September, 2007
Well. Back in Beijing. Again.
You might remember that I was here in March for the first time since May 2005. Many of the same things happened as did in March.
Mr. Li, the curb man at the St Regis took his glove off to shake my hand and “Welcome to your home!”
Jimi and I went for a foot massage. I mean an actual FOOT MASSAGE – not a euphemism for something else – these are 2 hour foot massages with a one-hour head massage simultaneously during the first part …all for about $12).
During my time here between October 2003 and May 2005 (278 days total in Beijing during that period), I had a subsidiary office in addition to the “official” Beijing office.
At first, the “subsidiary” office was a place called “Grandma’s Kitchen”. A homey diner-style restaurant where Jimi, who ran the Bejing office, and was the real brains of the operation, and I would spend the morning eating breakfast and drinking coffee … and taking our first few meetings.
Then Peter’s Tex Mex opened. Peter was a 20-ish former basket-maker from the dirt-poor western part of the country. He was adopted by a missionary from Houston (not sure what religion!) and became an entrepreneur … Opening a diner. If I remember correctly, as it turns out, “Grandma” of Grandma’s Kitchen was the missionary.
Anyway, we decided we liked Peter’s Tex Mex better. And that became the 8:30 am – 11:00 am hangout before going to the official office.
It was February 2005.
The first time I walked in, I ordered a waffle.
20 minutes later, two rubbery, but really good waffles (the thin kind, divided into four triangles) came out to the table. I ate them.
For the next four months, every time I went to Peter’s (probably 100+ times), I tried to order a waffle. But the response was the same every time — “Sorry, the waffle iron is broken.”
Little did I know that the first time I ordered waffles at Peter’s would also be the last.
Of course, when I was here this past March, I went to Peter’s. Three times. Each time, I tried to order a waffle. Each time “Sorry, the waffle iron is broken.”
This morning, I went to Peter’s.
I ordered eggs and toast. I ordered coffee and orange juice. Yes, of course, I ordered a waffle. Why not? I mean, all of the above would only be $4.00 … even if I didn’t finish it all. I mean, the waffle thing had just become a joke anyway.
The eggs and toast came. I ate them.
I drank my coffee and orange juice.
I had my second cup of coffee.
THEN.
THEN.
THEN!!!
After 20 minutes, out came two rubbery waffles! The kind divided into four triangles!!! The waffle iron (such as it was) WORKED! How could that be??????
Halfway through my waffles, I ordered a third cup of coffee.
“Sorry. Our coffee machine is broken.”
