Tuesday, October 16, 2007

IKEA

I realize that I’ve been making excuses to myself not to blog, the main one being that I don’t have the energy to translate into Hungarian, and the second being that I don’t want to be that formal. So from this point on, I’m

1) probably not going to be blogging in Hungarian
and 2) going to be very informal with my writing.

Because that’s how I roll, and that’s how it’s easiest for me to write.

So. Sorry I haven’t written for a bit – I’ve been busy and lazy and lots of other words. I’ll tell you about my Chinese National Day Week Holiday later – right now, though, it’s time for

ADVENTURES AT IKEA


IKEA in Beijing is like a little Swedish island in China. An island predominated mainly by furniture, mind you, but I’m not complaining, because I got what I wanted. (What I wanted: a blanket or two, and flowerpots. What I got: two blankets, a pillowcase, a flowerpot, a frying-pan, and Various Swedish Candy Yummies.)

IKEA is the same everywhere you go – you’re always going to run into the same bookcase or bed or tasteful hand-knitted rug or whathaveyou. That’s its charm, here in China: it’s got Western style and Western atmosphere – appeals to both Chinese and Westerners, the former because it’s unusual, and the latter because it’s like home, or at least like the IKEA at home. It’s to be noted (in the passive voice!) that I saw a greater concentration of Westerners there than most other places in Beijing, barring embassies, airports, and tourist traps.

Another important part of its appeal, for me and my roommate, at least, was that it had Swedish food. This is acquirable both at a store – imports of Kalle, kneck, licorice, and pepperakor – and at a restaurant. Said restaurant also catered to Chinese tastes – a couple of its dishes had nothing to do with Sweden, evidenced by the fact that they required the use of a wok to make.

Needless to say, my roomie and I ate dinner at the furniture store.

(Also needless to say, we’re going back.)

~:~

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