i finally have internet in my room
Beijing sells these phenomenal pancakes out of little vending stalls by the side of the road - qianbing - a divine concoction of egg, pancake, scallions and some unrecognizable secret ingredient in the middle, wrapped up in brown paper and delivered, steaming in light grease, for all of approx. 2 yuan (approx. US$0.25). I say "approx.", because apart from being OH SO HEALTHY, these pancakes and their sellers represent one of the axiomatic truths of Beijing economics: No Price Is The Same Twice (corollary: And Especially Not To White Tourists). While I, and any other Asiatic-looking mandarin-speaking individual, tend to pay around 2 yuan for these little greasy chunks of heaven, the very same pancake to the white tourist behind me will sell for anywhere from 5 to 10 yuan, depending on relative ignorance thereof.
It makes me think of racial solidarity vs. racism, and the indistinguishable line between them; it makes me think of how much can be judged by appearances, and how "looking" Chinese can get you further and safer in Beijing than being able to speak Chinese flawlessly; it makes me think of stereotypes, perpetuated in this vicious cycle of response and reaction. But more than anything else, it makes me think of that pancake, and how much of the wellbeing of my arteries I might be sacrificing to continue eating the damned thing.
Off to Xi'an in a few hours. Terracotta armies and all that jazz.