Beer, water, hello, thankyou, I don’t understand, waiter!, the bill.
I've been in Beijing a week and I I think I’ve got all the essentials down....
You take your life into your own hands when you cross the road. Cars have right of way, even on pedestrian crossings and at green pedestrian lights. Jump in the middle of a group of Beijingers when you try to cross – they’ve got it down to a fine art, and if worst comes to worst, at least you’ll have some insulation when you get hit (ok, kidding).
Don’t despair at not being able to see the sky. I’ve been here a week and I haven’t seen it once! Yet, I am assured that it is still there, somewhere. Take a deep breath of air pollution and enjoy that cheap air-conditioned taxi ride while we still have some oil reserves left on this god-forsaken planet.
The Chinese are masters of copying stuff. Yes, there’s all the usual cheap Converse, Ralph Lauren and LV fakes wherever you shop, but for really taking it to the next level, check out the Sino-KFC Colonel Sanders himself:
The English translations on signs are probably one of my favourite things here so far. They often inadvertently produce the wrong tone - from the gently threatening:….
… to the resigned understanding that you, a silly foreigner, will probably screw up while you’re in China…..
And there are cafés with free wireless internet everywhere here so look forward to more random China drivel from me sometime soon!! :)
Comments
Sino-KFC Colonel Sanders?
Have you tried that? It's all about soy milk.
Posted by: shirazbj | September 7, 2006 01:01 PM