Midi take two

The Midi festival is one of China's greatest music events, pulling in local and International talent alike. For four days Beijing's Haidian park is filled with tens of thousands of music fans excited as the scene explodes in so many directions. Punks, goths, rockers, emo fans, hip-hop junkies and techno heads get together to dance and jump to their rythm of choice. I hadn't expected to see either heavy metal or contemporary art as big things here before I got to China but in all their rebelliousness they are, at least from the outside, thriving - I'm not enough 'in the scene' to know what is and isn't allowed.

Anyway, I have to admit that though I enjoy the local music scene here I don't go to Midi for the music, but for the atmosphere and the diversity of people there. Yesterday was a perfectly sunny day with temperatures around 30 and necks and backs crisping up nicely. I was caked in enough sun block to keep me going completely pink.

So, we sat around, saw a few bands, wondered the parks watching people sat reading in the sun. A few snaps from the day:

My personal favourite, as the sun was setting:

Skateboarders doing what skateboarders seem to do best - falling over:

Rockers rocking:

Punks punking:

Another silhouette:

and all manner of crazy hair on display:

Post festival we celebrated the holiday with a night of Korean soju, rather like sake and far too easy to drink! Some didn't relish the bright sunshine the next day but I seem to have escaped lightly.

Tomorrow I have to get back to work though it will be relaxed, in a cafe which is certainly my favourite way of working.

Noodly fun

The one week May Day holiday starts today here in China though many people will be firmly seated in the department. I'll have to spend some time there this week getting my talk ready for the upcoming workshop at Beijing university.

Yesterday I went with a few friends to one of the best Sichuan hotpot restaurants in the area and had a fine feast of all the usual suspects one finds in the ma-la (numbing and spicy) sauce. It's always rather disconcerting to have the huang na ding fish, which is so freshly killed that it has to be held under the boiling oil for a few seconds to prevent the thrashing around from splashing the diners.

This particular restaurant has hand-made noodles, pulled to entertain the crowds. Take a peek at the video I took yesterday evening.

A Sichuan hotpot restaurant is traditionally loud and crowded with a frenetic atmosphere, waiters speeding about balancing trays piled high with ingredients to boil in the soup in front of you and a steady stream of baijiu (white spirits) flowing to keep the guests relaxed. Downstairs diners waited while playing mahjong and poker, relaxing with cups of tea before they were rushed to their tables.

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Today is the (sixth) return of the Midi festival which was a lot of fun last year and a great place to take some snaps. The four day event is brining all the local talent out as well as around 20 international bands. Along with Goldie making an appearance in Beijing next week and my first real experience of Chinese theatre on the 11th it's looking like a fun start to the month.

Temperatures are now climbing to the low thirties having only just risen above freezing a month or so ago. We seem to have escaped the sandstorms which plagued much of North Eastern China last year though my flat still picks up a good heap of dirt if I keep the windows open for any length of time.

If you're worried about traveling for the May day holiday where you are, just remember that there will be almost 100 million Chinese travelling around the country here over the next week. The lines outside all travel agents are monstrous and, until they all get out of the city the roads are in gridlock. Happy May Day, everyone!