Beijing and Tokyo

I arrived in Beijing a few days before my partner and her son. This gave me a little extra time to learn a few things in preparation for their arrival. I sensed a strong likeness to the US where I was staying. At first I couldn't quite place it, but as I walked around those first couple of days, it became clearer. It was the wide streets, the large number of cars, the larger vehicles like SUVs, the newer and more modern buildings, and even the fact that unlike the last three countries I visited in Asia, there were no bidet showers in bathrooms, only toilet paper. But as we interacted with people and places, and spent time learning about the culture and its deep heritage, that initial likeness faded.

One of our first outings was to a Chinese community hospital for a general visit. In China, these hospitals are common and are where most people first go for ailments and to buy traditional medicine. We received a Tui Na diagnosis, and the three of us, one at a time, went through the process. Through observation and touch, they are able to detect areas of the body that may not be doing well and also relieve pain through massage. It reminded me a great deal of my childhood, when my mother sought alternatives to Western medicine and began using more traditional approaches. In particular, the way they spoke about certain foods being hot or cold and what one should avoid. I took a few photos and shared them with her, knowing she would enjoy seeing them. I was grateful to have been introduced to this early on, and having been with me all this time. Our host and her husband made the entire visit possible, from getting us there to helping explain and translate everything along the way. They were incredibly helpful and kind. It felt like visiting old friends. Afterward, we all went out for lunch together and enjoyed some delicious local food.

On Christmas Eve, we spent the day at the Forbidden City. I was surprised by its size. We walked for quite some time, passing through gate after gate, until we reached the inner areas with the gardens where emperors once lived. On the way back, we passed through Tiananmen Square and took a few photos as the sun began to set. After catching the subway, we stopped for warm boba milk tea, something we first discovered in China and never imagined could be served hot, but grew especially fond of in the cold. That evening was simple and meaningful. Back at home, he shared that it was important to keep parts of Christmas he had always done, specifically singing a Christmas song, opening a present, and having certain foods for dinner. We talked about how the food itself mattered less than being together, and that we could try something different. And so, after singing and opening gifts, we enjoyed warm homemade soup with local ingredients like lotus, which the three of us prepared together. On the last day of the year, we experienced a traditional onsen bath in the city of Hakone and enjoyed the breathtaking view of Mount Fuji.

Visiting the Great Wall was something I had been looking forward to since setting out to travel the world. Once again, it was organized by our new friends. She booked us a car and we headed to the Mutianyu section. We arrived on a partly cloudy and cold day, and after a short walk from the parking lot, we were on the wall. I was even more in awe. Despite having seen numerous photos, I hadn't fully grasped the landscape where it was built. In this mountainous area, it winds through valleys and peaks. Standing there made me think about how it was even more impressive to build something like this in such a harsh environment.

During our last few days in Beijing, we spent time walking around the neighborhood, visiting a market filled with fresh foods and prepared dishes, and stopping by a nearby park where we watched a colorful sunset. We hadn't arrived with any expectations, yet everything felt enjoyable, and everyone we encountered was incredibly helpful. Like at the market, where a vendor was selling what looked like a crispy shell. While we tried to communicate using our phones, another customer who had been watching us bought a bag of it and handed it to us. It turned out to be a kind of potato chip, and we snacked on it for days.

From there we headed to Tokyo, where we planned to spend about two weeks. Long before they arrived, we wanted the trip to be collaborative, with each of us suggesting places to visit. As planned, within the first few days, we went to both the Pokémon and Nintendo stores. They were as hectic and busy as we imagined, but it was satisfying to see his excitement. Memories of my brother and me at that age came rushing back, one in particular about buying our very first new console, the SNES. We also visited Sensō-ji Temple, lit incense, walked around, and got a fortune. We went to the zoo, where we saw elephants, monkeys, and red pandas for the first time. That same evening, as we ate dinner on our way home, they saw snow falling for the first time. Like when I first experienced snowfall after moving to Oregon, it was exhilarating.

Tokyo also became an unexpected point of reunion tied to my very first job in California. Before leaving for China, I had reached out to a friend I met at that job and have stayed close with ever since to ask if he had any contacts in the area. Through our conversation, I learned that he and his family would also be in Tokyo over the New Year, with only a couple of days overlapping with us. One evening, they were on their way to see a light show, and we joined them. It was wonderful to see him and his family. The kids had a great time playing together throughout the show and dinner. I also reconnected with another colleague from that same company who is often in Japan. We messaged before I arrived in China, not having talked since our time working together. We shared a lovely sushi lunch and visited the teamLab Tokyo museum. It was fun and nostalgic to talk about those days and everything that has happened since. To top it off, I learned that my phone needed to be FeliCa compliant to use the subway app. The last time I had heard that name was during a project we worked on together all those years ago.