Seoul

When my best friend who is currently working in Seoul invited me for a visit, I had no reason to say no though I’d been to South Korea about 12 years ago. It’s similar to China in many ways and not an exotic country to me.

Seoul didn’t change much over the past decade. Its subway trains look old compared to Beijing’s brand new ones. Its sky becomes smoggy. PM2.5 must have flown over the yellow sea. Fruits are as expensive as in Europe. Street vendors sell the same knick-knacks as in China.

It’s difficult to understand a city’s soul if you don’t speak its language. For the first time after coming back from a foreign country, I don’t feel having a lot to write about. 

后海，应酬

上一次去后海全聚德还是08年，每次外地的客户来北京，后海便成了一个必去的景点。不记得从哪年开始，安静的小巷变成了喧闹的酒吧街。巴掌大的一片地儿总是熙熙攘攘。四年了，街边还是那几家酒吧，放着俗气的音乐，小店里卖着同样的纪念品，全聚德里的演员穿着同样的戏服，上演着同样的节目。第一次是新鲜，第二次就是无聊了。

上个周末陪苏州的客户奔波在千岛湖，30度的高温加上99%的空气湿度已经难以忍受。还有没完没了的敬酒、K歌、打牌，想象不出哪种应酬会比这更令人厌恶。白酒似乎是中国人餐桌上少不了的一个项目，不知道是喝酒让某些人像打了鸡血一样，还是他们本质如此。这些老规矩，或者说陋习早该弃之。

北京这一周的天气好得令人不敢相信，出去看场电影，回家上上网，突然觉得这样一个本来很平常的周末好难得。