Beijing Duck

First day at the Olympic Green today. Media are beginning to trickle in. At the Oympic Green early this morning, saw a couple of runners and cyclists. Four more days to opening and already things are buzzing.

In the meantime, Beijing is a long long way from when I first came here a decade ago. The only similarity is that the streets are still really, really wide. Although not as wide as I remember, since it's now streaming with cars.

Friday night after work went to Bookworm Cafe at San Li Tun - Russian 20somethings at the table in front of me; a mixed group to my right; two Japanese girls with cosmopolitan American accents; three older Brit guys at the next table. And lots and lots of used books. No Shepard's Pie though. Was expecting Brit food. Had a fried goat cheese salad called Einstein, and my colleague had a Cervantes. For a moment I wasn't sure if I wasn't in Ropponggi Hills.

Last night we went to Li Qun Kao Ya at 11 Zhengyi Lu near the Qian Men Dong Da Lu. In a hutong, kinda rustic, value for money. Still prefer Da Dou and Made in China, but Liqun's a lot easier to get a reservation in, and it's really homey - no attitude. It looked like the Chinese diners came during the early shift and after that it was all Lao Wai.

At the subterranean mall under the hotel, a gym that wasn't open when I visited (so I ended up running outside), a supermarket with an emptying bin of White Rabbit candy and ... DURIAN! Also got my Singaporean Khong Guan raisin biscuits and the wrong type of oatmeal that said Quaker but tasted like jook/ congee. The last time I was in a Chinese supermarket was in...White Plains New York!

Bumped into a friend I hadn't seen in oh...8 or so years at the corner of a San Li Tun crossstreet. Heard this Singapore accents, turned around, and there he was.

Geographical divisions mean less and less. The only Borders I'm quite familiar with is the bookstore. Come to think of it - I hung out at Borders in Mt Kisco in NY, and now I hang out at Borders at Wheelock Place and in Parkway in Singapore. The only difference is I never have to wear at winter coat at the one in Singapore.