Want to see Beijing, Obama? Take a cab

By Todd Balazovic (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-11-18 13:32

As someone who has lived in Beijing for more than one year, I can say with confidence that you can't do this city in just two days and try as he may, US President Barack Obama is no exception.

Obama's visit to the capital began on Monday after a townhall-style meeting with students in Shanghai.

During his two-day visit, Obama took in the Forbidden City and the Great Wall. But I think in order to capture the true essence of Beijing you need to step out of the confines of traditional tourism.

Obama is a man of firsts. He was the first black president, and the first to visit China within his first year of presidency. In a show of diversity, he was also the first president to host a Seder at the White House.

So why not let him seize the opportunity to be the first American president to drunkenly belch out ballads at a local KTV. The song I am proud to be an American by country singer Lee Greenwood comes to mind.

Or he could have visited the unofficial "UN" of Beijing - Sanlitun bar street, and gorged himself on kebabs and cheap Tsingtao beer. Or why not show him a taste of the daily trials and tribulations of Beijing's working class by riding the subway during rush hour. What better way to get to know the Chinese people than being shoulder to shoulder as you're whisked through the city?

With the global crunch still weighing on the world's shoulders, it would have been a noble show of good faith to see Obama plunk two 1-yuan coins into the ticket machines. In fact, it would have been a public relations dream.

In addition, he would have seen yet another side of the city if he caught a cab with one of Beijing's uniquely charming taxi drivers. From my experiences, cab drivers certainly garner respect for the president of the US, well, at least enough to know his name.

Last year when I hailed a cab, I commonly encountered two English words "Hello" and "Goodbye". Since Obama took office in January, it appears many taxi drivers have added one more English word to their repertoire - an often heavily lilted "Oh Ba Ma" followed by a hearty smile and a thumbs up.

It's all part of an irrepressible charm that's made me fall in love with Beijing.

Sure, the Great Wall and the Forbidden City are cultural cornerstones of Beijing, emanating an unmatched majesty that can only be found in the capital city. But they are possibly the most stereotypical tourist destinations.

As a man who has defined his presidency with firsts, it would have been nice to see Obama take out a step out of the norm and spread his charisma to the Chinese people.