what happens to beijing when it snows? part two

HU 489m

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a consumption addicted blogger.

A consumption addicted blogger… that’s me. But I learned what to consume and not to consume in Beijing over the past year. For example, do NOT consume cheap sushi from 7-eleven. Expired fish will make you grossly sick to the stomach and ruin a few good days of your journey.

However, DO consume the great food, that’s offered everywhere here. Either big restaurants or small restaurants. No need to speak chinese, hands & feet (and pictures in the menus) will help getting the exact food you like. And you won’t regret it, after looking at the bill. Alone, somewhere at 3-5€ or a complete meal for four people… 10-12€.

Do NOT buy electronic goods like LCD Monitors/TVs or computers. They are cheaper where you come from. At least in Germany. Way cheaper. However DO consider “Photographic City”, located in West-Beijing at the forth ring. It’s little shops gathered in a big building, where you can go from store to store, only communicating with model numbers and prices. Write the price they offer you down and go to next shop to compare. They’ll see that and then happens what happened to me: alone from competition between shops, I managed to lower the price of a Canon brand product (nothing small) to 2/3 of the price.

And i bought my iPhone 3G with receipt, warranty and everything in Beijing (Bai Nao Hui – as in “buy now here”), for about 500€, which is a bargain for Germans. Do NOT buy cheap watches, Montblanc rip-offs or anything of the sort. They’re crappy and some of you might get in trouble when returning with counterfeit stuff (think about customs).

And now, when I literally walked into a dodgy tourist Area, I got offered drugs, which totally surprised me and just declined “No, thank you.” And speaking of DON’Ts… They’ll offer you massages as well… and some other services might be included… But to be on the safe side, DON’T.

If you want to take home art or souvenirs, by all means, DO, but DON’T let yourselves be fooled by “art students”, inviting you to see their art gallery and pressure you into buying some art, you really don’t want to buy. These people will wait for you at major tourist spots, like the forbidden city. DO try the sweet potatoes, especially great in winter, as they keep you warm. … and i’m getting the need for some great coffee… and why not for example the Chinese answer to Starbuck’s: SPR Coffee. #coffee… #enjoy.

reporting in from beijing…

arrived the day before yesterday in beijing… it kinda feels familiar now. very familiar. i’ve been passing through this city to visit north korea. i spent two years of my life living here… when i was very small :) and in some weird way it feels like home. however, each visit, i’m discovering new stuff. don’t expect too many directions for great places around beijing. it’s either because i don’t know the names, the adresses or anything else. just into the blue. something always works out, if you’re able to find back to the hotel.

Don’t ask me, where I took this picture: Beijing’s smallest bar. I only know, it was somewhere northwest of the forbidden city. Curiously enough, there is a sign outside asking ppl not to take pictures of it. I took one anyway, as you can see. The whole neighborhood was full of small cozy and friendly bars, not for screaming nightlife, but rather for people, who like to chill and have a nice time to talk to each other…

In greyscale it still looks awesome and somehow tibetan, but you can find these structures near the east entrance of the summer palace. I’ll be posting more photos of that site, but this will have to suffice as preview for now.

Another awesome thing about China is the cheapness of the toys. And they work awesomely great: Like this small helicopter, which runs on an Lithium Polymer battery and is no bigger than the palm of your hand. It flies for about 8-10 minutes by wireless remote, then it recharges for the same time and is ready to fly again. And it’s pretty easy to fly them and great fun. This was the first thing I bought… aside from the #coffee i got at Starbuck’s at the airport.

Well, this was a first glance at what is to come from Beijing… I’ll be keeping you posted… Time to head home to the hotel, right outside of Dongzhimen Station. By the way, a single journey fare costs 2 RMB, for as far as you want to go.

oh and yeah… my thesis is back on GO… Tennessee, here I come. Grateful… and I can’t wait :)

beijing early 2009 and late 2009

as long as i’m waiting for my laundry is in the dryer, i might as well post this post ;) … here we go:

As I had to leave North Korea prematurely a year ago, i had some time to enjoy awesome Beijing, in deep dry Mongolian winter. Sandy and smoggy dry cold air, blown in from the north and biting -20°C (-4°F), but it was all worth it. Go early enough and every main site is swept clear and you can really take great photos, as if you’ve catapulted back 20 years, where not that many cared or rather were let to the site I would be visiting know. Let’s take the Forbidden City for example. Today, it’s crowded with tourists. Back then, I played as a two year old on vast deserted grounds in the Forbidden City. Today, you get that in winter and only, if you come early and shoot photos from just the right angles…

Well actually this picture was taken in summer, as you can see. I couldn’t find the folder with the pictures. It’s burried somewhere in the NK pictures. But here are some more pictures i found worth taking… for example of people taking pictures of each other in front of monuments… It was much more interesting and uplifting than any monument. It was just funny to watch :)

…more to come. directly from Beijing… i’ll be posting into the dark, so bear with me, if I don’t approve comments right away.