The Olympic Games are less than three weeks away and Beijing is spiffing up. When you have a workforce of over a billion people you can get lots done in a short time. Every day the city transforms itself more and more. Signage has gone up from one end of town to the other. You drive over logos in special Olympic lanes, see Fuwas and banners … Continue reading Olympic Countdown
There were two places on my must see list on this journey to China and this past weekend in an Olympic sightseeing marathon I visited both. On Saturday friends and I flew to Xian for a whirlwind day trip to see the Terra Cotta Warriors and on Sunday three of us visited the Great Wall of China. The Terra Cotta Warriors are amazing to ponder. … Continue reading Ginger and the Great Wall
Mr. Li gets the good Olympic citizen award. I left my new Nike sweatshirt in his taxi following a ride to the Emperor Hotel. After a couple days of searching my Chinese colleague tracked him down and learned he had delivered the item to the hotel thinking I was a guest there. When she told him otherwise, he retrieved it and delivered it to me at work clear across … Continue reading Hen hao (very good) taxi ride
Sunday in Beijing and I feel the city is mine. The sky is a beautiful blue (yes, it does happen) and the sun is out. In two and a half weeks I have found a French bakery for cappuccinos, a restaurant I love called Hutong Pizza and I rode the subway. I’m making my way through the city with confidence. Today I decide to visit … Continue reading For the love of Panda Bears
Brenda and I went to a restaurant with red lanterns in front that serves hot pot. A hot pot is like sukiyaki. It is a mish mash of meat, vegetables and noodles cooked at the table. There was no English spoken and the menu was completely in Chinese. For westerners there are pictures of the dishes. We had trouble ordering so a waitress recommended something that … Continue reading Hot Pot of Thoughts
We have a new employee at work. She hails from Guangzhou in the south of China and has been in Beijing for one and a half years. She is a 30 something television producer and speaks excellent English. During a lull in the action today we got to talking. It was great to transcend the language barrier and have an in depth conversation with a local. … Continue reading Surprising China
Living the expat life in Beijing requires a fair amount of getting around. Upon arrival in the city I was given a Beijing Taxi Book. The subtitle is “Helping Non-Chinese Speakers Get From A to B in Beijing, China.” This is an essential resource. Inside are locations such as restaurants, bars, hotels, shopping, embassies, Olympic venues, churches and sightseeing destinations frequented by travelers. When one gets … Continue reading Bu Hao (Not Good) Taxi Rides
You have to be an early bird on a Saturday morning in Beijing. If you arrive at Beihan Park around 8 a.m. the array of activity is dazzling. Men and women gather by the side of the 12th century lake to do tai chi, qui gong and martial arts with sticks and swords. Some do the forms in groups while others find a vista or a small temple as … Continue reading China Rising Too
Saturday morning in Beijing and the sky is kind of blue. Rain last night drove the smog away and I can see the buildings off in the distance. It’s nice. The Olympics begin in six weeks and Beijing is in a tizzy. It’s down to the wire and everywhere you turn there is activity and construction. Taking a walk on a weekday morning at 6 a.m. you see workers marching in … Continue reading China Rising
Vicky Collins Online 