decided to do a little research, and determine just how big this city is
compared to some points of reference in my past. At first, I started
comparing Beijing to Loris (my high-school home town). Loris is very
small, so the figures were ridiculous. So I took a step back, and decided
to compare Beijing to Horry county (where Myrtle Beach and Loris are
located), and Richland County (where Columbia, SC is located). Below is a
table that shows the area of Beijing, Horry County, and Richland County.
It also shows the population, the density, the per capita income, as well
as the # of Diefenthalers currently living there. This last measurement is
a strong indicator of the awesomeness of the location. For example 1
Diefenthaler is pretty awesome, 2 is border-line inspiring, and a number
like 5 Diefenthalers in one area is a level of unfathomable awesomeness.
Family reunions require certain levels of precaution. For example, there
can only be 2 of us in any given room at a time, and we all have to wear
specially designed clothing to protect us from the additional awesome vibes
being given off…
city. The area within the city limits of Beijing is five times larger than
Horry County, and eight times larger than Richland County. To put this
into perspective, I always think about driving down Hwy 22 or Hwy 31 in
Horry County, and think about how big the county is, and how open it is.
Not only is Beijing 5 times bigger than that, there are no open stretches
of highway. Everywhere you turn are high-rise buildings, or cranes,
building new high-rise buildings. I heard that the 4th ring road around
the city is about 200km (unverified)… That is longer than the distance
between Myrtle Beach and Charleston. There is also a 5th ring road, and
6th ring road under construction. On top of that, the density for Horry
County is 173 people per square mile. Beijing is 3,023 people per square
mile. Included in this massive area are over 19 million people. Think
about the issues that come along with that many people. 19 million people
that need to eat and drink, that need housing, clothing, and energy… or 19
million people that need to use the bathroom and 19 million people that
produce trash. Trash disposal is a huge issue in Beijing. Everywhere you
look, there are people loading trash onto the backs of bicycles (stacked
about 15ft high) taking trash out of the city. It is a monumental effort,
just to get rid of the trash and excrement… Overall, the city is amazing.
It is truly unfathomable. I know that we could live here for 20 years, and
never see the entire city. One because it is massive, and two because it
is ever changing. Kamala and I want to just pick a point on the map, go
there, and see what we find. You never know what new restaurant, or store,
or attraction you might run into.
JASON
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