Beijing, China - Blogabond

Feeling smug!

I am packed for two weeks in a very small back pack & a medium size book bag. That includes toiletries, pharmacuticals, two changes of clothes, a camera with small accessories, sandals, two disassembled hiking sticks, two shawls and LOTS of socks. The two fleeces & rain shell I wear to the...

written by

prrrrl on February 29, 2012 from Beijing, China

from the travel blog: Beijing I, 2012

Out numbered

I have four roommates. I am the lone non-Chinese - very good for practicing my limited language skills. They set the bar very low for Big Noses, everyone marveling at my Mandarin. Very friendly and helpful roommates but... they give me reason to use earplugs at night! I feel like I'm in a...

written by

prrrrl on February 28, 2012 from Beijing, China

from the travel blog: Beijing I, 2012

I feel gritty!

Everybody sing: "I feel gritty! Oh so gritty! I feel gritty and pity and fright!" That's life in a very polluted city with very dry air and very little precipitation. Leaving it all behind tomorrow!!! Busy day packing, shopping & cleaning up. Tailor needs to be visited now so...

written by

prrrrl on February 28, 2012 from Beijing, China

from the travel blog: Beijing I, 2012

Miscalculation multiplied by Tu

I packed an old pair of boots on purpose. I thought I could use them for a hike then leave them behind in China giving me more more luggage space for my return trip. WRONG! They are LL Bean boots meaning I can return them at ANY TIME, in any condition for a refund. But I can't return them if...

written by

prrrrl on February 28, 2012 from Beijing, China

from the travel blog: Beijing I, 2012

Test Step

I bought new dance shoes here. They got their first test run last night at a weekly ballroom dance. Good thing I like Salsa as I think that's the only dance I'll find at a high level here. A bit surprised at that - the low proficiency of the other dances, I mean. Did I say that out...

written by

prrrrl on February 25, 2012 from Beijing, China

from the travel blog: Beijing, 2010 or Liaoning, 2013. They are appear to be mixed up!

Bad is unusual

Usually my restaurant experiences in China are great. Service is usually great [even back in the days of transitioning away from the communist system towards free markets - man, do I have some stories to tell from back then!]. Food is usually great even at low end establishments. Last night...

written by

prrrrl on February 25, 2012 from Beijing, China

from the travel blog: Beijing, 2010 or Liaoning, 2013. They are appear to be mixed up!

2/1500000

One of my five room mates is a girl from Latvia. Now I know 2 of only 1.5 million Latvians on the planet. I took her through the maze-like alleys not realizing it was her first daylight look at the country as she had arrived just after midnight. Might as well jump in to the culture!

written by

prrrrl on February 25, 2012 from Beijing, China

from the travel blog: Beijing I, 2012

Maintaining my image, part 2

So, this getting stared at thing - I'm pretty good at it. Another way I make sure the stares continue is conducting my training for a two day hike by walking up the stairs when exiting subway* stations. Most if not all stations have escalators up but not down. I find this to be hard on the...

written by

prrrrl on February 24, 2012 from Beijing, China

from the travel blog: Beijing I, 2012

Comments are disappearing

People are leaving comments - all two of them! Cool! But I can't find them anymore. :-( What's with Blogabond?? If you need to contact me, best use my email address. Don't know it? Sorry, don't feel like sharing it here on a public site. Just be aware I'm not ignoring you, I just can't...

written by

prrrrl on February 23, 2012 from Beijing, China

from the travel blog: Beijing, 2010 or Liaoning, 2013. They are appear to be mixed up!

Rewriting history or PREwriting history???

Many of the subway stations walls are covered in revenue producing ads (at one time the station by Tian An Men Square had huge posters featuring my daughter's then boyfriend) but a few of the original stations (the subway system has about quadrupled since preparations for the '08 Olympics began...

written by

prrrrl on February 23, 2012 from Beijing, China

from the travel blog: Beijing I, 2012

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