Blogs from Wudaokou, Beijing, China, Asia - page 4

Our facebook friends will know exactly what this blog is about. So, you can skip this paragraph. To everyone else: In an attempt to make the Olympics a happy and foreigner-friendly affair, the Ch***se Gov******nt (from now on know as 'Norman' - to save any more deportation attempts) is trying to kick out most of the 250 000 happy expats living in Beijing. The scary thing is - it's kinda working. So, of course, getting a new visa at this time is difficult. More than difficult, it's as difficult as trying to meditate whilst having someone put a hot poker up your nose. Yes, we said nose. And, it's not quite over yet. Let's start at the beginning and give you a rundown of this whole saga. Much bigger than the bicycle saga that devotees will ... read more

It's raining today. Most people I know are either indifferent to rainy days or get depressed by the steady downpour and overcast skies. I'm usually an avid member of the second group, but today was different. Today I was on a mission. International Labor Day (May 1st) is coming up, and since it's a government-recognized holiday here in China, I have 3 days off from school. I'm planning to travel to Hainan Island, off the southern coast of China near Vietnam, for some fresh mango juice and lots of relaxing on the beach. Thus, I required an appropriately relaxing book for beach reading purposes. When I woke up this morning, I was at first dismayed by the rapid streams of water pouring down my windowpane, but I soon realized that the rain meant less crowds to ... read more

It finally happened. After over a year and a half of living in China, after countless sunrises and sunsets, after thousands of piles of tofu, it got me. I let myself relax, thinking it could never happen to me. But it did. Today I planted my shoe directly on top of a freshly hawked loogie. It was an accident. It's not as though I go skipping around Beijing, following old men who unceasingly clear their throats in preparation for 'the big one'. In fact, I usually keep my eyes on the pavement, desperate to avoid them. But I was running late for class, fumbling through my bag, not watching where I was going. It happened as if in slow motion. Activity around me ceased. There was a ringing in my ears. My foot came down, heel ... read more

Hey all. We couldn't resist another blog. Chinese new year in Beijing. Fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks and fireworks. And, did we mention fireworks? No, I don't think we did. Fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks and fireworks. For a short time, Zac was completely hairless (not to mention his balls were blown off at least 3 times). Haidian hospital knows us well. Sof kept all her limbs by the use of a fireproof, full-body sombrero.... read more

We went to the Lotus Center today and had lunch with Hu Tao and his friend. The whole group came along. It was really nice getting to eat with everyone and get to know a few more people. We bought a few things and had a wonderful lunch. Everyone tried new things including myself and some of it was incredibly spicy. My stomach was a little upset but I don’t think it will be a recurring thing. I just need to get used to the food. When I went back to the room, I cleaned up a little and finally got organized. I got a bike as well. That was quite the ordeal. We stopped at this little bike stop on campus so that we could bargain and I got into a little argument with the ... read more