While walking along a shopping strip in Zhongguancun , we stumbled upon a buffet dining area which looks snobbish at first, but since we were facinated with the ambiance and desserts, we managed to walk in and asked about the price of the best-looking dessert on the display stand. Luckily, we were able to talk to one of the marketing managers of the restaurant. She was very accomodating even if we looked like students (cheapstake ones). She toured us around the restaurant which I think was very chic. After letting us look at the entrees on the buffet tables, she gave us a dozen or more discount vouchers (20 kuai off!) to distribute amongst our friends in BLCU.

The buffet restaurant is called Fresh Plus International. The lunch buffet is originally 90 RMB per person but with our discount voucher, we managed to have a value-for-money buffet meal! Everytime you eat there, they will replace the discount voucher with new ones so that you can invite friends/family to try the restaurant. This is a good marketing strategy in my opinion. In our stay, we got to invite more than 20 people to try out the buffet restaurant. We even spent our Christmas Eve Dinner here in the pleasant room we reserved though that time, the price was jacked up doubling the usual price for it but nevertheless, it was still satisfying.

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In the recent 24th Sea Games in Nakhon Ratshasima Thailand, Southeast Asian athletes were able to get a feel of competing with the best of the bests before the awaited Olympics 2008. Thailand leads the Southeast Asian pact of atheletes having a total medal of 409. With a big gap from the first, Malaysia follows with 216 medals then Vietnam with 204.

I’m still skeptic about their skills if they can actually defeat China’s bets or US. But I’m sure they are all vying for the gold in the Olympics. With only 232 days (as of Dec 19, 2007) to go before the Olympics, athletes are cramming to improve their statistics/goals/skills.

Read More: Southeast Asians hone traditional skills for 2008 Olympics

Also check out the official SEA games site.

This took me soooo long to find!

I was trying to google BAXI Ice cream but I couldn’t find a decent anything about my favorite ice cream in China. At long last, I was able to scavenge through my collection of Beijing pictures one mouth watering picture of Baxi.

Baxi Ice Cream is a local brand of ice cream which has variety of flavors but the one flavor which is our favorite is Blueberry.

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Paris? Pyramids? Close…for budget tourist like me, I’m estatic seeing almost ‘real’ world attractions at World Park. These life-size replicas ignite the historical curiousity in you. Imagine seeing mythological scruptures from “ancient” Greece/Rome! Or the Japanese temples and gardens! or life-size Angkor Wat!

The World Park in Beijing is located in southwestern Fengtai District, and is about 17 kilometers from the City center and 40 kilometers from the Capital International Airport. The park opened in 1993 and is estimated to receive 1.5 million visitors annually.

When we went there, it was so gloomy that I was depressed seeing the cloudy sky. Although the weather was not with us that day, we managed to go around the place and take lots of pictures as usual! My favorite is the Eiffel Tower replica! I do dream of Paris…so hopefully one day, I’ll be in the real one!
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This is one of the anticipated architectural masterpiece designed by the French architect Jean Andreu. Formally known as National Grand Theatre, Beijing Center for Performing Arts opens to the public this December 22, 2007.

An inaugural concert will be given by the China National Symphony Orchestra (CNSO) and the Beijing Symphony Orchestra. Soloist Li Yundi, a young Chinese pianist, will play a piece by Maurice Ravel, said Deng Yijiang, deputy president of the National Center for the Performing Arts, during a news briefing.

The Mariinsky Theater Opera Company (known until 1991 as the Kirov), from St Petersburg, Russia, will perform Alexander Borodin’s Prince Igor on December 25. It will be the first foreign art troupe to give a performance in the building.

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Beijing has a notorious subway line not just of the crowded area but more of the smell. Well, I’m not really discouraging people to use the subway because it’s rather convenient on some parts of Beijing. Going to Wangfujing or to Forbidden city is easier through this.

Ultimately, you never been to Beijing until you tried riding the subway during peak hours! I mean, literally, an adventure. People wouldn’t really care if the train seemed like a big tin can of sardines full of people. You would have to push your way out even if it feels like part of you is stuck somewhere in the middle of the train!