Beijing Boyce

After buying those initial 30 wine glasses at the Flower Market, I walked to 5:19 Bar & Grill on nearby Super Bar Street, which ranks among the more depressing strips in Beijing, if not the planet. I’ve seen cement processing plants with as much charm as this scruffy, plant-less, concrete- and neon-lined stretch. It reminded me of a deserted and poorly refurbished fair midway. I half-expected a slightly insane, gap-toothed carnie to pop out and hawk dirty candy apples. It looked like… you get the point.

At 5:19, I ordered a shot of Canadian Mist and just in time, too, as the Hash House Harriers poured in. The Hashers are a running club and, having finished 10 kilometers, spread sweat throughout the first floor as they stripped down to bare chests and toweled off. One Hasher kept blocking the flat-screen TV, and a show about refurbishing private jets. Trust me, it’s hard to follow the nuances of upholstering aircraft seats while facing a hairy back, especially when it’s a woman’s (kidding). The hashers eventually headed upstairs, leaving the Wayne’s World rec room-like first floor to me, some construction workers from the new U.S. Embassy, and Dave, the owner, whose blood pressure lept as the last of his three draft taps ran dry.

I finished my drink, headed off and a few hours realized my phone was missing. Lo and behold, I had left it at 5:19! I returned to find some Hashers and regulars there. Going home was probably a good idea, but instead I ordered a drink, slouched on the couch and discovered the meaning of 5:19. It happened a few minutes later, at 11:30, when The Daily Show came on. For half an hour, I found myself laughing, slapping my knees and pointing at the screen along with the other patrons, feeling like I was with a bunch of pals.

That’s the appeal of Dave’s. It IS like Wayne’s World, a place where laid-back people can hang out and relax, no pretensions. The regular patrons include the Hashers, the Darts League, some teachers who work nearby, and a group of regular posters from that’s Beijing’s online forum. Dave explained this as we bought each other shots of Schenleys and Canadian Mist. Better yet, he said that depressing street outside would soon see some cobblestone. I’ll drink to that.

(This story first appeared in issue 32 of the Beijing Boyce e-newsletter, mailed on March 1, 2007.)