A Burd in Beijing: Zhōu mò ! (The Weekend !)

One of this weekend’s highlights was venturing out to ‘Crab Island’ for the INTRO Electronic Music Festival. The day began with a BBQ in a friend of a friend's courtyard in Daxiangfeng Hutong. (If I ever lived in Beijing, this quaint neighbourhood with tree lined avenues and traditional style carved red, blue and green houses tucked away from the highways and traffic would definitely be where I would reside).

Just before sunset and as the weather began to cool from 33 degrees all twelve of us convoyed to the festival at the Xiando Exhibition Centre, a bizarre complex containing a fake beach, a gigantic wave pool, an amusement park and the Love Zoo. A midst family getaways, 10,000 revellers migrated to the venue in typical neon and festival-wear. It was a bizarre experience with a mishmash of locals and foreigners from all over the world, which definitely made for some interesting people watching....

Sunday was one of the best days I've had in Beijing. After an organic breakfast at the Rug Cafe I met my new friend, Tobego - a South African expat business consultant of five years and part time expert market shopper, who guided me on a tour of the best of Beijing's markets. These included the Silk Market - an underground one-stop shop (a deceptive name as one will actually find very little silk to buy), Beijing Glasses City - an entire department store with six floors devoted to sunglasses and on the spot prescription opticals, and finally the wonderfully crowded Panjiayuan Antique Market. After eight hours of pounding the streets under the blazing Beijing sun with my souvenir bag getting heavier by the second, there was no other way to end the day than with a cheap as chips Chinese foot massage...yes please!