I believe that massages are essential for a person’s overall well-being and health in all aspects - physiologically, mentally and emotionally. Many see massages as a luxury mainly afforded for members of the ‘Rich Wives’ Cub’ but more and more people are realizing that it’s an essential part of life, especially in the fast paced world we live in today. Afterall, massages have been for centuries, regarded as essential in improving blood circulation and engaging nerves that are necessary for efficient bodily functions and I don’t just mean it in the form of a [View Full Entry]

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There’s a famous bakery in Bejing with branches all over called 稻香村‘Dao Xiang Cun’。 You can ask any local directions to one if you want to. But don’t expect to see a fancy westernized looking bakery with the glass walls and cute little acrylic containers for the cakes with pretty colors, and westernised fillings like chocolate, vanilla or cheese. This looks more like a typical chinese supermarket with big red characters on the outside and an unsuspecting entryway with layers of heavy plastic sheaths to keep the heat out, much like those you [View Full Entry]

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I ventured out to the 798 Art District this weekend and was amazed to discover the artistic talent here in China. This bunch of abandoned warehouse buildings during Mao's reign. Remotely located 30 minutes outside the city, its reputation precedes it plainly as 798. The older generation is still pretty oblivious as to its existence. Even among the younger generation, though they've have heard of it, many have never been. Artists inadvertently saved the site from being demolished when they decided to turn it into a free platform for displaying art of all sorts, combining its german inspired arc [View Full Entry]

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Just in the past month that I’ve been in Beijing, there’s been 2 major shutdowns on websites due to internal political strife in the country. It’s irritating to say the least when because of a crackdown on porn in the country, there was a 12 hour blackout on access to Google websites; or when Facebook and Twitter are also now blacked out because of the violent outbreak in XinJiang that started two days ago. Then there’s the pullback on the government’s recent decision to install additional firewall softwares on all new computers sold within the country as a form o [View Full Entry]

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Made another trip to the hutongs today because I had extended my residency and changed my visa status. So I had to go to the police station to re-register my residency. While there, I struck up a conversation with the two registrar ladies asking how I should go about finding a hutong to live in. They warmed up to me quickly to my surprise, as they recognized me from the previous visit and filled me in on hutongs to visit, how to check them up online and getting a chinese friend to initiate the dealings for me with real estate agents [View Full Entry]

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Beijing weather can be unforgiving in the summer. Last week, it was over 40°C for days in a row. That’s over 104°F. Stepping outside felt like walking into a roasting oven at full blast. It was unbearable. By law, the government must declare it an emergency and send people home from work if the temperature rose above 40°C so the local newspapers reported the temperature to be below 39.9°C. But on International online sites, it was well above the 40°C mark. And you’d have to be pretty dim not to realize the sweltering heat outside. As in any other major cities [View Full Entry]

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In the midst of China's booming economy, comes a vast emigration from the countryside into the cities. As the gap between the rich and the poor increases, so do their lifestyles. Here's a few more interesting street sightings alongside the Audis, Volvos, VWs, BMWs and Mercedes cars that zoom past. [View Full Entry]

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I decided to finally satisfy my curiosity of what a typical hutong setting would look like. So I was weaving through the maze of old Chinese streets in a traditional hutong neighborhood close to mine, when I decided to stop and walk into one house and see what I find. Worse thing that could happen is they kick me out...and I try another. As I was about to do so, a girl looking in her mid 20s parked her bike outside. I quickly asked her if she knew of any apartments in this hutong area for rent as I just arrived [View Full Entry]

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The One Child Policy in China imposed about 25 years ago. Chinese people in general are very much aware that they contribute to one third of the world's population and know that their country is over populated. So they understand the practical concerns of the policy and are pretty willing in most part to comply. However, the downside of it is there seems like there’s a growing concern among the older generation about the newer generation. I discovered that when women look for a job, one of the requirements that they have to answer to is whether they’re using this government [View Full Entry]

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I’ve observed that it is common to see male friends hanging onto each other or walking with their arms over each other’s shoulders. It's also a common sight to see two girls walking hand in hand. In Western countries, there seems to be a prevalent homophobia about touch and private space that the Chinese seem oblivious about. I find it pretty refreshing, to be honest. It's a charming innocence that western countries seem to have lost. A couple American and Russian male friends have mentioned feeling very uncomfortable having been in the presence of local Chinese males who put their [View Full Entry]

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