If you’re a regular follower of The Tandem Bike (i.e., my Grandpa), then you may recall my very first (slightly drunken) foreign blog post in which I mentioned my Kilimanjaro hiking partner, Paul. I said at the time that we were meant to be friends, and I was right. Over three months later, our paths crossed for a brief 24 hours in San Francisco—I was about to fly to China, and he was arriving to go to Burning Man. It was lovely to see him. We basically just picked up right where we left off.
Anyway, Paul put me in touch with his close friends in Beijing, Cissy and Andy—two of the nicest people I’ve ever met. We went out for drinks and dinner, with Cissy making sure we tried all the best local dishes—including spicy fish heads. As someone who doesn’t even know how to use chopsticks properly, you’d think I’d be a little bit leery of picking around eyeballs and face gills, but I wasn’t. Spicy fish heads are incredibly delicious.
But better than any aquatic delicacies, was the chance to meet and hang out with genuinely good people—people willing to make complete strangers feel welcome and at home in their city. This is one of the things I love about traveling—people’s openness and generosity.
So, Cissy and Andy, thanks for my favorite evening Beijing so far. Ashley and I look forward to seeing you again in Singapore.
And, Paul, thanks for introducing us in the first place. I look forward to seeing you again in Thailand.
It’s a small and wonderful world.
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