Toiling

So apparently, I have the face of an eight year-old. Everyone I've met on this trip has been incredibly shocked to find out I'm in college. I feel like one of those people who resembles a celebrity, and gets told all the time, or maybe someone who broke her leg, and gets asked constantly how it happened.

Today the VERY disgruntled group went to Tian'eman (sp.??????) Square, and the Forbidden City. T-Square, we all know, but I had forgotten what the Forbidden City was. Well. It's where the emperor from one of the dynasties lived with his 200 concubines. The interesting thing about the concubines is that once they entered the Forbidden City, they could not leave. They had to die their way out. Also, it's called the Forbidden City because no one but the emperor and his many concubines could enter, and City because it is HUGE. We saw the emperor's (I'm sorry I don't know his name) many thrones. There were tons more rooms of the palace which we didn't see.

About the unhappy campers: We don't exactly have Olympic tickets. Some from the big corporations will free up soon, but of course, there are no guarantees. A lot of group members are understandably upset, but they have been VERY rude. Which I don't understand. There is no excuse to be vicious in Beijing or out. Oh, well.

I plan on writing a poem about my experiences here called "Toiling." My manuscript, my little baby, teeny weeny manuscript is called Looks, and one facet of that word's meaning I'm talking about is privilege. No matter what I look like, I have immense privilege in this country as a Westerner. But they know I'm a Westerner, because I'm Black. We haggled for hours in the bargain basement mall, and what little we pay is a lot, but probably not enough for those merchants, who must make tons of sales to survive. Some of them were amusing, but for some, the desperation was painful. It's like not being able to feed your child, and I wouldn't be surprised if some of those people have experienced that, or will experience it. There are people in every country sitting in their big white houses, and very far below are the people toiling to keep it that way, for the little that is theirs. And because of Europe's universal presence, it is the fairer-skinned people who often prevail. We got asked quite a lot to take pictures today, especially my stepbrother, Lem, because he has locs (if only I'd had my fro out). So we're a novelty here, but of course, as my mother said regarding the mammy statue, "we're disrespected everywhere."


K$Breezy


At Big Mike Club--Hip-Hop store (Wo bou zhu dao)

in the hotel lobby