Hello Beijing.

My 13 hour flight on Japan Airlines was pleasant for the most part, though I didn't care the poor selection of in-flight movies and music. On my first 9 hours to Tokyo's Narita airport, I had the whole row of 3 seats to myself, so even when flying economy, I was able to stretch my legs out, kick back, and relax to the classical music station I had my headset tuned to, the only station I liked. The other channels were littered with the kind of music one would only subject his worst enemy with; the endlessly tiring, very sugary "J. Pop" music, laced with clichés after clichés of bad lyrics.



When my plane landed in Beijing airport, I was instantly hit with a pungent odour of chemicals in the cabin, but dismissed it as the ions in the air conditioning unit which was on at full blast. Stepping off the plane and into the airport, the smell grew even stronger, but this time, the odour had a more definitive smell of raw petroleum. Mixed in with the heat of Beijing, the air I was breathing was a little more than a concern.



I met up with Stanley at the arrivals terminal after collecting my luggage and checking through customs. It was nice to see a familiar face in a foreign country half way around the world. Stepping out through the sliding glass doors and into the open, the waft of the heat and pollution hit me harder than the head-lock face-plant carpet-burn Kyle gave me on the morning of my departure from Vancouver. "See the fog all around us?" Stanley asked me. "It's not fog, it's smog." he continued. This thick smog was disturbing, to say the least. This could have a profound effect on my respiratory system!



Staring out the window of the bus on our way to the apartment Stanley had found for me, I saw a familiar, brightly lit warehouse sized building with a yellow and blue colour scheme to my right. My eyes widened and my jaw dropped as the giant letters of IKÉA on the side of the building came to view. I was ecstatic.

Nestled in a university district of Wudaokou, my modest apartment on the third floor is walking distance to many shops, restaurants, services, and well, universities. According to Stan, there are at least fifteen different universities in this area alone. I beg to question the reputation of the universities and the quality of education provided by each when universities are so plentiful and seem to crop up as quick as roadside fruit stands.

From the exterior, this apartment complex is not much to look at. Many of the windows are caged for some reason, and the rows and rows of air conditioning units beside the caged windows isn't a pretty sight. The interior is deceivingly decent, however, as my two-bedroom suite both have tiled flooring with faux-hardwood prints on them. The bathroom is a little strange though, as the toilet is with the shower. I'll have to post a pic. The kitchen is narrow, but I don't cook so it'll never be used. As for the balcony, it overlooks the courtyard on one end, and to the streets on the other side of the apartment building.

Can't wait to turn this place into a CouchSurfing haven!