sometimes the differences between beijing (top) and new york city (bottom) seem blur.

besides transportation, there are many things in beijing that remind me of the big apple. walking down beijing's sanlitun bar street area is like strolling down one of the avenues in east village in lower manhattan - grimy air mixed with the faint smell of grease and booze. shopping at wangfujing is like taking in madison avenue, pacing slowly among shoppers and window browsers. finding an open café in beijing late at night for a needed dessert is as welcoming as going to café lalo, an old haunt of mine, on upper west side of manhattan. bit by bit, i'm finding that if i look hard enough, it's amazing how easy it is to find slices of home, right here in beijing.

one of the most striking differences between my former home and my new one is the residents' attitudes. when i ask strangers on the street for directions, most beijingers seem enthusiastic about helping me. they relay as best as they can, and at times, share three more tips even though i only asked one question. when i pull out a map, a small group forms, each member grabbing a corner of the map while recommending where i should go. could this be mao's education on comradeship?

i enjoy hearing my husband's tales describing his travels to and from work. he has a fold-up bike that facilitates his commute. he rides his bike to the subway station, folds it up, and takes it on the train to his office. a little crowd often gathers to see how he assembles and dismantles his bike. when the crowd is truly impressed, a round of applause sees him on his way. i find beijingers, for the most part, to be open and talkative if you communicate with them in chinese. if i inquire in mandarin, most cheerfully reply and attach a question of "nin shi na guo ren?" ("which country are you from?") i have to answer that question frequently for my husband, who looks like the very definition of a waiguoren (foreigner).

most new yorkers, on the other hand, are also quite receptive in assisting outsiders, but somewhat more reserved. a famous celebrity could brush by and many new york dwellers wouldn't even blink. they tend to let tourists do all of the marveling and finger-pointing instead. perhaps the concept of "time is money" is subconsciously on each new yorker's mind and the need to rush to and fro is all too important to forfeit a minute on a celebrity's autograph. this kind of attitude is pleasantly absent from beijing's streets.

beijing has a well-documented desire to emulate new york city. apartment buildings have been christened as "central park" and "moma" (after the museum of modern art). i've found comfort in the familiarity of these names, but i hope the similarities between the cities extend no further than these few slices. what i value most about beijing are the things she alone has to offer: savoring peking duck, joining regulars at peking opera houses, and bargaining over antique goods at panjiayuan. i bought a bicycle a few weeks ago, a true sign of becoming a full-fledged beijinger. rather than walking miles in manhattan, i cycle kilometers in beijing. i'm still a little unsteady at times, both on my bike and in beijing, but the training wheels i acquired in new york city have made this new ride more manageable.