Judy heads out for a haircut.  She’s been asking around, trying to find a good stylist, and settled on “Alex” at the Beijing Hilton.  She got his name from her middle school principal.  It works out well and we’re both relieved.  The interesting thing about this, and many other similar services, is that customers purchase a “card”, and load money on it.  Then each visit is deducted (at a discount price), until the card needs to be reloaded.  Today’s visit was free since Judy purchased a loaded card.

A BISS faculty friend calls Judy, and invites the two of us to accompany her and her husband to the “Beijing Burger Cup”.  When I left DFW, the Burger Championship was just starting up.  I read today that “Rodeo Goat” beat out “Chophouse” from Arlington.  I’ve tried both, and they are really good.  I can’t believe I’ve landed in Beijing during a similar contest (32 restaurants in brackets).  Today is the finals.  The final 8 restaurants are set up at BCIS (Beijing City International School) for a “cookoff”.

We meet Deb and Graham (from Australia), at the subway station.  Graham is a “trailing spouse” like me.  They’ve been here for one year.  Graham spent much of that time exploring Beijing, so he’s the leader.  We get off the train and start walking, arriving after 20 minutes at the school.  It costs $18 for two.  We each receive a ticket for a burger and a drink, and a ballot.  We’re early and the grills are just getting going.

One of the attendees – looking for a burger!

I’m the first to try a burger (surprise).  I pick out “Tim’s Texas Barbecue”, and get a really big burger. It has cheese and a grilled Hatch Chili Pepper.  I would have a hard time finding this in Ft. Worth.  There don’t seem to be any Texans around, but the manager tells me the owner is from Seguin, TX.  He just happens to be on vacation.

I’m eyeing the Hatch chilies they’re grilling, making sure mine gets the proper treatment!

One of the sample burgers. After 8 restaurants, a person could get a little stuffed!

I didn’t see anyone eating this burger from “Flamme”

While we’re sitting, and I’m eating, one of the other burger spots brings over a burger cut into fourths, for us to try.  Now we begin to figure it out.  Each place has sample burgers, and if you want a really big burger, you can use your “burger ticket”.  By the time we sample all the burgers, we’re stuffed.  There is a blue-grass band performing, and we spend the evening eating, enjoying the beautiful weather, and listening to the band.  We wait for the announcement of the winner and walk out around 9:00 pm.

The end of the evening is getting close.

When we arrive at the area around the station, it has been transformed.  It’s a large concrete area with landscaping throughout, but now there are crowds everywhere.  We head across to the station.  We first observe some martial artists practicing, right next to a large group of older citizens singing what sounds like traditional music.  There are a two tenor saxes playing the melody, along with some basic percussion instruments., and the crowd is heartily joining in.  Nearby, around 40 people of all ages are jumping rope, following a leader, with music, in unison.  There, of course, are a few skaters weaving in and out of cones they set up.  Next are some traditional dancers (around 20) paired up and enjoying the evening.  There is a “hip-hop / breakdance” group working it out.  We’re almost swallowed up by 60 of more couples ball-room dancing.  I can’t remember any previous time I’ve observed so many people enjoying themselves in so many diverse ways, all at once..  None of it seems to be “organized”, but just a regular happening for the neighborhood on a Saturday night.  Very fun!

We catch the train, arriving home around 10:00 pm.  We are worn out and stuffed with burgers.  Probably no weight was lost today.