一个采访: An interview in a park

–北土公园Beitu Park, 38ºC, sunny

This weekend, for our 作文 weekly essay, we were asked to go to 北土公园 a park near UIBE to interview a local Beijinger. Having grabbed a handful of baozi to eat en route, I walked some ten minutes from campus to the Beitu Park.

I descended from the brightly lit road and walked along the small river that ran through the park. Having walked along the back for some ten minutes, I found a group of five men listening to music and chatting under the dim lights that were scattered along the side of the river. Most of them were in their mid-20s, but one was older, perhaps in his 60s. A little nervous at speaking Chinese with a complete stranger, and equally nervous at trying to understand a broad Beijing (儿) accent, I approached the older man.

He seemed a little 糊里糊涂 confused at first. I was equally so, as I struggled to understand his accent. But after our first 30 seconds of interaction, he understood that I wanted to interview him. He did speak rather quickly, and didn’t seem to speak any slower once he had established that I am a foreign language student.

Our conversation did bring some life to the relatively deserted park. He spoke of how at sunrise old and young flock to the park to 锻炼 exercise, 打太极拳 to do tai chi, 跳舞 to dance, 下棋 to play chess, and even to 遛鸟 “take a stroll with one’s caged bird”. The latter activity seems to be a distinct Chinese activity, akin to walking your dog. Except these people carry a bird cage. Imagine dozens of Tweety Birds being taken to the park!

Perhaps the most surprising thing this man told me was that he came to the park to get some fresh air. The smog in Beijing is much less than when I last visited in 2006, but the haze still obscures the sun most days of the week. Nonetheless, for someone who lives by himself, coming to the park on a daily basis and witnessing such a varied crowd of people must help him keep young.