Ni Hao, from Beijing China !

Dǐdá (Arrival) 

     Ni Hao! After an uncomfortable 15 hour flight on China Southern, we (Rotem and I) arrive in Beijing on a sunny but icy cold morning. During my first taxi ride from the airport to my apartment, it becomes obvious from the wide streets and large domino like identical grey blue buildings that Beijing is a VERY big city. I'm slightly intimidated but excited to start navigating my way through this emerging global capital.

Jiā (Home) 

     It is also now that I experience my first and what is to be a constant challenge posed by the undeniable language barrier in my attempt to direct the taxi driver to my new home of Dongcheng. After he makes several frustrated phone calls, fondles my iphone trying to understand the google map, and finally waves down a lady on the street, we make it! 


My apartment is inside an expat dominated residential compound, tucked away amongst the embassies, a 15 minute drive from the CBD and a 20 minute walk from Sanlitun Village that is the uber modern and out of place shopping complex where I am likely to spend much of my time people watching, buying faux DVDs and window shopping outside Balenciaga, Balmain, Marni, Miu Miu and the like. 


Behind my building is a small street full of Chinese hole in the wall diners offering all sorts of delicacies. I prefer Jenny Lou's, thanks !

My apartment building

Back streets

Jenny Lou's

Cheese!

Yóukè (Tourists)

Given Rotem has just 3 days to tour the city and help me set up my new abode, we dive straight into the streets of Beijing, which are notorious for vulger Chinese men hawking, spitting, burping and slurping. And this all occurs under the watchful eye of President Hu Jintao who's face is plastered on posters everywhere alongside the Government's motto " patriotism, innovation, inclusiveness, virtue"

From here we explore Sanlitun, and restaurants such as Made in China, Duck de Chine and Da Dong, where we devour Peking Duck and dumplings for lunch as well as dinner, and lunch and dinner the next day and the day after that..... I am all ducked out.

In between meals, we visit the Great Wall (the lazy way - cable lift up; toboggan down!), the Forbidden City and Tienanmen Square (of course we have selected the day of Qingming festival to come here, along with the rest of Beijing's population of 22 million people), a silk factory and Dr Tea, the infamous tea house. 

Capital M overlooking the Square

My favourite area so far however is the Gulou Hutong where low rise buildings in typical Chinese style line this old crumbling neighborhood. Dotted in between are modern quirky vintage boutiques selling antiques, furniture, clothes and jewellery and small tea houses. I am sure I will be back here for the vanilla teas and street markets too. 

Dr Tea

Hutong

Bàngōngshì (Office)

     At first glance, the PwC office looks the same, plastered with PwC branding but is distinctively different from home in expected ways: a Chinese garden surrounding the reception, 6 people squished to a desk, and in place of an Espresso machine and Arnotts biscuits, there is Oolong tea and peculiar rice snacks. People are dressed in a cross between street and smart casual, wearing jeans, silver or leopard print loafers and kitschy hair accessories. The office is surrounded by five malls, so I guess this is where I'll be spending my lunch breaks.

My office building

Office surroundings

CCTV building opposite

Office surroundings

Lunch on my first day!

Until next time xx