In Beijing: Shoplifters will be hog-tied to the fullest extent of the law.

About a month or so ago, I walked into my closest Carrefour Shopping Mall. (The French version of Walmart. Fairly commonplace in Beijing.)

This is what I saw when I walked in.

I grabbed my phone as quick as I could and took this picture.

Guy was hog-tied with this plastic string stuff that people use here. I was going to take more pictures, but the security guys yelled at me. So, I beat a hasty retreat.

It's picture time

Here are some random pictures that I thought I would show for no particular reason...

Sometimes I curse at the tangle of wires behind my computer and my TV/DVD/CD player. You think Chinese utility workers do the same?

I like phone booths.

Stereotypical Beijing bus stop sign.

The Baiyun ("White Cloud") Taoist Temple

Inside the Baiyun Temple.
Living quarters for the monks. A monk.
And two pure white doves overseeing it all.

So there I was, minding my own business...

So there I was, minding my own business...

I was just walking to work this morning, just like any other day.

When, all of the sudden, a spooked out horse pulling a flatbed cart full of watermelons crosses four lanes of traffic, right at the intersection, during morning rush hour, and decides to head right to the corner that I, and 50 other people, are standing at.

Everyone did a little shimmy to the right or left, and the horse and cart passed by without hitting anyone. It went by me with 2 feet to spare.

I caught a look at the horse's eyes as it came towards me. It was definitely spooked about something. You could see it in it's eyes. Was freaky.

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That's one thing about living in Beijing... People appear clueless to everyone else around them.

People will step in front of you, stop in front of you, spit in in front of your next step, and generally ignore your presence. People ignore traffic laws and other things which I would call "common courtesy".

But, when push comes to shove, people seem to have a "sense". Cars don't hit people, people snake their way around cars, the lines at stores seem to keep moving, and people don't step in the spit.

Like I said a long time ago, when I DID get hit by a truck... it's like a dance.

The horse forgot his steps, but everyone else covered for it. We all shimmied, and went on our way.

As if it were all supposed to happen exactly the way it did.

Beijing Aquarium

I went to the Beijing Aquarium today.

It was a school field trip, I was told that I just had to go - not work. Of course, we know how that worked out.

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The link for this post goes to the Frommers travel guide review of the aquarium. I linked to it, not because of its review of the aquarium, but because of its brief mention of the nearby zoo.

What Frommers says about the zoo is true.

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So, you ask... How was it?

Not bad actually.

Riding herd over 24 kids aged 3.5 to 6 isn't easy, but I've done the field trip thing before, so I know what to expect as far as that is concerned.

There were some cool looking fish, and some nice displays.

We went through the place fairly quick, so I didn't have time to actually look at the fish AND the descriptions. Of course, the descriptions were in Chinese, so that didn't really matter.

The seal and dolphin show was okay. Of course, I'm spoiled. Having lived in San Diego, I've done the Sea World thing a number of times.

My review: If Sea World is a 9, and the actual ocean/lakes/rivers are an 11, then the Beijing Aquarium would be a 5. Review might have been a little lower, but there were no crowds. When you spend time in Beijing, you really come to appreciate the time without people.

But... the Zoo. Avoid at all costs. I mentioned this a year ago when I went there. It's depressing. Do NOT visit the Beijing Zoo. Aquarium is okay though.


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Here are some pictures of the Beijing Aquarium. Taken today. Hot off the press, so to speak...

Magores has tips for visitors to Beijing: Nightlife

There is a site that I regularly visit.

People discuss stuff on that site. The topic of China came up. (Specifically in regards to NK, and what the immediate future might hold.)

One thing led to another, and another person mentioned that they would be visiting Beijing soon. They asked if I had any tips.

Well, yes I do.

I've covered some of these things in previous posts, but since the picture post thing isn't working, I figure this is a good time to recap, and expand....

Lets talk about nightlife...

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Nightlife...

The Goose 'n Duck
-Why: Good drinking establishment. Mainly expats, not tourists. Sports on TV, open 24 hours, has pool, darts, good food, and relatively inexpensive drinks. Not a dancing type of club. More like a sports bar.
-Where: Chaoyang Park West Gate

Sanlitun "beer street"
-Why: Lots of tourists go here, near the embassies, lots of bars here
-Where: Sanlitun. Taxi guys will expect to take you here, so it doesn't matter how bad you say it in Chinese... Theyll know.

Haidan
-Why: If you are college-aged, or college-state-of-minded, go to this area. Tons of Universities/Colleges/Institutes around here. Find a friendly-looking westerner, and ask them where to go to dance, rave, party, whatever.
-Where: Well... Haidan is in the NW area of urban Beijing, but other than that, I can't really help. I'm not college aged. And, the things in that area that I DO want to check out, always seem to happen on nights before I have to work. (I work weekends.) If it were me, I'd ask for Nameless Highlands. Rock/Punk club.

The Den
-Why: Sports and beer and very cute bar wenches. TVs show pretty much any sport that involves a ball. ie. Cricket, Soccer, Baseball, Football, Tennis, etc. Far more Euro ball sports than US ball sports.
-Where: Kind of hidden, but worth a look. Head S on Sanlitun, take a right. On your left is some big hotel or another. It's tucked in there.

CD Jazz Cafe
-Why: Jazz.
-Where: Along 3rd Ring Road. A little N of Chaoyang area.
-Disclaimer: I tried to go there once. Was closed for renovation. Rode by there yesterday on my bike. It's open again. From everything I've read, its suppossed to be a good place.

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There are TONS of more places that you can go for nightlife. But, what I like, and what you like, might be different. These are just a few things that I happen to like/know of.

If you are early 20's, and if you don't have any guide other than me, then I really suggest heading to Haidan and asking around. I'm not in that age group, and I don't dig the "rave" type thing, so I can't really help for that.

No matter what... If you are in, or will be in, Beijing, give me a holler. Let's grab a beer.