it's got the feeling that it's heading into the future, and just by being there so are you - but it's better than that: when i was there, for the first time (not england, not europe, not even crazy india) in a place i felt located in a full, confusing, historical present: the past's traces are overt, but so are the future's, both tug at you but they are only part of, rather than explaining, the present; there is a crazy amount of money, and there is an obscene amount of poverty - and there are more people than i can imagine lives for; there are things i expected, and situations i was silenced by.
and all of this was not abstract, but felt. and i felt alive, and pushed and pulled and driven and in amongst it all. if i didn't have schemes for next year, i'd be looking for work to take me back over there. there are a thousand and one stories to beijing; i don't know any of them, but i will try and write something of what i saw...
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