Blogs from Beijing, China, Asia - page 492

It's been almost 2 weeks since we updated this blog. Needless to say, we've been busy! My old friend Kevin Beveridge met us at the Hong Kong airport and took us to his place. The next day he took a day off work and toured us around, showing us how to navigate Hong Kong by train, subway, ferry and taxi. Kevin and Patty and their two children live in the New Territories as they are called, basically suburban Hong Kong, so it means a minimum of a taxi and train ride to get anywhere. He took us to the Kowloon walled city which until a few decades ago was a lawless little section of the city that non-Chinese did not dare enter. It was razed, other than the wall around it, and made into a large ... read more

Geo: 39.9082, 116.398Beijing is fantastic and developing by the day. Everything is very fast moving in this up and coming capital, it's difficult to keep up. We were there when it was chosen to host the Olympics and witnessed the grass being painted green! The sights here are so famous that they're hard to take in. Tiananmen Square is colosal and extremely powerful when you imagine the events that passed there. The Forbidden City is breathtaking, though does become rather repetitive. The area surrounding Beihai Park is one of my favourites, with wonderful little hutongs that you can experience from the back of a ricksaw. Sanlitun is the heart of Beijing's nightlife and I've had many an enjoyable evening out and about, especially when I was able to see 'Jay' (gorgeous chinese pop singer) perform in ... read more

Work went better the last day (thurs) and I had Fri off so I went out with Jenn to the Lama Temple on Friday and then we had dinner in this great little area, we had sushi...it was good. We went out Sat night to a club called Vics, and a good time was had by all. It was Whitneys (a girl in our group) birthday I did think this was odd...you have to be a size 0-2 here to be "pretty" so that is crazy. It was funny though I found out that people here do not really have tattoos so people,men and women, (everytime I went to the bar) would trace the butterfly that I have on my upper back. It was funny. Today is my chill day. I am going to rest and ... read more

Hello all...well work was soooooooo much better I now have a plan. For the next 3 weeks I am in sales and then 2 weeks in sourcing and customer service and then the last week with the main guy helping him with his channels of comm. I am sooooooo excited. I rode the metro for the first time by myself...I ended up on the wrong side of the road but it was all good. I followed the locals, crossing the rode here is like having a death wish. It puts NYC traffic to shame! Today I am off to the silk market and Llama Temple and then off to dinner at Lotus Lane. I am having a blast...thanks everyone for your comments! Nik PS. Tricia you did do it right....and I am sooooooo happy you were ... read more

There is one certain prediction that can be made about the 2008 Olympics in Beijing - it will be a bad one for ducks. Roast duck is still the main speciality here and duck restaurants abound. Whole ducks, bagged for takeaway, are sold at almost any kind of outlet as if they were merely cigarettes, phonecards or lottery tickets. Some might feel it fitting if Glen Hoddle, the once manager of England's football team who parted their company after some injudicious remarks as to the behaviour of the disabled in previous lives, should be reincarnated as a Beijing Duck. Others might feel Robert Kilroy-Silk a more worthy candidate. Arriving in Beijing after travelling more than 5000km by train across Asia is a bit like spending several days climbing a mountain only to find there is a ... read more