Somerset Fortune Garden Beijing

The Obama who carry the ed hardy belts
warned on Tuesday that the U.S. could slip further behind China and other
countries in clean energy development if Congress fails to pass climate
legislation, as early signs of a rift emerged among Democrats over the bill's
costs.
Energy Secretary Steven Chu told a Senate panel that the U.S. has ...

... in offering a trip to an old part of the wall - and without any tourists. The trip was really ...

Arriving into Beijing I quickly realized I'd forgotten about the whole culture shock thing. Getting the bus into the city centre from the airport sounded simple enough, until you realize that all the information you need is in Chinese and nobody speaks English. It all turned out to be simple enough, until the bus dropped me off. I knew I was meant to be next to a train station but there was not one in sight. No sooner than I had stepped off ...

... too small but for a fiver you have to be prepared to limp don't you lol. On the way out I bought a really nice silk scroll thing with all Chinese writing on it as I thought I could stick ot in the dining room and then use that wall for all my photos etc (like you want to know my décor plans). It took us ages to get to the Olympic Stadium as some giddy Chinese woman told us the wrong stop to get off at on the tube. By the time we got there it had gone dark ...

... at home, so I hope she doesn't expect to keep getting them! Afterwards we caught a taxi to the subway and then went on to the Olympic Park where we decided we had to face the horrors of the Superstore in order to buy some Aussie flags etc. The Olympic Superstore is an enormous building chock full of Olympic products and people queue for up to an hour just to get into it! When we arrived in ...

... the world. The Beijing Games, which kick off on Aug. 8, are hardly an exception. While Chinese leaders furiously insist they're not, and should not be, "political," these Olympics promise to become one of the most charged in history. Rarely has a more varied array of contentious issues crystallized around a single sporting event. China is bedeviled by internal problems-human-rights violations, media censorship, corruption, pollution, labor abuses and lack of due process, to name a ...

... for the first time still seemed so bizarre. Although upon arrival my generous friend ensured that I would be able to stay for three days plus travel time, instead of just one. This will make all the difference. Duty free purchases available on a 13 hour flight are sneaky as hell. What else do you have to do but shop while you wait? I managed to resist. However free alcohol on trans-pacific ...

... less comfortable than the soft sleeper. The open compartments comprise six bunks, fixed as an upper, middle and lower on either side. Basic bedding like sheet, blanket and pillow are provided. Space may be cramped and inclined to be noisy at times but the hard berth is highly cost effective. On the train we quickly find our bunks which are both lower bunks. I am very impressed with the accommodation for the night - it's basic, but it's clean. We manage to stow away our ...

... looking for, but he took as very close. He stopped to ask locals about it, and made extraordinary efforts to find it. Finally he stopped, and told us - with a little help of his hands - that we have arrived and we should walk a little until we get to the hostel. We thanked him for his kindness and for the ride with pure body language, and were very surprised that he refused to receive a modest tip. We kept moving to the hostel. The hostel was located in the middle ...

... last minute shopping - trinkets and scarves to bring back home to give away and a shawl for myself. spent most of the afternn chilling out in the 'nice hiking club' cafe, which is really cosy except for the 2nd hand smoke from the other cafe patrons and owner. i must have scanned through at least 15 issues of the local mag, 'outdoor exploration' and was surprised to see the extent of the outdoor adventure scene ...