Robs' Blog: incoherencies from an american ex-pat in exotic beijing,
  or: how i learned to stop worrying and love bureaucracy

In what I'm sure is a change brought-on by the upcoming Olympics, the security guards have started dressing really crisply. Their shirts are buttoned, ties are on, military style hats are worn... even white gloves at times.

Up until recently, they were dressed in a manner more suited to the few rmb an hour these mostly young men from the countryside make... unbuttoned shirts, pants legs rolled-up, and no hats of any kind. Gloves? Forget about them.

Another thing that's changed is that they now come to attention and salute as people pass in to or out of the apartment complex.

And, each time that I get a salute, I get quesy.

Even though I spent four years in the military (US Coast Guard), I cannot remember ever returning a salute. I'm sure that there must have been a time... maybe when I advanced through the ranks to ET-2/E-5 or for some mundane service medal... but nothing comes to mind.

Now, I must've given thousands of them. Unlike my dear friend Amiram, my time in the military was spent as an enlisted man, not as an officer. We give salutes, we don't return them... let alone dressed in civilian clothes. Yuck!

I am so looking forward to when this madness stops.

In the meantime, I will continue look for opportunities to pass when they aren't paying attention, or are engaged in saluting someone else.