Texas and is allowing me to watch football from back home-I am so excited!!)
I am so with you on the grocery bag-I actually bought one today at the store for 2 yuan, so that was not bad-I had to, because I still had Jenny Lou’s to hit up!
Yes, what is up with the (I think it is a) jiao?!
I was totally in one of those buses you described earlier tonight!! It sounded like it was going to fall apart every time we stopped!
Great list! I can relate to them all…and your sentiments about Beijing and China!!
Gene
September 18th, 2009
Can’t decide if it’s the spitting I hate or the “announcement” that it’s coming.