Chinese Charms

I went to Beijing with my friend in the summer of 2001.

We were both working at a TV station then, and after a crazy few months of non-stop production work with no vacation, we just wanted to get away from it all and have a few days of holiday somewhere far, somewhere different, and somewhere where we could forget the stress and pressures of our demanding jobs.

I suggested China. It was considered exotic in those days, for China was not yet on the tourist radar among Filipinos in the early 2000s. One only traveled there if one had family to visit or a business engagement to attend.

But I had always wanted to see China, even a small part of it (as I know it’s a huge country with many different regions). And my friend thought it was a good idea as well, so we made arrangements to fly to Beijing.

I remember getting questions from co-workers such as, “Why are you going to China?” “Are you Chinese?” “Do you have relatives there?” “What are you going to do there?” “Is it dangerous to go there?”  I simply said something like, “Why not? And yes, I am part-Chinese and I have some relatives there, but that’s not the reason why I am going. Don’t you know that China is a beautiful country and that there is so much to see out there? And no, it is not dangerous.”

Nowadays, most of my non-Chinese friends have either gone to or are planning to visit China in the near future, a far cry from all the surprised reactions I got more than a decade ago about my travel plans to Beijing. And if I am not mistaken, the staff of a couple of TV shows produced by the broadcast company I worked for had gone there to tape a few episodes. I guess the world has simply become smaller and it is truly fascinating to think how much difference a decade could make.

My friend and I found a travel agency that specialized in Chinese tours and we chose the shortest package – a five-day trip to Beijing. We wished we could have stayed longer. The extended trips to Shanghai and Xi’an were pretty enticing, but our work schedules and budget only permitted us to take the single city tour. That time, traveling around Asia was not that affordable yet (unlike now, when it has become more common due to lower prices and competitive deals) and going to China was definitely not popular, so the low demand commanded a higher cost.

Our trip to Beijing was preluded by a few hours’ layover at the Xiamen Airport. It was a very quiet airport in those days. My friend and I killed time by touring the whole building and stopping by each shop and food stall that was open for business (which was not a lot). There was hardly anyone around. It felt like shopping in a ghost town.

Nevertheless, we each ended up purchasing a white gold Chinese zodiac necklace that we got for a very good price. I suppose the bored sales clerk became so excited about making a sale in this almost-empty airport that she agreed to the price we wanted...no haggling was needed.

The necklace had a glass pendant surrounded by an ornate white gold frame. In the center was a white gold water buffalo that rotated. My friend and I were born on the same Chinese year so we have the same animal zodiac. I got another one for my sister, with a monkey in the center, for that is her zodiac sign. These necklaces were supposed to bring us good luck and prosperity. I still wear mine up to this day. It’s actually one of my favorite pieces of jewelry and I believe it has brought me luck in many ways.

It was too bad that we were not allowed to venture outside the airport building. I told my friend that this was my grandpa’s hometown (well, almost…his village was a few hours’ drive from Xiamen). Maybe someday, I would get to visit.

In the meantime, we could start getting to know China through its capital city, Beijing.