Tiara in Transit

I’ve been working my way through the bars along Nanlougu Xiang, always propping myself up at the bar to befriend the bartender, who in my extensive bar hopping experience is the easiest person to make friends with and sometimes comes with the added bonus of free drinks (the good old HRC days). So far, the bars I’ve checked out have all been chinese owned, operated and frequented.

Hitting the ex-pat community.

Welcome to the 12 SQM bar and meet Nigel, Joseph and Tobias.

Operated by the 3 men, 12 SQM is a cozy bar no bigger than the typical suburban living room, and although petite in size as the name suggest, the bar has plenty of boutique charm and character, the small space compelling you to engage with your neighbour. With a mixed clientele of ex-pats and Chinese nationals, the men speak very good ‘Chinglish’.

Nigel (Australian from Adelaide) – ‘I recently became a father (congratulations), and in the hospital here in Beijing, when my baby was only a couple of days old, they put this floaty around his neck and made him swim in a big tub of water (why?) I believe to clean him and also to get the baby moving, my sister back home said she’s never heard of anything like this, but the baby seemed to enjoy it’
‘The maternity ward is shared and holds about 30 women in the one room. There was a chinese new father with a camera there with me, banging on the glass that separates the 30 women from the newborns, banging on the glass and yelling at his new son ‘ hey boy! hey boy! look here!!’ like his son was a monkey in the zoo. I was thinking, jeez this is the maternity ward, but it’s just a cultural thing.’

Joseph (Australian) – I had a fight with my wife this morning, and now my whole day has been bad (I hope the fight wasn’t too bad). We’ll see (oh?) Are you married? (No) Youre a smart girl.’

Tobias (Smart arse British) – ‘ Ah, an aimless traveller! (I’m not aimless. I have direction in my life) Oh yeah? What direction do you have? (My direction is India, via the Temple of Heaven , then Malaysia, Australia, then to South America.. South, my direction is South)