Scatter Joy . . .

Old neighborhoods in China are called "Hutongs".  I'm talking the 700-year old neighborhoods.  They are labyrinth-like, narrow streets and alleyways, filled with modest homes and Mom & Pop shops.   Generally, they are not tourist destinations as regular, hard-working Chinese folk and their generational families live there.  But today, I went to one by accident.

I turned down this alleyway by mistake.

I followed the post man who delivers mail on a bicycle, and tried to look like I belonged there.  Yeah, right!

They go pretty far back.  See?  But I wouldn't dare step in.  Felt disrespectful.

But I did take a picture of somebody's bra hanging to dry!  Even rich people do this.  I have seen bras and shirts and dresses blowing the wind from, sleek high rise condos.

Gentrification has hit many hutongs.  Thousands have been demolished to make way for new roads and buildings.  But some are being protected by the government in an attempt to preserve this aspect of Chinese cultural history.

I stopped in at one of the Mom & Pop places for food.  Dried tofu.  Which really means fried.  I thought this came with rice. This is too much tofu to eat by itself.  The old lady owner laughed at me and said, "My shop noodle shop.  You want noodles?"   

Okay, so I got some noodles. Which were so spicy I was cursing under my breath with every bite.

FUN FACT:  During China’s dynastic period, emperors planned the city of Beijing and arranged the residential areas according to the social classes.

I kept walking, looking for the street I came to see:

Not sure how any of these storefront business stay afloat.  They all sell the exact same thing.

Met a furry friend :-)  He reminds me of my pup and makes me miss mine more. And you see that other pup in the corner?

I have seen him 2 days in a row. He is NOSEY!!!  But he ain't crazy.  That old woman is his owner and she never has a leash.  You can coo and say "Nihao" all you want to get this dog's attention, and he won't look at you... unless he wants to stop and stare at YOU.  LOL 

This neighborhood has a lot of trees, which is great because the air quality in Beijing is crap. It's like breathing in the air after a big fire.

Oh, that's the street I was looking for, down there.

These alleyways are patterned after the hutongs, but they are filled with cute (code word for $expensive$) boutiques, shops, galleries, and eateries.  

You can get many things fancy on this street. 

Indeed, there is :-)

I love this.  This was a Thai BBQ place that had a beach theme.

Later, I went to hear live jazz music which was really, really nice!  When I walked home, I went a new way and stumbled upon this FANTASTIC art installation. I couldn't believe my luck!

I love public art.

So awesome.

The next day, I went back for a better look in the sunshine.

This one has traditional Chinese art.

Pop-culture one.

This one is African.

It's been rainy in Beijing, and I contemplated staying in the hotel all day.  But, nah.... too much to see! 

The rest of Beijing agrees with me.  A little rain won't stop the show!

Pretty cool building.  This is Beijing's TV station.

How dope is this? Crazy, right?

WHAAAAAT?!?  Fatburger in the house!

I took the subway across town and went to an art show.  And whadd'ya know, the same figurines from the public art installation were there too:

Dancing on film reels.  This reminds of the hand-drawn logo my brother-in-law,  P-Nut, drew for me as my film logo when I first met my hubby!

I really love this one.  Put all of your heart and joy into the project, and watch the colors come to life.

Ha!  This one feels like corporate America to me.

Angelic, I suppose.

Just hanging out.  This black "carpet" was sand.

 

Later, I went to a fancy vegan restaurant that it took me hours to find. Very sleek.  Pretty cool, right?

And when I stepped around the corner, mist started spraying!  I love the drama!! :-)

"Joy is untouched by circumstance." - Unknown.

~SS