The Mean Streets of Beijing

So tonight was pretty eventful. We went to this opening thrown by some French socialites that epitomized why I think a lot of art is bullshit, but at the same time I embraced it, understanding it's function as a means for people to get together and mingle. The former French president's illegitimate daughter was to paint on a high-fashion designer dress, live. She started, the bongo player and pianist were way out of time, and she just kind of drew a couple strokes and was done in no more than a minute. Everyone stood in an awkward silence that said, "is that it?" and then someone close to her asked about the meaning, to which she sheepishly replies, "no meaning". After some more awkward silence one of the event organizers came up to her, patted her on the shoulder, and complimented her work.

Later, we were on a bus uptown and I was with my girlfriend and two of our friends, also foreigners. My girlfriend and I were talking, huddled together, and some fat Chinese guy next to me starts calling me a "dumb pussy" in Chinese. I turn and look him in the eye and he asks me if I understand, in Chinese. I tell him I understand and we get off at the same stop. I'm walking away and he smugly stares at me as if he's won, so I flick the fat schmuck off, and he gets all riled up and comes to start fighting me. He grapples me and punches me in the head, and it's weak so I don't feel it, and I rip off his glasses and chuck them into the pavement. His parents end up pulling him off me and I walk away with them yelling at me. The fat ass was yelling at me as I walked away, asking if I was really Chinese. He was implying I should be ashamed for being with a white girl and having foreign friends. It was ridiculous. It was fun.