16 RIVERSIDE BEIJING 22 mei

16. 09.45 Beijing time. On the upperdeck everybody is in a rush. The plane has come to a standstill and nobody seems to like this state of nonmovement. I decide to wait and occupy myself with a bet: will there be anybody to pick me up? Before I left I made it clear to everybody that I really wished and wanted and demanded to make the trip to my home at
Riversides on my own. So I made a bet: 40% that the gentle persons of the SchoutenChina-office
would give me this chance to prove my independence. 40 % that they would act counterdependend- "following my wish and at the same time not doing so"- and would send the
nice driver waiting for me at the gate.15 % that Don Yang would have sent Dong Xiao, the media
expert at the office and a friend. And 5 % yes, 5% the Acrobat would be there maybe accompanied by an other person. Wishfull thinking? Of course.
In the empty cabine I took the time to fill in the three papers the governement of the Peoples
Republic of China demand me to fill in. So I wrote down my name, my very secret birthdate, the
goal of my visit and stated that I did not import forbidden goods and solemnely declared that
I am a good and healthy person, everything three times, every time confirmed by my signature.
Outside I took the required hurdles and started my waiting exercise in the last queu, proving
during that hour of patience that my condition is top. The official, an elegant girl in uniform and white shirt, pressed the button of the satisfaction box and of course I gave her the highest score
for servicing me the right way. Yes she stamped my passport without delay and she smiled at me. Good.
My luggage came last. So I had the time to look outside, but I did not see anybody familar to me. I felt a bit sad. The other times she always was waiting and it took time at the toilet before
I had myself in the hand again, remembering the fruit of my stay at the House at the Lake the
last months. So full of determination I went through Customs, opened the glasspanel. I lost my bet. Out side they were waiting for me, the Acrobat together woth DongYan.
"Why are you here?"
"I won't tell."
They let me order a cab and let me give the adress to the driver. Ordered me to buy a coke.
And so I did.
The air was full of rain. And because CNN had informed me wrongly I did not have a coat.
The trip itself took 1 1/2 hour because of huge traffic jams. 1 1/2 hour, but in my mind it took
a day. I felt constrained like a horse wanting to jump at that elegantly dressed up girl, in the mean time being held back by the million cords I had wound around my heart. I lived in my head. Glad to end up at my place.
When in Beijing I live in Riversides, in the South not far from Frongron, where the real Chinese people live, the poor ones. I hate the environment expats in the North-West. But Riverside is a posh appartmentcomplex. It is a Canandian
project, consisting of buildings planted in a green environment. There are rivers flowing in between the flats. You can look at www.lvcgroup.com for a good impression. The Clubhouse is
marvellous if you like a dark and brown atmosphere. It shows modern in a 19th century clubstyle. With a library, squashcourts, fitness centres, table tennis hall, in house golfcourse, pool room, swimming pool and a movie theatre, coffeeshop: all for the people living here. But its dark inside. Some burning bulbs but they enlarge the impression of that brown dark. A lot of personell bowing and saying Nihao. I remember that song of Mink (willy) de Ville, stating
I dont need fame or fortune, people kneeling at my knees
But I sing that line they would not understand. Only Chinese they understand. I dont care. They dont care: everybody in thecomplex is of Chinese extraction.
But living there is nice. My appartment 120 m/2 is fresh and clean and I immediately decided
not to go out in the rain and stay for a while. My goals for this trip: 1) meet much new
chinese people,2) meet a chinese boss 3)find a chinese publisher 4) attend the opening 5) buy a
bike 6)look at the start of the Beijing-Paris rally for oldtimers and especially meet my friend Bert Kersten. 7) Work at the ofice and wait for Tonio, Gonnie, Frank and Monique who will arrive later that week 8) working.
My appartment- called "slipperslane"by Tonio because I oblige every guest to put off their shoes- consists of a living room. dominated by a huge televisionscreen. Two bedrooms. a study
two bathrooms and a study.
I drank my first warm water. Why did the Acrobat pick me up at the airport? I know, but it is better, that I repeat that the Acrobat does not really exist. She is the expression of my desire
for a warm and tender friendship. But I know a person to whom the Acrobat really exists. I met
him a few days before I left from Holland": Carnival, one of the characters in my story "Li Xiao, the Flute Player. And soon I will write a second Chinese short story
about that conversation. Thats what I decided. I cleared my luggage. And went to bed for a nice
2 hours nap.