Tong Lian Plaza Hotel Beijing

... some of the original living quarters in old Beijing, characterised by narrow streets, courtyard residences and public bathrooms. A lot of hutongs have been torn down to make room for new buildings and roads. We got to chat with the people living there, turns out they're passed down in generations, buying one would set you back a couple of millions. Anyway, the hutongs are being upgraded, they were installing central heating and there was ...

... kind of thing doesn't happen in America! We felt al little apprehensive, but decided what the hell, she couldn't kidnap all of us right? Kaiping told us to pack our bags b/c we would be flying out friday afternoon and returning on Sunday. I'd provide more details, but the whole thing sounded pretty crazy to us, and for most of the day we had know idea what was really going on.

We did work from home on Thursday morning and then ...

... abolished all tobacco billboards, including "Love Our China," but the advertising reappeared after the Games, said an official at the Shanghai Health Education Institute. Shanghai should take the initiative in tobacco control as it will host the World Expo in 2010, officials said. In 2003, China signed the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which commits it to banning all types of tobacco promotion by 2011.

People often wonder, what should they bring to China? My advice: as little as possible. You can get away with your toothbrush and credit card, but many places in China wouldn't have a clue what a credit card is. There are some things you might want to bring from home, which you may find difficult to get in China, particularly in smaller places away from the coastal cities. There's multiple lists at http://gochina.about.com/od/packinglist s ...

... marche devient un supplice, d'autant plus qu'elles sont vachement irregulieres!!! Mais on parvient au sommet, un retraite sympa nous offre a tous un T-shirt pour les JO et nous on joue a saute mouton sur le toit d'une tour... Bref, de retour a l'AJ, on est bien content de se poser et en plus on va manger un canard laquee le soir (que c'est bon). Puis petit billard biere a l'AJ et hop, dodo bien merite!

... Han Dynasty China was very, very large, in other dynasties is was smaller, in other times is was divided into different Chinas, at other times it wasn't even called China (or in Chinese "The Middle Country"). I paused to see if I should continue and I was really quite suprised when she said "That's very interesting! I never thought about it that way!" So I went on. Well, take Tibet. Sometimes it was part of China, sometimes it was ruled only ...

... shoes. It doesn't take long for Laura to spy some that she likes and before we know where we are, a sale has been made. With the first part of the mission a success, we head on to look at other shops, this time concentrating on Tony's quest. In the UK, haggling has all but died out. Sure, it is possible to try your luck in a local market, but it rarely pays off. But in Beijing it appears to be encouraged - even in department stores ...

... Starbucks should be allowed a vendor's lease there. Apparently they left on their own. One Chinese CCTV9 commentator remarked that Starbucks was once the best coffee but now they are just average and so it was good that they were leaving because the Forbidden City should only have the best. She never did name the best coffee and admitted she still goes to Starbucks. So you see stupid people are not just on American TV.

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... at the back of the city against the rear wall which is out of proportion to the size of the rest of the city.

A really interesting place with lots of history. When I eventually had enough, I retraced my steps all the way down to the front of the city which took a considerable time, and found my guide. Taken to lunch, where again the guides and drivers sat on their own table and left me all by myself. Then it was on to the Summer Palace, Kumming Lake, the Opera House ...