Beijing Travel Bug

Archive for the ‘Others’ Category

Autumn is my favorite season. The leaves turning into orange, it signals a time for change. I actually chose the second semester to study in BLCU because I want to experience winter!

I didn’t expect that I’d love Autumn/ Fall more.

The temperature usually is around 8-12 degrees Celsius this time of the year. It’ll start to get chilly around September. The clothes in stores will probably have new fall/winter collection for you to choose from. Get cheap fashionable winter get ups in Beijing Zoo shopping centre or Woutaokou clothes market near BLCU.

Want some guerrilla type action?

Well, you got to try the Paintball strike range in Beijing. The range is located within the city but the area looks like you’re in some kind of battlefield.

The range is about 10,000 square meters. YY80/person for 30 bullets (includes clothes and equipment).

Thirty bullets aren’t enough! It’s a good way to exercise strategy building for teams. No hard feelings for losers!

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There are a bunch of sports activities you can do in Beijing. But one of the famous seasonal sports is Skiing. Usually, resorts start to open around end of November or whenever the year’s winter season starts.

Nanshan Ski Resort is one of the biggest and popular ski resort in Beijing. It’s located on the outskirts of the city, around 2 hours drive away from the city. During weekends, people flock the area to ski, snowboard, snow mobile, toboggan etc. Having 13 runs that is about 1500 meters long, the ski resorts boast to offer the best ski/snowboard experience. They also have the flying thing, where there’s a cable that connects to a glide that you can ride to enjoy the spectacular view from above.

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Soju is a very popular alcoholic drink Koreans prefer. It has I think 6% alcohol in it, if drank purely, you can really feel it tickle down your throat. Nice to have this for drinking games we usually enjoy back in Beijing. Though not all supermarkets have this (we usually buy in Korean convenience stores for around 13 rmb)

We got to try other variants of this, which made popular by the once Ramia (too bad it’s already close, maybe they moved somewhere else). They added flavors for it, like mango soju, peach soju etc. Fun times! Ask Koreans about their drinking games, super fun!

This cake is hidden specialty in Wudaokou area. You can buy this crepe cake in Cafe Bro. So what’s so good about this?? You just can savor it by rolling each layer and eating it with friends. One of my favorites in Beijing…

I usually shop in flea market like that near Beijing Zoo, or the more organize ones in Silk market or Yashow market. I can’t help but notice how the vendors would give higher prices to foreigners or those who can’t understand Chinese well. Of course, I couldn’t buy an overpriced jacket that normally would cost half the price, I tend to haggle until they get pissed off.

My friends have developed some ‘walk away” strategy when shopping. When the vendors shout a high price, my friends say that it’s expensive, then walk away slowly until the vendors would lower the price. Usually they would lower it a bit but don’t get excited at their price. Act nonchalantly. Then they usually ask how much you want it, don’t say your price (of course since they know you don’t know the running price for the item)..just say, “What’s the lowest price you can offer?” = (Ni zui di de jia ge shi she me?)

Can’t imagine it gets me 10-15 minutes haggling for the best price of a shirt or jacket. But I end up getting my money’s worth.

I got imitation of Seven jeans at around 85-90 rmb, shirts for 20-30 rmb. The flea market near Beijing Zoo is cheaper but they usually give big discounts to wholesalers.

Shopping terms you can use: Read the rest of this entry »

You have decided to set up home in China – whether it’s your own personal choice or being posted by your host organization for business – there are a few guidelines that may be helpful to make the transition as smooth as possible. The suggestions below are relevant to those who are looking at renting an apartment rather than purchasing.

Finding an agent
If you don’t have any personal referrals from friends or colleagues, the best bet is to take some of the free magazine publications available at bars and hotels. These are English magazines with all sorts of handy details on housing and social life (restaurants, bars, events etc.). Some of the most popular editions are: Time Out Beijing (monthly), That’s Beijing (monthly), City Weekend (bi-weekly) – all of them are also available online.

Agencies usually charge a fee, which is settled with the landlord. Do not pay anything to the agency in advance since most likely you will never be able to find the person again. Domestic agencies will accept your request only if you are looking at apartments of $120 (per month) and more, foreign agencies cater for rentals of $500 and above. Good agencies will be able to provide you with information on the benefits and drawbacks of the area and building complex. They will also show a lot of patience understanding your needs and eventually provide you with a substantial choice of apartments suitable for you.

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