The evening started off pleasant enough. We were celebrating that Spanish guys' last day in Beijing and Roberto birthday. We had a VIP table at the club Banana and were enjoying ourselves like it was no one's business. Most of our group and decided to leave because they had flights to catch in the morning. That left me, LaLa, Roberto Hugo and Marcos. Hugo and LaLa left shortly after and Robert, Marcos and I decided to keep the party going in the Sanlitun area of Beijing. Sanlitun is a series of bar and drinking establishments in a relatively small area. It's the place to go and get drunk or go to an after hour spot, which is what the three of us were looking for.
It ended up that Roberto (he had just turned 17 earlier in the day) and I grabbed something to eat as Marco chatted up an Asian girl who seemed just a little too happy to meet him. Afterwards as we were walking to catch a taxi we ran to a group of people sitting on the curb and decided to join them. A really good conversation took place. Another change for me to practice my chinese. The sun was coming up as it was around 530am and we were having a really good a really good conversation with these folks just sitting on the curb talking chinese and getting to know them and they us as well all basked in our liquor induced euphoria.
We then hear voices raised across the street and look up to see a small gathering of people in a heated debate. There are four foreign people in an argument with some chinese guys. I pay it no mind and continue talking with the group. Marcos gets up and makes his way across the street unbeknownst to me. Next thing I know Roberto or someone says something about Marcos and I look up only to see him being attacked by three of the guys. I get up and hop over the chest high partition that's in the middle of the street with no problem this time (truth be told I had tried to hop over the partition earlier going to the other side of the street not even 20 minutes prior and fell on my arse in front of the group I would soon meet) and ran to Marcos' defense. No matter how you slice it three on one is never a fair fight.
One thing you should know about me is that I'm not a violent person. At the same time I'm not afraid of getting into a fight or being hit. I, however, am damn sure not going to let my friend get jumped by three guys for coming to the aid of some folks needing help.
So I hopped the partition, without a problem this time, and roll up on the nearest guy coming after Marcos and give him a shove and send him flying across the pavement. He's down and rolling on his back by the force of the shove. The next guy I just stone cold deck him in the face and he goes down. Guy number three has a broken skate board that he's using as a weapon, but aahhh, my Kungfu skills are much stronger than his. He swings with the broken skate board and I duck under it and come up throwing a punch that doesn't connect. He swings again I duck but he just barely catches me with the board on the head but doesn't break the skin. My next punch lands and he goes down and Marcos and I pound on him. Next there is a lot of shouting and threats and I end up with one of the guys in a choke hold around the neck. I push him away when I feel moisture on my face. Apparently the local police had showed up and saw the bruhaha and decided to pepper spray me in the face. Fortunately, it was only on my right side lips and lower jaw. When I realized what he did I wiped my face off and looked at him like he was crazy. I'm sure he thought why isn't this crazy laowei screaming with peppers in his eyes. Cooler heads prevailed but not before plenty of threat and curses where thrown both ways. Roberto and I were not hurt at all. Marcos' shirt was rippped and he was bleeding a little from being jumped but otherwise none the worst for wear.
In the cab ride home he couldn't understand how things had turned so bad so fast, particularly when he was coming to the aid of the french folks. I explained to him that those guys were looking for a fight to begin with. The fact that he was trying to play peacemaker just made him the target and not the french folks. What the guys hadn't counted on was that Marcos had back up. Honestly, I don't think that he knew he had back up either. I'm sure he appreciated it though.
Our new friends wanted to make sure that we were okay. We were. The french folks thanked us profusely and wanted to shake our hands. The guys we beat up didn't want to have anything to do with us but we still talked to them anyway. Marcos told them that it was all a big misunderstanding. I told them there was no way that I was going to let them just jump my friend. No hard feelings. The guys I clocked really wasn't receptive. Can't say that I blame hjm either. The police wanted to talk to me but I don't understand Chinese? What!? It's true? We made a hasty return to a taxi so I could blog about it you. Aren't you lucky. I'm just glad we were not arrested or anything.
That was my morning. How was yours?
Thankfully home safe and sound and not in jail. - Wil
