Getting Our Feet Rubbed

It was so fun to come to Beijing and arrange to meet 4 friends who previously only know of one another, but haven't been properly introduced. Odd! Especially when they all moved to Beijing from their respective countries at about the same period last year. Haven't seen them in yonks! Not since we hung out in various parts of Thailand and Bali a decade ago!

My time in the city is short. One easy way of saying hi to everyone is to do this foot reflexology thing together, then head out for easy cocktails at indie joint Hidden Lounge before sorting out dinner at the very reputable Spanish restaurant, Agua. 

Foot reflexology must be this amazing thing to allow people to bond. If you don't feel like talking, it's great to just snooze for an hour. But for us, it was awesome meeting everyone, having a beeeeg room to ourselves to yak and yak, with drinks provided and automatically topped up. We speak mainly in English, and they haven't forgotten their Thai either. But they now also speak passable putonghua with a faint proper Beijing accent. Woot!

Honestly, for a first meet, I wasn't sure if conversation would run out by the time drinks rolled around. Different interests, vastly different work scopes and industry, and all those. I figured we would be able to have a chat, but not too sure how the dynamics would roll in a group. Thankfully, we were all on best behavior, charming and civil. Hurhurhurhur. Shared experiences in the same locales years ago helped, as well as finding out what prompted their decision to move to Beijing at this stage of their lives cut across all awkwardness.