Beijing is, socially speaking, a difficult place to live. Few people stay here for a long time, like we say in Flemish “it’s like a pigeon house” (“duivenkot”), they fly in and out.
Makes it all difficult to know people and makes you reluctant to make friends – they might (will anyway) leave at some point of time. It hurts.
Diplomats tend to avoid friendships. They always rotate from one country to another. Leaving friends behind is hard, so better not make any!? They are a weird kind of people – distant and superficial – I got used to them. Weird, yes, but I sympathize with them.
Beijing is thus a lonely and superficial place.
I feel often frustrated, so difficult to make real friends. You don’t have your pub around the corner, neither your butcher who knows you since years. Here all is un-personal. You don’t make friends. You have business “relations”. It’s like standing in an airport and watching people come and go.
Being one of the few “permanent” museum pieces here, that is maybe the worst part of living here. Never mind the pollution, I smoke cigars anyway and still run marathons.

So, bye bye Dr. Sven-Uwe Müller of the German Embassy, see above his farewell party at the German embassy.

And especially my tough but so cool Delphine (and so charming, lucky guy you Thierry, take good care of her!) from the EUCCC (now in Denmark). Some of the people I will miss. Sure.
But surprises happen.

My old friend (my – sometimes – boss when I was in Alcatel) Patrick Bourrier surfaced here in Beijing. He has the good point of having a Brazilian wife (hehe, no comments). Happens he is also the friend of my tenant here – François Bernard (KPMG). Yeah, small world. Patrick is unique. Talks like a tape recorder and his only competitor is Valerie. Seems he does well with Sun. Hm. Suspicious actually. Pics taken in François’ place and (of course) in Morel’s restaurant.

And then surfaces, from the “dark” ages of the eighties in Beijing (read: the life and death in Beijing Hotel) – Martine, a good friend when I was trying to survive in the Beijing Hotel. Great lady, we had a good time in Morel’s restaurant (where else?). Happy to see you happy Martine. I guess you don’t care, but I do approve of your choice of husband (Jeffrey, Edelman).