China

**Looking through my travel journal for inspiration, I came across this 2019 entry I’d written about China. Before the world shut down, Beijing was one of my favorite and most frequent layover destinations. However, following Trump’s xenophobic rhetoric along with recent reports of hate crimes against Asians, this 2019 entry is inserted into a new context: pre-Covid and post-Covid. I found the entry to be an interesting re-read. Maybe you’ll find it interesting too?

I love China, in particular, Beijing. Not all flight attendants like that trip. It’s not for the prissy. The bathrooms on the airplane become unusable by mid-flight. Not accustomed to western toilets, many of our Chinese passengers squat on the seats, so urine gets everywhere. In all fairness, I’m sure they think it’s disgusting that we sit down. Our Chinese passengers can also be unruly. It’s all hands on deck to get them to stay in their seats for taxi, takeoff, and landing. Forget turbulence. Attitudes toward personal space differ. And bodily functions aren’t as taboo. But, it really upset my flying partners when two different people on two separate flights handed them their urine: one in a plastic baggie and one in a warm plastic bottle.

However, I like our Chinese passengers. I find their culture to be warm and friendly. All you have to do is smile and they smile back. Also, they’re not complainers. They don’t get bent out of shape if they come across a less-than-patient flight attendant. Not referring to myself of course; I like them.

The flight may not be an easy one to work, but it’s worth the effort. The payoff is the food, the shopping, the treatments, and the sights. 

The food is delicious! (most especially the dumplings in Shanghai) And shopping is like a sport to flight attendants. We run all over the Pearl Market, directing each other to our trusted vendors. Sometimes it takes a secret knock or an escort to get us in the door of a clandestine shop filled with designer knock-offs. The vendors are constantly moving due to routine raids. So, we rely on each other for the latest updates.

When we first arrive at the hotel, many of the vendors are waiting to greet us. They pass out their cards as we step off the bus. Some crew members book appointments for treatments, others for fittings and tailoring.  

Flight attendants love treatments. So, the first night, most of us indulge in a few. You can schedule someone to go to your room to do your nails, eyelashes, give you a massage or a facial. But, I don’t like people to come to my room, I prefer to go to a “salon.” My absolute favorite is a foot massage. I also love how they cut and blow out my hair. It’s only about $35 for a cut and color. And I always look amazing! Sitting in the salon with my flying partners, it looks like we’re all getting ready for the Oscars -everyone is getting worked on by multiple people at once. 

We sit and gossip with flight attendants from other bases and other airlines. We sip on cans of beer the salon sells for a dollar, or wine pilfered from the plane, or, for me, an Irish coffee sold by a sweet vendor in the Old Pearl Market. Some of us literally fall asleep in our chairs, exhausted from being awake for so many hours. But, it’s a good time. And we all walk out looking gorgeous. 

While that alone would make the trip worth it, Beijing has some of the world’s best sightseeing. So far, I’ve been to the Great Wall twice: once in winter, when I thought I was going to break my leg on the slippery ice, and once in the spring. I’d like to see it in all four seasons, and some flight attendants get up early to see it at sunrise. The ride down from the wall is an adventure in itself. You ride down on a sort of mini roller coaster that resembles a bobsled without its shell. It’s a little scary. 

Another highlight in Beijing is The Forbidden City, where emperors from the Ming and Qing dynasty lived from 1420 to 1924. Common people were not allowed entrance; hence the name “Forbidden City.” It’s a massive cluster of royal palaces, temples, and parks. Today, it’s a World Heritage Site visited by millions of commoners every year. I went with a really fun stew who was extremely chatty, so I didn’t hear any of the tour. Someday, I’ll have to go back. 

One of my favorite tours I’ve taken in Beijing was a Hutong tour. The Hutongs are the traditional walled-in neighborhoods with courtyard houses, narrow alleyways, and communal bathrooms. The government has torn many down because these sprawling, one-story dwellings take up a lot of real estate in an overly crowded city. Since they’re disappearing, you’ll want to go sooner rather than later. These historic neighborhoods are well worth visiting. (and saving!)

My flying partner and I started the tour in a rickshaw darting through a chaotic and busy intersection with our eyes closed SHUT! (And I thought the rickety roller coaster was scary?) We wound through the Hutong’s narrow alleys, admiring architectural details and glimpsing the daily routines of some of its residents. One of whom invited us behind the wall into her family’s courtyard. Thank goodness. Otherwise, I think I may have died of curiosity. Once inside, I saw that the courtyard was surrounded by individual rooms -each with a purpose but not interconnected. I also saw (and heard) the family’s pet crickets hanging in a cage. In general, Hutong living seemed like a nice way to live -all together. Although the shared, neighborhood bathroom is a little too much togetherness for me.  

**U.S. carriers stopped laying over in China well over a year ago. During this time, I have often wondered about our Chinese friends and vendors. I wonder how they’ve fared, considering that their livelihoods depended solely on airline crew. I wonder who among them got sick. I wonder what things will look like when we finally do return. Who will be left? And how will we be received? The world has changed so much over the past year. But people don’t really change. We are citizens, not governments, and people, not viruses. Our differences: nationalities, cultures, and customs. Our similarities: everything else. 

I’ve wondered. But, mainly, I’ve worried.