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
These are uncertain times. The economy is a wreck. Need is escalating throughout the world as prices rise for food and oil. Natural disasters in China and Myanmar are overwhelming and tragic. Huge NGOs like Worldvision http://www.worldvision.org and Care http://www.care.org are pleading for donations as they rush in to help. The work to do is so enormous. Can we possibly make a difference when the … Continue reading A Hunger to Help
Vicky Collins Online 