Today, at one of my favourite cafés in Beijing (the salads and panini are so good!), I want to get the table in the window and I want to see prams and mums out for morning tea or some mother’s groups.
I’m not disappointed – two very long tables packed with French women
Only one red pram
Only one toddler
Only one baby
The gorgeous French language in my ears, from every direction
A parking attendant fiddling with his bicycle
Two flies playing tag
A waitress with a muffin
A row of bicycles
A chef in a fifties diner cap wearing red Crocs
A cab
An SUV with diplomatic number plates
A girl with a fuffly toy dangling from her bag, unlocking her bike
A waitress carrying a pot of fresh tea
I think those flies are trying to have sex
A disheveled girl with a backpack arrives; the chef grabs her shoulders affectionately, I think she’s late for work
A girl with an iPod enters
George Michael song starts up
My San Pellegrino is delivered
A man on a three wheeler motorized bicycle with a tray
The girl with the iPod appears as a waitress
A fancy car – I can never tell what make
A middle aged woman on a bicycle
Piercing laughter
An eldery couple, nicely dressed
A woman carrying a plastic tub with plastic bags in it
Dishevelled waitress appears
A car
A cab
A woman from the other long table comes to join the women at this long table
A dozen guards march past in formation
A series of six men ride past on bicycles with Olympic passes around their necks
A girl carrying a bag from “forrestprincess”
A car
A car
A squeal from a child
Someone drops a spoon
A man walking past sending an SMS on his phone
The chef leaves carrying what looks like a pile of white sheets
A van with yellow plates
A waitress goes outside
A man carrying a golf umbrella
No sign of beggars
No sign of man hocking pottery in cart
Waitress comes back inside
Man walks past dragging a suitcase on wheels
A man on a bicycle with slabs of meat in plastic bags strapped to the back
A man walks past sending an SMS on a mobile phone
The chef re-enters with the sheets
A woman with a backpack and a Paul Frank monkey tshirt
A car with diplomatic plates
A car
A man on a motorized scooter
A van
An SUV
A woman on a bicycle
A man on a bicycle with a tray
A man with a backpack
A cab
A car
The parking attendant running
A van, the driver is on a mobile phone
A car
A cab
A loud thump
A police car with flashing lights, no siren
A car with a Chinese flag fluttering
A man on a bicycle with a large basket strapped to his bag
A young girl with an eco bag
A cab
A Jenny Lou’s motorized delivery bicycle with tray
A cab
A cab
A well-dressed Western woman
A whirring toy sound
A girl with a large bag and a pony tail
A massive black van with diplomatic plates
A woman taking out the garbage
The parking attendant looks bored
My friend arrives – au revoir!
First published on the City Weekend Beijing website.
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