Duck Dinner and Dancing

The place was new for me, off of the Beixinqiao stop, which is apparently a stretch of duck restaurants as far as the eye can see, all begging for customers from the street. I was happy to have a reservation. Whenever we go out with Sarah, it’s a wonder for me, as I get to watch how someone might live in this city if they could communicate with the people around them. Simple things like checking up on a reservation, or making requests about the menu other than pointing and saying “zhiga” or “this” is usually a lost cause.

The restaurant was decorated in traditional Chinese style, as a large hutong. Sarah had us face the window to the next room so that we could see “the show.” I didn’t know what to expect, but what I saw was a mix between a Chinese Opera and a low budget circus.

The first few acts were juggling, using giant beer bottles, plates, and knives. It made me nervous in the way that only watching something in real life instead of TV can, because at any moment something could go horribly wrong.

The next act was a plate spinner, who put the plates on 4-foot long metal poles and then spun them. He balanced 16 of these over two tables, rushing to this one and that one which was wobbling and about to fall.

The final act was a more traditional Chinese performance, where a man in ornate robes and long feathers on his elbows dances with sharp motions. He wears many layers of masks, and throughout the dance he removes them so quickly that it seems his face has changed color.

I’m always happy to eat Peking Duck, but I’ll admit that this night it was a little hard to focus on making those pancakes!