![[Only in Beijing] An Asian Alternative<!--:zh-->[仅在北京] 一种亚洲的替代选择](https://www.oneinabillionvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/An-Asian-Alternative.jpg)
China weighs down on the psyche – nothing can fully alleviate the friction of foreignness, especially after an extended stay. By the start of October, I had not left China for six whole months, and I needed a break. So, for the week-long National Day celebration, I booked a ticket to Seoul. At last, I could enjoy all the comforts of life in America, plus some of Asia’s best perks. From carefully packaged Western foods in every convenience store to the orderly boarding on pristinely clean subways, from the crisp air and blue skies to the pleasant ignorance of not knowing what anyone might be saying about me, Seoul was heaven. More startling was the cultural intimacy I felt with its people. My peers spoke perfect English, and our conversations felt like those I have with friends back home. In a park, I met an 80-year-old man who lived in Los Angeles for two decades, sending his sons to UCLA.
By the third day, I started to ponder moving to Korea. Having conquered Mandarin, any language with an alphabet feels half learnt already. One night for dinner, I met an old classmate who now teaches English in Daegu. She said that salaries are attractive for expats, especially ones with fancy college degrees. Soon, the rationalization started to set in: I’ve outgrown China; Korea is my new calling.
My flight home left in the early morning, so I put Seoul out of mind and took a long snooze. After a groggy disembarkment, I boarded the shuttle bus from some forgotten corner of tarmac. When I finally got in line at passport control, I realized that I had left my wallet on the plane. I had no way of returning there myself, and my airline didn’t have a help desk in the entire terminal. After navigating some customer service switchboards, I was told that the wallet had been found and would be sent to the service counter near baggage claim.
As I sat in the fly-infested office alongside mountains of misplaced suitcases, I fantasized about how the situation might play out in Korea. Despite having done no wrong, the staff would apologize effusively. And after about five minutes of waiting, a cute service representative with perfect skin and a coy smile would return the wallet, whose frayed lining had been magically mended. But I was in China, and that meant an indefinite wait in a dingy back room with sticky floors.
Yet, the two hours I spent there helped me remember why I came to China. In Beijing, every day is an adventure. Korea is cushy, but I want to stay out of my comfort zone. China offers an urban experience the most unlike anything in the West. My heart surged with camaraderie for those who have come to experience a place that remains quintessentially foreign.
When I at last slid the wallet back into my pocket, I thanked the delivery woman profusely, then left the airport smiling, ready for China’s next surprise.
中国在精神上具有很大的负荷——没有东西能够完全地减轻外来性所产生的摩擦。直到十月初，我已经整整六个月没有离开中国了，我需要休息一下。所以，在国庆七天的假期中，我预定了去首尔的机票。
最后，我能够享受如在美国生活般的舒适，加上一些亚洲地区最好的额外待遇。从每个店铺认真打包好的西方美食，到井然有序地登上干净崭新的地铁里，从新鲜的空气，湛蓝的体啊空，到那种不知道他人如何说我的愉快的忽略感，首尔就是一个天堂。更令人吃惊的是我感觉到这儿的人们具有的文化亲密感。我的同龄人说着流利的英语，我们的对话让我感觉好像回到了家乡同朋友们讲话一样。在一个公园里，我遇到了一个在洛杉矶生活了二十年的80岁的老人，他的儿子们去了UCLA读书。
在来这儿的第三天，我开始思索着搬到韩国来。由于已经学会了说普通话，任何按照字母表的语言我都觉得有一点儿通。一天吃晚餐我遇到了一个老同学，他现在在大邱教英语。她说这里的薪水对于外国移民者来说很吸引人，尤其是这些有着很好学士学位的人。很快，事情顺理成章地到来：我离开了中国，韩国是我地新目的地。我的航班大清早就出发了，所以我把首尔抛之脑后，然后打起了瞌睡。在经过了一次不稳的飞机登陆后，我从停机坪的某个被人遗忘了的角落登上了机场巴士。当我最终在检查护照的地方排队的时候，我意识到我把我的钱包掉在飞机上了。我没有办法自己回到飞机上，并且我的航班在整个航站楼都没有咨询台。在询问了几个客户服务电话后，我被告知我的钱包已经被找到，并且会被送到行李认领处的服务台处。当我坐在一个苍蝇到处飞的办公室，办公室旁边放着成堆的错误摆放的行李箱，我想象着这个情况在韩国会怎样解决。即使没有犯任何错误，这里的员工还是真心地道歉了。在等了五分钟之后，一个帅气的有着完美皮肤和腼腆微笑的客服人员还了我钱包，他磨损的衬套已经修好。如果我是在中国，这意味着会在一个暗淡安脏有着潮湿地板的密室里无限期地等待着。
是的，在那儿的两个小时时间帮助我想起我为何来中国。在北京，每一天都是一次冒险。韩国是轻松的，但是我想要远离我舒适的生活圈子。中国给了我一种跟西方不太一样的城市经历。我的心充满着对那些来这个具有典型的外国色彩的地方的人的友情。
当我最后把我的钱包放到口袋里时，我十分感谢那个送还钱包的女人，然后是机场留下的微笑，准备着感受中国给我的下一个惊喜。