BOOYAH IN BEIJING 2.0

A CONTINUATION OF THE " GO EAST YOUNG MAN!!! JIMITHEGREEK GOES TO CHINA" SAGA (IS THIS REALLY THE END?).......WELL ALMOST!





ON TO THE NEXT DAY (JUNE 15) IN BEIJING. ALL SORTS OF COLLEAGUES AND WORK RELATED PEOPLE WERE NOW EITHER IN THE HOTEL OR ARRIVING. EGADS, WE MIGHT HAVE TO ACTUALLY NETWORK AND DO SOME BUSINESS. THE HORROR OF IT ALL. WELL I HAD TO GO TO THE FITNESS CENTRE AS THEY CALL IT AND DO A VIGOROUS TURN ON THE TREADMILL TO GET RID OF AFTER EFFECTS INGESTING SEA CUCUMBER & CAMEL'S PAW ON THE SAME NIGHT. I WAS NOT ABOUT TO TAKE A RUN OUTSIDE WITH ALL THE CONSTRUCTION AND POLLUTION GOING ON OUTSIDE. AFTER A GOOD TWO HOUR WORKOUT, I MET UP WITH THE CHINAMAN WHO HAD HIS OWN WORKOUT AT THE BREAKFAST BUFFET! AFTER SOME STEALTHY LOBBY NEGOTIATING AND PRETENDING WE NAVIGATED A TAXI AND GOT OUT OF DODGE.










WE WERE HEADED TO A BEIJING CITY CENTER THAT WAS TO BE A SHOPPING EATING TOURISTY PLACE FOR THE OLYMPICS MONEY CROWD. AFTER ABOUT A 45 MINUTE CITY VIEWING CAB RIDE WE ARRIVED AT THE DESIGNATED PLACE. IT WAS A MIX MASH OF OLD AND NEW. CONSTRUCTION WAS ONGOING AT A RELENTLESS, FRENETIC PACE. WE WALKED AROUND A BIT LOOKING AT ALL THE KITCHY SOUVENIR STORES AND CHINESE RESTAURANTS. THE CHINAMAN WAS GIDDY WITH SOME OF THE STORES THAT HAD THE EQUIVALENT OF THE OLD PENNY CANDY OF HIS YOUTH DURING THE LATE 19TH CENTURY (JUST KIDDING) THE STUFF YOU SEE IN THESE STORES CAN BE BIZARRE, BUT I GUESS WHEN THE CHINESE VISIT OUR STORES THEY FIND BIZARRE STUFF AS WELL. THEY HAVE PRETTY YOUNG GIRLS AS GREETERS AND WE HAVE OLD RETIRED FOLKS WHO CANNOT SURVIVE ON SOCIAL SECURITY WORK AS WALMART GREETERS!! I WENT TO A NEAT BOOKSTORE WHILE THE CHINAMAN WENT HUNTING AT SOME FOOD STORE (WHICH HE LATER DENIED!) THE MORE I SEE OF CHINA AND THE PEOPLE THE MORE I THINK THAT THEY ARE MORE CAPITALIST THAN THE USA IS!! IT SEEMS EVERYBODY HUSTLES TO WORK AND EARN A LIVING.





WE FOUND AN OFFICIAL BEIJING 2008 OLYMPICS SHOP. ACCORDING TO THE CHINAMAN, IF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT CATCHES COUNTERFEITERS OF BEIJING OLYMPICS MERCHANDISE THEY WILL BE SEVERELY PUNISHED AND COULD BE SHOT, HAVE THEIR HANDS CHOPPED OFF OR FACE CHINESE WATER TORTURE! OK OK,JUST KIDDING FOLKS, BUT THEY WILL BE PUNISHED AND JAILED. HHHUMM, SEEMS TO ME THAT ITS OKAY FOR THE LOCALS TO COUNTERFEIT OTHER NATIONS INTELLECTUAL AND OTHER COPYRIGHTS BUT NOT THEIRS! AAH, THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF AN INDUSTRIAL AND ECONOMICAL REVOLUTION! ANYWAYS THEY DID HAVE SOME NEAT STUFF BUT THE SIZE SELECTION WAS LIMITED AND THEY SEEMED TO BE OUT OF STOCK ON QUITE A FEW ITEMS. WE DID MANAGE TO GET SOME OBLIGATORY T-SHIRTS, HATS & STUFF. THE CHINAMAN GENEROUSLY BOUGHT MME A PRESENT AS WELL. IT IS A SET OF OFFICIAL OLYMPIC PINS FOR BOXING. WE ARE BOTH BIG BOXING FANS. THE FUNNY THING IS THE CHINGLISH TRANSLATION INSIDE THE BOX. I AM NOT SURE IF YOU CAN READ IT ABOVE SO HERE IT IS:






"BOXING IS A SPORT IN WHICH THE BOXERS ARE REQUESTED TO BLOW THE OPPONENT WITH THE FORWARD PART OF THE BOXING GLOVES. THE BOXER WHO GAIN MORE POINTS IN THE BOUT IS THE WINNER"





TRAVELING IN CHINA YOU DO SEE AND HEAR SOME OF THESE WHAT I CALL, CHINGLISH TRANSLATIONS. THEY ARE AMUSING AND YOU JUST CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP! IT IS THE REAL LOST IN TRANSLATION! I HAVE THIS ITEM PROUDLY DISPLAYED IN MY OFFICE. I AM SURE THIS AND OTHERS WILL BE ADJUSTED BY THE SUMMER OF 2008. HUM, I WONDER HOW MUCH I CAN GET FOR THIS ITEM ON E-BAY?






BY NOW (OK YOU GUESSED IT) WE WERE GETTING A LITTLE HUNGRY. IT WAS PAST LUNCHTIME AFTER ALL. WE WALKED A BIT MORE AND STUMBLED UPON THIS LOCAL PLACE WHICH HAD A PACKED HOUSE EVEN THOUGH IT WAS PAST LUNCH. IT WAS A LOCAL DUMPLING SHOP. THEY HAD A COOK MAKING THEM IN THE RESTAURANT IN AN ENCLOSED PLASTIC BOOTH. KINDA WEIRD. ALSO THE PLACE WAS LIKE A THROW BACK. THE TABLES AND CHAIRS WERE OLD & WORN, PLATES, SPOONS & BOWLS WERE CHIPPED N CRACKED. NO NAPKINS, NO MENUS, NO ENGLISH AND IT WAS NOISY AND CROWDED. OF COURSE THIS MEANT THAT THE FOOD WAS GOING TO BE DARN GOOD AND IT WAS. WE HAD THE PORK DUMPLINGS, SOME VEGGY STUFF, UNKNOWN DUMPLINGS, MUSHROOM THINGY DUMPLINGS, BEER, UNKNOWN DUMPLINGS AND THEN SOME SEMI SWEET STUFF. I MUST SAY THAT NOT ONLY WAS IT TASTY BUT IT ALSO ONLY COST ABOUT TWELVE BUCKS!! OH AND THE BATHROOM WAS A HOLE IN THE FLOOR WITH NO TOILET PAPER, BUT WHEN YOU GOTTA GO, YOU GOTTA GO! AS I UNDERSTAND THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT IS WORKING ON UPDATING THE TOILET THINGYS! NOW AFTER THAT GREAT MEAL AND A FULL DAY OF TOURISM IT WAS TIME TO GRAB A CAB, GO BACK TO THE HOTEL AND TAKE A NAP! AFTER ALL WE HAD TO GET READY FOR DINNER!







MEANWHILE BACK AT THE HOTEL THE CHINAMAN WAS AT HIS SURREPTITIOUS BEST. HE HAD SOMEHOW MANEUVERED AND ORCHESTRATED A GROUP OF US AND TWO TAXIS TO GO TO A FAMOUS RESTAURANT AT A HIDDEN HUTONG IN THE MIDDLE OF WHO KNOWS WHERE? THE BEAUTY OF THIS BOB AND WEAVE MOVE IS THAT WE MANAGED TO AVOID ALL THE TOP DOGS OF OUR COMPANY GATHERING! HOW DOES HE DO IT? IT IS THOSE CLEVER DISGUISES AS YOU CAN SEE ABOVE!







WE GATHERED OUR CREW WHICH CONSISTED OF THREE OF OUR MANAGERS FROM XIAMEN & NINGBO ALONG WITH OUR MOSCOW MANAGER MR. BEAN. I SWEAR HE LOOKS LIKE MR BEANS DOUBLE WITH A THICK RUSSIAN ACCENT. OF COURSE SINCE WE CHRISTENED HIM MR BEAN HE WAS DOOMED TO BE CALLED THAT FOR THE REST OF HIS STAY IN BEIJING. NOW ONCE WE GOT TO THE TAXIS THERE WAS A HEATED DEBATE GOING ON WITH THE THREE MANAGERS WHO I WILL NOW REFER TO AS THE TRIAD. THE TRIAD ARE ALL VERY ADEPT , STAUNCH BUSINESS WOMEN BRANCH MANAGERS. THEY RUN THEIR OWN STATIONS EFFICIENTLY AND PROFITABLY. WELL ANYWAYS AS FAR AS WE COULD DISCERN THERE SEEMED TO BE SOME CONFUSION AS TO WHERE THIS FAMOUS RESTAURANT WAS. ONE OF THE TAXI DRIVERS SEEMED TO THINK HE COULD GET US IN THE RIGHT AREA....GREAT

WE WERE OFF TO THE LI FAMILY RESTAURANT WHICH IS HIDDEN IN THE HUTONG AT HOU HAI. NOW WHEN THEY SAY HIDDEN, THEY AIN'T KIDDING! ALSO THE DEFINITION OF HUTONG DOES NOT DO IT JUSTICE. THESE HUTONGS ARE LIKE WARRENS. THEY ARE NARROW STREETS PACKED WITH HOUSES / SHOPS THAT ARE ALL ATTACHED SOMEHOW. ONCE YOU ARE IN THERE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE IN A MAZE OF SOME SORTS. ALL KINDS OF LITTLE ALLEYWAYS AND DOORWAYS LEADING WHO KNOWS WHERE WAYS!

GOOD THING WE HAD THE TRIAD WITH US AS THEY KNEW BETTER THAN THE TAXI DRIVERS, THE CHINAMAN, MR BEAN AND CERTAINLY JIMITHEGREEK WHERE AND HOW TO GET THERE. ACTUALLY IT WAS A GLIMPSE INTO HOW HOUSING AND LIFE WAS IN BEIJING MANY MOONS AGO. I THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EVEN MO BETTER TO SEE IT DURING THE DAY RATHER THAN NIGHTTIME. ANYWAYS THE TAXIS GOT US CLOSE TO THE RESTAURANT AND THEN WE WALKED ABOUT 10 -15 MINUTES THRU THE ALLEYWAYS THRU A DOOR TO A HALLWAY TO GET TO THE JOINT. ME N MR BEAN KIND KEPT LOOKING AT EACH OTHER WHILE THE CHINAMAN & THE TRIAD WERE CHATTING AWAY! OH WELL THIS MEANT TO ME THAT THE FOOD BETTER BE DARN GOOD!


WE ENTERED INTO A SMALL COURTYARD AND WHERE ESCORTED INTO OUR PRIVATE LITTLE DINING ROOM. BASICALLY THE DINING AREA CONSISTS OF ROOMS AROUND THE COURTYARD. IT REALLY IS A CONVERTED HOME. THE OWNER WAS A FORMER MATH PROFESSOR AND HIS FAMILY WHO STILL RUN THE PLACE. AS SOON AS WE SAT DOWN THEY BROUGHT SOME APPETIZERS? ALL LITTLE PLATES!







MR BEAN KEPT ASKING WHAT EVERYTHING WAS AND WAS TOLD NOT TO WORRY JUST EAT IT IT IS GOOD OR IT WAS CHINESE VEGETABLES OR IT WAS A MEAT OR FISH DISH. OH WELL , AFTER A FEW BEERS HE STOPPED ASKING! THE SERVICE WAS GREAT AND THE FOOD REALLY WAS DELICIOUS. WE HAD BEIJING ROAST DUCK WONDERFULLY CRISPY SKIN AND MOIST TENDER MEAT. HUGE TASTY, SPICY SHRIMP OR AS THEY SAY PRAWNS.






ACTUALLY THE FOOD JUST KEPT COMING, WE HAD SOME SLIGHTLY SWEET RIBS, WHICH I AM STILL NOT SURE IF THEY WERE BEEF OR PORK OR AS MR BEAN SAID MEAT KIND RIBS? WE HAD MORE MYSTERY MEAT WHICH I AM PRETTY SURE WAS SOME KIND OF BABY COW.....DUH VEAL! THERE WAS ALSO LOTS OF VEGGYS WHICH I AM NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE ? ONE OF THE SERVERS BROUGHT A COUPLE OF PHOTO ALBUMS WITH PICTURES OF FAMOUS DINERS. THERE WAS BRITISH PM JOHN MAJORS, BILL GATES, HENRY KISSINGER, BILL CLINTON AND MANY MORE! ALL THE WHILE THE FOOD KEPT COMING. AFTER MUCH BEER DRINKING AND WITH MUCH TREPIDATION I GOT UP TO USE THE TOILET. AS THE NICE LADY DIRECTED ME THRU THE HALLWAY TO THE TOILET I ASKED HER IF PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON USED THAT TOILET. SHE EXCLAIMED TO ME THAT BILLIEEE CLINTON PEE IN THERE! SO I WENT AND ALSO PEED IN THE SAME TOILET AS THE PREZ.



I GOTTA TELL YA'LL IT WAS A DELIGHTFULLY DELICIOUS MEAL WITH SOME FUN COMPANY. A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL. I TOLD THEM THAT I PEED IN THE SAME TOILET AS PRESIDENT CLINTON AND WE ALL HAD A GOOD LAUGH. OF COURSE THE RUSSIAN MR BEAN HAD TO GO AND PEE THERE AS WELL, DARN COMMIE!! THE TRIAD SOMEHOW FIGURED OUT A SHORTER WAY TO A REAL STREET AND WE HAILED A COUPLE OF TAXIS BACK TO THE HOTEL. AT THE HOTEL ME AND THE CHINAMAN SKIPPED THE LOBBY BAR AND SLEW OF COLLEAGUES THAT WERE THERE. MR RUSSIAN BEAN HAD TO GO GET A VODKA TO STERILIZE ALL THE MYSTERY MEATS!







THE MRS JIMITHEGREEK AND THE DAUGHTERS OF JIMITHEGREEK WANT TO KNOW. YES IT IS ALMOST OVER. BEIJING IS ALMOST FINISHED, ONE MORE BLOG AND IT WILL BE DONE. I GOTTA TELL YA ABOUT THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA. IT IS TRULY AWESOME. I GOT LOTSA OF CATCHING UP TO DO, PLAYS , RESTAURANTS, MOVIES RANTS, TRIP THRU ARIZONA, STRANGE PICS ETC. HEY, IT 'S MY BLOG AND I'LL WRITE WHAT I WANT!!!