WHITE GIRL IN ASIA

The word got out, white girl in Asia. There are no tourists in the area where I’m living and working as its about 40KM from the CBD. Tongzhou, a beautiful district filled with locals. What happens when someone like me comes to Tongzhou? The whole district finds out, friends, family, cousins, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, ancestors, everyone! My WeChat app is going nuts, too many friend requests with randoms who all look the same.

I received a message from a work friends, friends, friend who could speak English and offered to show me around Beijing. I accepted, knowing I could trust my work friend with what he had told me about this person. I was absolutely delighted to have been picked up in a fancy car and taken to Tian’anmen square the following weekend. The weather was absolutely beautiful, a little cold but the sun was out and the sky was clear.

Guided through Tian’anmen, I was told about the history and cultural temples nearby. It was such a good day! However, I had made a bit of a silly decision wearing my black-heeled boots for a 12-kilometre walk! My feet felt broken by the end of the day! I had the opportunity to try on a traditional Chinese dress. It was beautifully made with bright colours and traditional patterns. My friend paid for me to have a photo shoot with this outfit on, along with a Chinese hat and fan. I now have a collection of digital photos with this amazing outfit and a printed laminated copy to frame. The National Performing Arts Centre is located in the middle of a lake, an absolute stunner. I was amazed by the complex design of the building and interested to know how the hell to access it. This was only across the road from Tian’anmen and I’m so glad that he showed me this, definitely a highlight of my trip so far.

#beijingnationalperformingartscentre #whitegirlinasia #tiananmen