57 CNY

Setting: Each Chinese province has a government office representing it and its business in Beijing. Attached to most such offices is an official restaurant from that province. Although this is not an initially appetizing concept (bureaucrats running the kitchen?) the food is guaranteed to be as authentic as they come. Xinjiang and Sichuan offices are able to make their food both authentic and amazingly delicious.

Food: The Sichuan staples, of course! I muddled my way through an order in Putonghua:

Gong bao ji ding (Kung Pao chicken),

Dan dan mian noodles, and

Stir fried string beans with shredded pork.

Impression: I still now and then reminisce about that delicious Kung Pao chicken. Yes, the diced chicken was perfectly tender; the chili oil was fresh; the peanuts were plentiful; and the veggies were crisp and fresh. The key wasn't any or even all of these, though. It was the captivating Sichuan peppercorns, long banned in the US. This gave the dish a tongue numbing and tingly wave. It was perfectly understated - too much peppercorn and the dish tastes like the fresh sensation one gets after brushing. Overall masterful.

The dan dan noodles were excellent as well. Much more complex than the similar Yunnanese I had sampled earlier that trip. I especially liked the coarse pork, which contrasted well with the chewy noodles. The string beans dish was nice and tender though unexciting.

One of the highlights from Beijing.

128 CNY (mainly drinks)

Setting: Perhaps the best way of counteracting Beijing's thick smog and mad modernization efforts is to spend a few leisurely hours at a courtyard restaurant in one of the hutongs. The more traditional, of course, do Beijing style Chinese. Vineyard Cafe's menu is Euro simple, mainly pastas, sandwichs, and salads. Its wine list is fantastic (no surprise given its name, though rare in Mainland China). Leisure should come easily. The Cafe is right next to the Lama Temple, so, like Kejia Cai, it is another good combination.

Back of Vineyard Cafe's card

The courtyard is quiet and leafy. It was quite hot so I moved indoors. Nice ambiance - comfy and very relaxing. I shared a table with the Cafe's cat, who was charming but sleepy.

Food: I ordered Stracci pasta with Spicy Sausage and Tomato for 45 CNY. And many, many drinks.

Impression: The pasta was filling but unremarkable. The drinks were fantastic. I enjoyed the pretty good coffee (by Beijing's standards). There was several hole in the wall urban coffee shops nearby that served slightly better coffee. The extensive wine list was appreciated, as were the insightful comments (and Wine Spectator reviews) posted on the chalkboard carte.

The food was standard, second to the ambiance and the drinks.

Great Wall

We arrived in Beijing. The airport looked like one you’d find in any major city across the world. English everywhere. Of course, it was also colored in Olympic banners throughout.  We showed our cabbie the Chinese address of our, and we were off.  He did not take us to our hostel. Rather he dropped us off on the main road and pointed down an alley, grunting.  It was the wrong alley, and we spent the better part of 40 minutes, carrying all our bags, staggering down dark alleys.  Though dark the alleys were full of children running around, food carts being pushed, and men sitting at tables playing cards or Majong.  We stopped several people who all pointed.  Finally, an old man said, “follow me” and brought us to the doorstep.  As we learned in weeks to come, English was even harder to find out here than in Thailand. 

The streets were clean; no garbage, no homeless.  We presume it was from the recent Olympics.  Hundreds of buildings looked rehabbed. Famous walking streets still had empty storefronts due to the newness of everything.  I’m sure thousands of people were displaced from their homes being torn down and filled with new buildings to make room for the Olympics. Where they were moved to, we had yet to see.   One tour guide told us that he hated the Olympics.  People lost their homes.  Factories were temporarily shut down for months to clean the air, and no pay was given to the workers.  Visas were made more difficult to obtain and hence tourism went down. 

The only filth that filled the streets was caused by, I daresay, the people.  All adults chain-smoke cigarettes, and spit with great hacking sounds at all times.  You know Disney’s Aladdin movie? Picture the spitting donkeys to get the true picture.  Little toddlers potty training wear pants that have slits open in the front and back.  When it’s bathroom time they just go.  Their parents help them adjust themselves so they don’t get wet.  Parents feel this is more sanitary for the children.  I feel this was disgustingly unsanitary for the public.  The streets often reeked of sewage, both from the toddlers, as well as the sewers.  The toilets are holes in the ground, and the people often don’t close the doors.  Bathrooms, needless to say, were one of our greatest problems out here.  Even in big city malls that were filled with sophisticated and wealthy shoppers the bathrooms still were holes of foul stench.. but that’s enough about that.

In Beijing the weather was cold and rainy.  Our tour guide was coughing and congested.  Needless to say we all were feeling under the weather.  Vince caught a wicked cold combined with allergies, and Elise “thought she was going to catch a cold” and hence spent and evening burrowed in her bed, and I had swollen glands.   Western medicine is quite expensive out here where they use herbal teas to bring them to a speedy recovery.  We visited several teahouses.  Chrysanthemum tea is used to cure colds. We bought much of it and spent the evenings drinking it in bed. 

China has some of the oldest history in the world and saw many extraordinarily old and fascinating sites:

Dazhong Si- This is the Great Bell Temple. It has the biggest and oldest surviving bell in the world.  The bell is two stories tall and has over 250,000 Chinese characters on its surface. They still ring the bell today, but only once a year on New Years. 

Forbidden City- The Forbidden City was built for the emperors and royalty. No one of lower stature ever entered the city.  This city contains 999 ½ temples.   One thousand is the number for God, and while the emperor didn’t consider himself a God, he did consider himself the next best thing.  Those that lived inside the city lived a life of absolute luxury.  It is estimated that a single meal for an emperor could have fed several thousand of the peasants.  In fact, one empress would commonly have 108 dishes prepared for a single meal.  The temples are covered in phoenix and dragons symbolizing the ying and yang balance of life.

The Temple of Heaven – The Temple of Heaven actually was a large park grounds.  Locals leisurely strolled about snacking on foods or playing games such as chess, hackey sack, musical instruments or singing.  There was a man painting in water Chinese characters of peace. The actual temple was built to be the meeting grounds of Heaven and Earth and not one single nail was used in its creation. 

Sacred Way & Ming Tombs- The Sacred Way is a street lined with larger than life statues of animals and warriors meant to guard the Ming Tombs where the emperor of the Ming Dynasty was laid to rest.  The tomb of the emperor is buried in huge chamber deep underground. It was said that it took 18 years to complete, and once completed the emperor threw a grand celebration down below.  

The Great Wall of China- The next day was our most breathtaking one; we visited the Great Wall of China. They say that you have not experienced China until you have climbed the Great Wall. Construction began in the 5^th century and was not completed until the 16^th century.  It’s estimated that over a million people helped to construct the 4,000-mile wall. Thousands of men died during construction; so many, in fact, that they say the Wall is the largest cemetery in China.  When a man died while building his body was buried within it.

Here's a list of English magazines you can bag and maybe pile at home and sell it once you're done with it.

1.  thebeijinger - this monthly magazine used to be called That's Beijing.  However, this year the management decided not to renew the contracts of their foreign writers and those writers banded together armed with their contacts to create this new magazine.  I prefer this one than the new team who's currently writing That's Beijing.  They got a mean directory of restaurants and other services.  They even sometimes include a map insert of different areas which expat usually go to.  They have several more magazines which they write but I'm not really sure how often do they come out such as Urbane and Beijing Kids.

2.  That's Beijing - this monthly magazine has a sister magazine in Shanghai.  It's overhauled with a new set of writers and their first issue was a little bit bland and lacks meat.  Still, if you lack English reading materials, this would help you pass time.

3.  City Weekend - this bi-monthly magazine is slimmer than thebeijinger but you get the latest happenings updated every other week.  I don't get this in my building but my favorite Taiwan restaurant near my office has it.

4.  Time Out Beijing - this monthly magazine stopped circulating for a couple of months as they didn't have a license from the government to publish English articles.  They're back this month with a feature on the 40 men and women who make Beijing great.

5.  Agenda - the bi-monthly restaurant and events guide of thebeijinger.  It's handy and small so it doesn't eat up much space on your bag.  It's widely circulated so you can easily grab a copy.  It will give you advices from top chefs on where they eat or bring their guests while in town.

6.  Metrozine - a monthly magazine which my friend writes for.  However, it's so difficult to find one.  Up to now, I can't find a copy of it anywhere.

So.. pile up at home and become a literary genius instead.  Hahahaha!

At the entrance there was a huge Yanjing Beer wall. Best. Park. Ever?

Justin and I were super excited. Deborah? Not so much.

This was Deborah's face most of the time during the lines. Can you see the fear?

She conquered the big coaster though. Very Proud.

Guess communists really do like the color red.

We also rode this coaster, and this is a reminder to Justin that he has to send me the onride photo because it is HILARIOUS.

After two big coasters, Debora retired herself and opted to not ride the tower.

Later that night we discovered the Subway. Which is awesome. The N Squared. Nice and New.

We also ate food that was pretty much putting lava in your mouth.

But beer cures lava mouth well.

So does ice cream from Sprinkles. An ice cream place which will have its own post dedicated to it. because thats how much Justin and I loved it.

Setting: The guides make South Silk Road seem shit hot - a successful and chic Chinese artist at the helm, mode-ish modern Chinese art from wall to wall, and intriguing and delicious 'earthy' Yunnanese and Dai minority dishes. And it certainly is an exciting concept, between the artwork, glass floors (not the best design for those with skirts...), and strange cuisine. The waitresses are dressed in Dai costumes.

My heart fell a little, though, as I thumbed the pages of the English menu. There was a heavy emphasis on the bizarre and the unappetizing - bark, larvae, and fungi were all well represented! For the true connoisseurs, the menu listed the scientific name of each species of fungi. Inexplicably, the menu offered wikipedia - as in 'Stir fried wikipedia' or 'Sauteed wikipedia'. I couldn't be bothered to find out more, as I had sat in a cab all the way from the camera market at Wukesong. This, and the prospect of bark for dinner, made me grouchy.

Food: I wanted proper food, not something I could forage for in the nearest public park. I ordered the most normal seemingy dishes on the menu: small potted roasted duanshi rice noodles (22 CNY), bitter melon with Yunnan pineapple (32 CNY), and pork spareribs with pu-er tea syrup (48 CNY).

Other than the mooncake, the only even mildly enjoyable dish

Disgusting bitter melon; limp and lukewarm pork

Impression: I'll admit that I didn't order the specialties, so perhaps the review is less than fair. The restaurant itself, firstly, deserves credit for its chic design and attentive service. I particularly appreciated the mooncake served at the end of the meal (it was the Mid-Autumn Festival that night).

The duanshi noodles were bluntly spicy and unidimensional. Without anything (e.g. Sichuan peppercorns) to balance the spice, the flavor was downright unpleasant. The bowl, while visually appealing, made it near impossible to eat noodles and broth as one reached the bottom. The pork ribs, while sounding so very appetizing, were actually boring and largely tasteless. The sauce was bland.

I felt like I was eating food befitting a campout, and I didn't even order the tree bark or fungi.

Things I have done or experienced

• Walked on the Great Wall of China
• I was a fighter pilot for a day...thanks to Air Combat USA
• Walked on the Great Wall of China
• Visited Mount St. Helen's several years after the eruption
• Swam the length of the swimming pool...at the age of 6 or 7
• Worked the IT systems at the Democratic National Convention
• Attended mass at the US Air Force Academy Chapel
• Shaken the hand of a former US President
• Met wounded warriors from Iraq and Afghanistan
• Talked with Jim Lovell, commander of Apollo 13
• Took swimming lessons from Neil Armstrong's wife
• Visited the Forbidden City in Beijing
• Walked through Tienanmen Square in Beijing
• Went to a gold mine in New Zealand
• Attended the Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall
• Watched my friend Kiefer Sutherland film several scenes of 24
• Played my first hockey game ever in front of 4,000 people
• Attended a Stanley Cup finals game between the NJ Devils and Colorado Avalanche
• Participated in the birth of both of our children...truly awe inspiring
• Took in the amazing view of the Golden Gate Bridge with San Francisco in the background
• Had my computer bag stolen in Argentina...with my passport, plane tickets and wallet (except my driver's license) all inside...I realized there was nothing that couldn't be replaced
• Went to the Hannah Montana / Jonas Brothers Concert with floor seats near the stage...we should get our hearing back soon
• Experienced the summer solstice in Stockholm
• Rode in an elevator with Nelson Mandela shortly after his release from prison
• Been thanked by a mom at a Lion's Den technology room opening because the pain her son was experiencing had gone away while he was in the room playing Xbox

Things I want to do

• Fly in a military jet fighter
• Spend a month training with NASA astronauts
• Spend a month working at Pixar and watching how they take their amazing creativity and turn it into movies
• Be an intern in the athletic department for a major university...my alma mater Purdue would be my first choice
• Travel to Australia and learn about the country and visit with a close friend and his family
• Watch my children grow, graduate from college, start their lives, get married and have children
• Take trips and share new experiences and places with my wife

So those are my lists.  I am fortunate that I am young and in good health and will continue to add to my lists.  I wonder if other people out there have lists?  Have they stopped and looked back and realized what fantastic things they have done, without really thinking about it?

80 CNY all in, a very good deal given the absolutely massive amount of food.

Setting: Din Tai Fung is a Taiwanese chain reputed to have some of the best xiao long bao the world over. These are Shanghai dumplings, usually filled with a mixture of pork and soup broth before being sealed with a twist.

I went to the one in Shin Kong Place by accident. I had a printout of the address in English and in Mandarin; unfortunately they didn't correspond, so while I thought I told the taxidriver to go to the one at Xinyuanxili Zhongjie I was actually heading to the other Beijing location. So when I figured out that we had long ago passed the former address, and noted that we were now in a quiet and poorly lit neighborhood, I started to worry. I was fairly sure that my night would end in a dark alleyway - and, worse still, without a plate of steaming dumplings.

Food: Though Din Tai Fung is known primarily for its dumplings (and there are many!) it does serve fuller dishes - e.g. stir fried diced chicken. Half orders of dumplings (usually x5) are possible. The xiao long bao are, of course, obligatory, as are the steamed red bean dumplings. I added the steamed pork buns; they looked intriguing (they weren't).

Steaming clinically

Xiao Long Bao

Beautifully twisted steamed red bean pasted buns

Fantastic

Impression: The flavor of the xiao long bao was very good - it far outweighed any past xiao long bao I've had. The hit of soup inside each dumpling was intensely flavorful, a delightful surprise hidden inside. The dumpling skin was perfectly al dente; the meat tender and tasty. All piping hot. Xiao long bao are always served with Chinese vinegar and ginger slivers, whose zing cuts through the meatiness of the dumpling proper.

The steamed red bean dumplings: these were so good I had to come back for more.

58 CNY for perch

Setting: Kejia Cai is located just across the street from Beihai Park's North Gate, just up Qianhai a little. I combined the two in one evening. I was at first disappointed to have arrived at Beihai just at nightfall, but after a little wander found a flautist on one of the piers playing fast flowing fleet folk songs out onto the vast open lake. His back was towards a small audience on the near shore. It was beautiful.

Kejia Cai is a Hakka restaurant, another regional Chinese cuisine unavailable in the West. The restaurant itself was packed - there is a huge raucous deck and warm rustic interior, just next to the lake. The decor was simple and definitely not stylish, especially evidenced by the peasant wood tables. This style carried over into the food.

Food: I went for the toasted perch wrapped in tinfoil.

Impression: The highlight was the sauce, which was unlike anything I had tasted before, fully and complexly sweet (and very addictive). At the same time, it avoided being sickly sweet and cloying. The sauce somehow maintained a just perfect level of thickness and stickiness. The fish itself was good, tender and simple. Almost no bones! Reminded me of a similar dish I enjoyed in Greece. Great place for a bite after a visit to Beihai or Qianhai, though its decor is lacking.

Though written from the perspective of an American expatriat, Michael Meyer's The Last Days of Old Beijing: Life in the Vanishing Backstreets of a City Transformed provides a compassionate glimpse into the lives of those residing in Beijing's poor hutong neighborhoods while the city prepares to host the 2008 Summer Olympics. Hutong literally means a narrow alleyway or street, but refers to the neighborhoods which utilize them as well. Meyer first moved to the dilapidated hutong community of Dazhalan in 2005 and began volunteering at the local school, Coal Lane Elementary, as an English teacher. Some of his most profound observations on the consequences and reactions towards beautification and gentrification projects juxtapose te opinions of the students and their parents.

Meyer refrains from passing judgement or condemnation on the Chinese government, instead presenting the stories of hutong residents and their fear of displacement. In spite of reparations, many residents and business owners share their mixed feelings on the possibility of their beloved community being slated for razing literally overnight. They want to see their city thrive and impress on an international level, but struggle with how to eke out a living and adjust to an unfamiliar environment. The following quote by a man referred to only as "Old Zhang's son" (72) best summarizes their collective plight:

"'You have to understand something very clearly. The problem isn't that the city is developing. That is a good thing. And the problem isn't that the government is bad. The government is actually very good. We are all patriotic here. The problem is that the entire process isn't transparent. The only ones with the eyes are the district government and its development company.'" (72)

The quote comes from a Spring Festival celebration just days before Old Zang's house is to be demolished. His story resonates with the experiences and anxieties of The Widow, Recycler Wang, Mr. Han, Ms. Zhu, and the others who wrestle between their devotion to civic pride and their sense of self-preservation. They understand their government's desires, but have difficulty coping with the fear that one morning they could wake up and discover the non-negotiable order to vacate homes and businesses. Meyer presents is friends' experiences with sympathy and genuine concern for their well-being, though for many such as Ms. Zhu, relocation ultimately leads to better opportunities.

The worries of the community's adult population contrast with those of the students of Coal Lane Elementary where Meyer volunteers as an English teacher. They adore the Olympic mascots and care more about their education than the fate of their neighborhood. But it is their eagerness that is most compelling - even those who are insistant of their own ignorance push themselves towards more favorable grades. In the end, the children represent the whole of Beijing's populace in the wake of reconstruction. They must eventually accept their fate as their fate and work hard towards something hopefully better in the face of hardships.

Bibliographic Information

Meyer, Michael. The Last Days of Old Beijing : Life in the Vanishing Backstreets of a City Transformed. Boston: Walker & Company, 2008.

Further Reading

I have not read much about Chinese history or culture, sadly. Much of what I know comes from either history class or listening to my friends' experiences in the country. Do any of you out there have some good recommendations?

~Riot

The Forbidden City was not the only touristy event of the weekend.  A group of us also had reservations at a restaurant in the Grand Hyatt Hotel called "Made In China".  I know, the name is kinda silly, but supposedly it is one of the top five places to get Peking Duck in Beijing.  And since Beijing is the home of Peking Duck (also referred to as Beijing Duck now), then I guess it is safe to assume one of the top places in the world as well.  Never having tried it before, not in China nor anywhere else, I didn't know what to expect and had nothing to comapre it to.  While many people rave about it, I've also heard it is quite tasteless.  With one bird now under my belt, I'd have to agree with tasteless.  The proper way to eat it, however, is to spread plum sauce on a thin pancake, put in a few slices of duck and some veggies and wrap it up like a little burrito.  While I wasn't sure how I would feel about plum sauce, it is actually quite good and I did enjoy the many little burritos I prepared for myself.  They also give you the back fat with skin and when you bite into it oil spills into your mouth.  Some dip these pieces in sugar first to get the full artery clogging feel.  I tried that as well... not bad but I could only handle one.

We ordered the restaurant's other specialty too, called Beggar's Chicken, as well as a handful of other dishes.  While I didn't dislike a single thing I ate, I have to admit the best part of the meal was a bottle of red wine from France that I shared with a guy from Belgium.   After this post and an earlier one about a dim sum restaurant we went to, I know it sounds like I don't really like Chinese food.  Believe me this isn't the case!  I have liked just about everything I've eaten here and know I will be craving a lot of it when I go home.  So far though, I have been disappointed in the upscale expensive meals.  You think I'd learn my lesson and stick to the cheap stuff, but I probably won't.  The Peking Duck was at least good enough for me to be willing to eat it again.  I may even make it a goal to try all of the top five places and review them on this blog.  Stay tuned!

A documentary filmby Christoph Schaub and Michael Schindhelm "follows two Swiss star architects on two very different projects: the national stadium for the Olympic summer games in Peking 2008 and a city area in the provincial town of Jinhua, China. Architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron are literally building bridges between two cultures, two architectural traditions, and two political systems. Their work doesn’t simply enhance China’s great international debut, but serves the everyday needs of the Chinese population. “Bird’s Nest” presents the Basle architects as they find solutions not in the comfort of an ivory tower but in encounters and friction on the ground." (quoted from the official synopsis)

According to (Swiss) newspaper reviews, the documentary not only offers striking architectonical insights, but also pictures the Chinese society's mood in times of rapid changes.

Further information and trailer on the website www.herzogdemeuron-film.com

One month in Beijing and I finally visited (what I would consider) the number one tourist destination in the city.  And touristy it was.  The crowd outside the entrance was intense, and the experience of being pushed and shoved through "line" was a memorable one.  Luckily the palace grounds are enormous, and once inside we all regained our personal space. 

I decided to go on the WLE organized tour rather than on my own for the first time because I thought it would be more interesting to have a guide, and it was.  Our guide was great, knew his stuff and also had a sense of humor.  I feel that I learned a lot in the few hours we spent there, and I am now really intrigued to learn more!  Despite my 15+ year interest in Asian culture, I know shockingly little about Chinese history.

Biggest surprise of the trip was that I didn't find it to be a tourist "trap" at all.  Not one person tried to sell us anything once we were inside.  In fact, we were desperately looking for food but couldn't find any.  That isn't to say there is none of that to be found, however.  Like I said, the place is huge, an outdoor and indoor museum, and people say it could take a year to see it all (an exaggeration in my opinion).  We only spent about three hours there.  Another trip is definitely in order, but perhaps I'll wait until the weather gets a bit cooler and hopefully the crowds will have died down a bit.

Taiwan National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Chao-ming told a legislative committee on Monday that sources in China suspected biological warfare, but that conclusive evidence had not surfaced.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome originated in southern China in 2002 and went on to kill hundreds of people around the world -- including about 350 in China -- bringing Asian tourism and air industries almost to a halt.

An initial cover-up of the epidemic led to the sacking of Beijing's mayor and the health minister and led to scores of conspiracy theories about the origin of the virus.

"In the 2003 SARS period, there were deaths and injuries, and in addition China hid the patient count, causing panic in people's hearts," the security bureau said in a statement.

"At that time insider information indicated that SARS was a biological weapon."

Tsai told the committee that SARS had "become a biological warfare formula" in China and that the bureau would "continue to monitor the situation," local media said on Tuesday, splashing the story across TV screens and front pages.

China has claimed sovereignty over self-ruled Taiwan since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. Beijing has vowed to bring the island back under mainland rule, by force if necessary.

Some legislators were unsure why the security bureau brought SARS up at such a crucial time in cross-strait relations, which have improved under the presidency of Ma Ying-jeou.

"The comment about biological warfare from China brings SARS back as a hot topic," the United Daily News said. "It raises questions about whether President Ma Ying-jeou's government can build citizen trust in its administrative ability."

Conspiracy theories about SARS have appeared before. After two Russian scientists said that SARS could have been manufactured in labs, Chinese activists pointed to the United States, saying Washington might be using it against China.

(Reporting by Ralph Jennings; Editing by Nick Macfie and David Fox)

 Top 5 reasons why the Beijing Paralympics lived up to its "Amazing Awaits" tagline:

1) The People. No matter where you are in the world - no matter what the political or economic or religious situation/strife/mentality - it all comes down to the people. In Beijing, I encountered some of the most friendly and open people I've ever met, with contagious enthusiasm for whatever the moment had in store.

2) Unexpected Blue Sky Days. Note picture, which is not photoshopped.

3) The Venues. Yes, I am narrowly focused because I spent 95% of my time in - and working from! - the Water Cube (officially: National Aquatics Center), but the venues were phenomenal. The Cube was mesmorizing, especially seen from night with the outside bubble exterior changing from turquoise to violet amidst the festive music coming from the plaza.

4) Shooting Star. Yes, I actually saw a shooting star one night - and no, it was not a lead toy being thrown out a factory window as one friend accused! While we were there a total of 20 days, we had at least three clear nights of seeing stars. Granted, it was nowhere near what we get from our clear Colorado skies and the air wouldn't even come close to an autumn day on the east coast, but hey, when you set your expectations low, you can be content with less than stellar outcomes. (However... don't even get me started on the topic of low expectations when it comes to Palin!)

5. Photos. Topping my list of experiences during all of September was my walk between the Water Cube and the Birdsnest. Whether it was early morning with only a handful of people walking about and the fountain water show just warming up; or the evening walk back to the hotel with joyous music blaring, people posing for pictures everywhere you turned, little kids yelping as they ran through fountain dodging the spurts water.... I took my time and slowed down during that walk, taking in every moment and trying not to forget it. I've never seen so many people so unconditionally happy in one place. To me, the smiles, enthusiasm and simple appreciation for a new experience that I witnessed in that plaza epitomize my experience in Beijing.

Still pictures won't do it justice, so check out Joe's blog (the entry "Random acts of Happiness") for a quick video.

I tried. I really really tried. I tried so very hard to get my Ravelympics project finished in time, but I just couldn’t do it. I knitted my little fingers to the bone, and when I finally went to bed (at 2:30 a.m.) long after the Closing Ceremonies broadcast finished, I only had half the cast-off to do! That’s it! Except it was 200+ stitches I still needed to bind off, and each bind off stitch was more complicated than usual. So I knew I’d be up all night, and since I had to work...off to bed I went.

I did, in fact, finish the next day.

And because the gals at A Mano are sympathetic to Knitter Defeats, I got a gold medal anyway. LOL.

And I picked up one of the Ravelympics Pins.

This was a fun knit, and the drape of this shawl is amazing. Really soft.

Specs:

Pattern: The Peace Shawl, by David Assemany (Ravel it!)
Yarn: Blue Heron Rayon Metallic-Sport Weight. My skein was 500 yards, and I have quite a bit left, but I haven't weighed it yet.
Needles: Knitpicks Harmony interchangeables, US9
Mods: I increased in both sections of the pattern so it would be both wider and deeper than the original.

Oh, and that's NOT me in the pictures. LOL That's my friend Linda-with-an-I. 

Lynda the Guppy
aka The Fish With Sticks

1. Femeia analfabetă [a classic]                                                      

2. Proasta pe care cade dulapul                                                      

3. The Irisbus project                                                                          

       Next, muzica care a stat la mine pe repeat în 2008 [am să trec aici piesele pe care le-am neglijat pe blog, dar pe care le ascult mereu cu plăcere. Şi deşi nu le mai adaug acum, semnificative pentru 2008 rămân şi Let Go - Paul Van Dyk, coloana sonoră de la Grey's Anatomy şi toată muzica de la Songs about me]

1. Some guys have all the luck - Imnul de la "The Very Shop":D        

2. In and out of love - un house care îmi place şi mie [şi care chiar e din 2008:))]                   

3. I'll C U when U get there - piesă de care m-am îndrăgostit în camera 10 din C5:D

       Last, but not least, the smart stuff. Chestiile astea chiar m-au făcut să meditez [cu greu m-am abţinut să nu postez din nou Sun Screen:D]

1. Drive safe                                                                                   

2. Beijing                                                                                        

3. The Black Hole                                                                                    

     Sper că nu am încheia prea pesimist. Oricum a fost un an genial, sper doar ca următorul să fie şi mai şi. Dacă mai aveţi sugestii, puteţi continua lista:D

The Chair of the Commission, Shaun McCarthy, recently attended the Beijing Games as part of the Observer Programme. During this period we worked with the Commissioner to help him communicate a range of views on the key learnings London could gain from the Beijing Games.

Due to the role of the Commission and the media protocols that must be observed it was important that all communications should be very controlled. We recommended that the Commissioner supply information to a series of prominent on-line news sites and blogs. We directly targeted the top three publications of choice: BBC London Online, to reach a large and varied audience of Londoners and beyond; GreenBang, to tap into the environmental and business communities; and Building, to inform decision-makers in the built environment sector. Shaun provided a series of blogs for all three, penning 10 despatches in total.

Because the constituencies of each publication differ so widely, the Commissioner was able to cover an extraordinary range of topics. From a serious analysis of London's air quality to anecdotes about cockroach kebabs, from the debate on ethical souvenirs to the science of embodied energy, Shaun reported back on it all! Armed with a top-of-the-range camera (with lots of mega-pixies, as Shaun confidently assured us), we were able to accompany the dispatches with wonderful images from the front line.

By cherry-picking the most relevant publications, and tailoring the content to specifically appeal to each readership demographic, these blogs have proven a high profile means of communicating the Commission's aspirations for the London Games to those who really matter: the public. It is hoped that more people than ever now share its expectation for the 2012 Olympics to be iconic in its sustainability.