Metropolis Inn Beijing

... into the basket and all we had in there were a bag of Lay's cucumber flavored chips that stated "light and cool". I mean, how can one walk through an entire grocery store and only pick up one thing? So we set it back down and decided to try a different day. Then we tried again at Wal Mart. We did the same thing, walked around and all we ended up buying was a bag of frozen dumplings. Finally today we went and bought some ...

... towards the sparrow who sat with tinsel on his wings.
The Bird of Paradise- renewed each century- born in flame,ending in flame! Thy picture, in a golden frame, hangs in the halls ofthe rich, but thou thyself often fliest around, lonely anddisregarded, a myth- "The Phoenix of Arabia."
In Paradise, when thou wert born in the first rose, beneath theTree of Knowledge, thou receivedst a kiss, and thy right name wasgiven thee- thy name, Poetry.

... downtown after a few tries. So we figured out we actually needed the 808 and hopped the bus in the direction of Tiananmen Square. Big mistake. Public bus + rush hour traffic + Beijing being the most MASSIVE city I have ever been to = 2 hour bus ride! By the time we got to Tiananmen Square it was 7:45 and dark. I was getting pretty worried since I had no idea when the reception desk at our hotel was open until... And then we had trouble catching ...

... Frits over skype. Da Anthony kom hjem, spurgte han mig dog om, hvor mange vi så blev i aften. Det viste sig, at han ikke havde modtaget min mail, og at der kom 3 til middag en halv time efter. Vi fik derfor købt ind og lavet mad ret hurtigt og heldigvis kom gæsterne for sent. Mine kokkeevner rakte denne dag til Svamperisotto (pga. det vidunderlige svampeudvalg i supermarkedet), en simpel salat af babyspinat, friskhakkede asparges og tomat samt bøffer, som måtte sk ...

... also want to break into the expanding market. But religion might be a harder sell than credit cards and soda pop in a country that's putting more restrictions on spirituality than it is on capitalism, nightclubs and industrial pollution. China's religious scene is unlike that anywhere else. The country's religious trends are heading in contrasting directions at the same time. The country's rigid authorities have found inventive ways to keep a lid on religion. They ...

... a felt rope to discourage any Godzilla fantasies, and residents run around the edges looking to spot their homes. Here is a shot of the neighborhood where I studied three years ago. After getting my nerd on, I redeemed myself by meeting Melissa at the Ozone gym in Huamao - one of the new luxury developments in Chaoyang - where she manages the fitness classes. Melissa introduced me to her friend Rachel, a member at Ozone, and Rachel's boyfriend who ...

... shopping disease. When you are actually glad you can go. McDonalds all around the whole is all the same. Fatty, yummy and expensive. We found that fact out when we had a very late lunch there. A hawker followed us in and while we were eating lunch he was still trying to sell stuff to us. They are persistent! A very nice University Chinese student started talking to us. They were so nice. They wanted to show us something so we followed them into an art ...

... from Snow Lion Expeditions, who would be with us for the entire trip, had already been here for a day, and I met him briefly when I checked into the China People's Palace Hotel in midday. He was on his way to pick up the others on the tour, who were all arriving on the same flight from San Francisco: Humphrey and Kevin, two friends who both live in the Bay Area and who have taken at least one other vacation together (to Peru), and Chuck and Kathy, a couple ...

... I wish I had a photo to post of this! Well the day has arrived to make the next hop on my way to Amanda. I did shake a leg this morning and visited People's Park and returned to the Bund for some photos. I took the metro going and a taxi coming back. I don't think I got ripped off this time so it's all good. Lot's of walking so maybe I'll be able to sleep on the plane this afternoon. I think it is a 5 hour ...

... laatste is mij overigens maar 1 uurtje gelukt helaas op een vlucht van 7 uur. Verder dus weer filmpjes gekeken en the simpsons en friends. Na de lange reis kwam het einddoel dan toch in zicht. Zou mijn bagage goed door zijn gekomen? Gelukkig wel. De koffers komen al snel voorbij en ik ben binnen no time buiten. Een collega (Bruce genaamd, ook wel Mang of Mong) staat me op te wachten en loodst me naar de auto (een dikke audi) die me naar het appartement brengt, waar Rob 's morgens al is ...