Bright Lights

Nightlife and Beijing. Beijing and nightlife. The two go hand-in-hand. Never before have I lived in such a sleepless city. Granted I have never lived in any of the major cities in the U.S., but I still can't help but think that Beijing is high up there on the list of best nightlife activity scenes. Whether you like to bar hop, dine late or karaoke all night- Beijing can satisfy your every need.  I am constantly lifting my jaw up to close it because I keep hearing about all of these cool hipster bar/lounges. Like a kid awaiting their birthday, I want time to dissapear and make the day turn into the night! Ah, if only there was more time. I know that all together I will be in China for about 2 months, but as a working girl I have to remind myself that nights out should be more of a weekend treat.

Plus, as much as I hate to admit to all of those people who pre-warned me that working was more exhausting than going to school were were right ...well, they were right! I always argued, "well at least you can leave work at work and not always have to be studying or finishing up some assignment when you return home!," but the truth of the matter is an 8-5 hour job is a lot more trying than I imagined. And with the recent state of the economy, I do think that it isn't so unusual to bring work home with you. But lets not dwell on the toils of work day. Instead lets focus on the play. Because as we all know, all work and no play makes Aviva a very dull girl (that's for all of my fellow "The Shining" enthusiasts, who with any luck just pictured Jack Nicholson's ' here's Johnny face' on my body- yikes!).

So far I have yet to go to KTV ( Karaoke) here, but one thing I can tell you is, it is more often than not made into an all-nighter deal. From what I have heard, not only do you get your own room fully equipped with a stage, a plethora of flatscreens and plush couches to luxuriate on, but you also have your pick of different foods and drinks. Not your typical American Karaoke joint, that is for sure. Don't worry, it is on my list of things to do. Although, Beijing be warned, my voice is best received when the music is turned on full-blast. Yes, did I mention I learned from a young age how to master the art of lip-sinking?

Below: Mystery hall....on the way to the bar...

Despite the exceedingly large amount of cool looking bars, that lure you in with their come hither outward appearance, there are also a number of bars that don't seem to be that special from the outside. These are the ones I find most intriguing. In fact, one of the best bars that I have been to (which I am sorry folks, am not allowed to reveal the name to the public because I have been sworn to secrecy) was so shabby and run-down on the outside, that when I entered, I almost had to pinch myself because I wasn't sure if it was real or if my hyper-active imagination was once again taking over. Even though I still refuse to give up it's name, I will share a few details about it's location. So a friend and I are walking past your typical smattering of Beijing high-rise buildings, as per usual I am busy chatting away (more or less oblivious to the world), and all of the sudden we stop in front of a dingy looking high-rise. I think to myself, he must be lost. Where is all the swanky decor? Where are the hipster tight-fitted pant wearing men and cell phone clutching, high-high clad women? This place looked more like an apartment or office building, but I kept my mouth shut and loyally followed my accomplice.

Left: The door...looks like a hotel door.

When we reached one of the highest floors in the building, the dark and danky feel didn't fade. As we walked down the abandoned cream-colored halls, I tried to imagine the building in its youthful days. The days when the walls were at least closer to their original boring hue of hospital white. At this point my expectations were low. I figured, well, no harm in checking it out. If anything I can entertain myself with a cheap drink and then amble on over to another bar. The door didn't change my mood. In fact, I was a little confused. Was this really the location of our final destination? It looked like a tattered old motel 6 hotel room door- discolored white with a scratched up silver name plate. That was it. Simple and understated.

Fast forward 30 seconds later...Wow!! This place was a complete 180. I am talking about night and day people. Perhaps literally? I say this because the interior is covered in black, with fashion-forward light fixtures and a great view. One of its best qualities is its size. Its small and cozy and unlike most places in Beijing, not super crowded! Much to my surprise the drinks were not super cheap, but they made up for it by tasting great! And believe me when I say they were good because I am one picky girl when it comes to the taste of drinks. And not only did the drinks slip down easier than ice cream on a hot day, their presentation was super chic to say the least. Granted an ice-clock took up more than half of the cup, less drink for more buck, but hey thats okay- all part of the ambience.

Right: My drink- oh la la!

So moral of the story: sometimes the best places are the ones that don't scream "All the best of the best come here!" Time old saying of "Don't judge a book by its cover," wins out yet again. And I think that message is a really important one to keep in mind when looking at Beijing as a whole. The beauty of this city can often be clouded by the perma-gray film that never ceases to permeate the vast skyline, but if you really take a second to step back and view the city in its entirety you would be crazy not too see how special and unique living here really is.  Never considering myself to be one for huge cities, I think its going to be hard to leave a place that offers pretty much anything you want, anytime. But for now, I stil have time to discover more secrets. And I will leave you with a little spoiler- plans for Friday night's excursion is already in the works...jealous? You should be ;)

Outside one of the bars at Tuanjiehu