More Beijing and Mongolia
Oct. 13th, 2016 04:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
morgainaPollution levels are dangerous today and last night it was very dangerous. *cough*.
I took a little walk around the compound here in Beijing. People I passed by mostly ignored me with either neutral or unfriendly faces. Then I stopped in a playground and pulled out my travel sketchbook and began to draw trees. A fairly modest little sketch. But the difference in the passersby was astounding. People stopped to see what I was doing and either smiled, or gave me the thumbs up. Even the stern guards (or were they police?) who cycled by, nodded or smiled. Some teenagers who were whispering together came over ( I thought they might be talking about me) and asked to see my sketches, of course I showed them, and they were appreciative.
So I heartily recommend travelers bring a sketchbook, or maybe a musical instrument. It has really opened doors in my experience.
I wanted to post more photos, but my computer is not letting me do it.
I took a little walk around the compound here in Beijing. People I passed by mostly ignored me with either neutral or unfriendly faces. Then I stopped in a playground and pulled out my travel sketchbook and began to draw trees. A fairly modest little sketch. But the difference in the passersby was astounding. People stopped to see what I was doing and either smiled, or gave me the thumbs up. Even the stern guards (or were they police?) who cycled by, nodded or smiled. Some teenagers who were whispering together came over ( I thought they might be talking about me) and asked to see my sketches, of course I showed them, and they were appreciative.
So I heartily recommend travelers bring a sketchbook, or maybe a musical instrument. It has really opened doors in my experience.
I wanted to post more photos, but my computer is not letting me do it.
