Beijing: A Sequence of Random Events

My last 3 days have consisted of...

Shopping at Ya Show Market: One of the hidden Laowai (foreigner) highlights of Beijing...a six storey building selling anything and everything your heart desires - all for 'Cheapa-Cheapa!' Apart from the vendors haggling you as you walk by their stalls, this market is loaded with fake brand name clothing, silk products galore and selling everything from hockey jerseys to swimsuits. Needless to say, I didn't try my bargaining skills yet - but that will definitely be a place I pay another visit to before I head home.

Ice Skating at Guo Mao: So what are the odds of ice skating in Beijing? Apparently really good!!! There are various shopping malls throughout the city that have ice rinks inside them. So Pierre, Nico, Leon, Peter and I ventured to give it a try (a round of applause to Pierre for ice skating for the first time!). A couple things really caught my attention while skating: 1) The majority of men here wear figure skates and are much better figure skaters than hockey players. 2) None of our skates had been sharpened in the past couple years, but that only made it more exciting! Finally, 3) there were lots of young girls out figure skating with their coaches...and they were amazing!!! Much much more skilled than the young figure skaters I see back home.

Playing Games at the Arcade: So imagine me walking into a huge arcade full of shooting and fighting games with enough money to play one game. I put my 4 quay into this crazy shooting game and about 10 minutes later and having passed 2 levels - I had a crowd of about 6 or 7 Chinese guys my age watching me play. No pressure right - haha...so of course, right after realizing I had all of these people watching me, an enemy jumps in front of me in the game - shoots me - and it was game over. Haha - oh well, it was great fun while it lasted!!!

My First Foot Massage: So is sit down in this super plush chair and sheepishly take my shoes and socks off wondering why the heck I am getting myself a foot massage...next thing I know, my feet are in a warm tub of water and I was in heaven. The process is then followed by having an attendant prop your feet up onto a pillow, while they begin to apply massage oil to your feet. Then they massage your feet for 30 minutes straight...30 minutes! After finishing each foot, they will wrap the foot with a towel and work on your legs. This whole thing cost $5 - for 30 minutes! We all left feeling like a million bucks...and the next time someone offers me a foot massage - I won't think twice! Haha.

Rain, Rain and More Rain: So after two weeks of hot and humid weather - the rain has hit Beijing! As I sit here right now in the flat updating my blog, I look outside and the street corners are flooding (this city is not built to last heavy rains)...the odd biker rides down the street while everyone including the security guards to our community are armed with umbrellas. The temperature is about 23 degrees - definitely the coolest weather I have experienced yet and I feel like I want to put pants and a jacket on. Hopefully this rain will only last for today and tomorrow I'll get to go do some sight-seeing!

Eating Candied Grapes from a Street Vendor at Wangfujing: I have discovered the ultimate mecca of street vendor stalls! I visited Wangfujing street while shopping for some new CD's at Oriental Plaza and while walking around outside - came across a hutong loaded with food vendors selling everything from barbequed lamb skewers to sparrow on a stick (I promise the next time I go there, I will take my camera!). I came across one of the best sweets I have ever had - green grapes covered in caramel candy on a foot long skewer! Absolutely delicious! I found a spot to sit and enjoyed the view: 5pm on a Friday afternoon...People rushing to get home from work...couples meeting up at streetside cafes for some Tsingdao Beer...Chinese Tour guides winding their way through hordes of people with their group of Chinese tourists while describing buildings on their megaphones. Life was passing me by and I just sat there and enjoyed the moment. I couldn't think of a better way to end off a fabulous week!