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Baxi Ice Cream
2007-12-19 09:20:00
This took me soooo long to find! I was trying to google BAXI Ice cream but I couldn’t find a decent anything about my favorite ice cream in China. At long last, I was able to scavenge through my collection of Beijing pictures one mouth watering picture of Baxi. Baxi Ice Cream is a local brand of ice cream which has variety of flavors but the one flavor which is our favorite is Blueberry. (more…)

World Park
2007-12-17 18:31:00
Paris? Pyramids? Close…for budget tourist like me, I’m estatic seeing almost ‘real’ world attractions at World Park . These life-size replicas ignite the historical curiousity in you. Imagine seeing mythological scruptures from “ancient” Greece/Rome! Or the Japanese temples and gardens! or life-size Angkor Wat! The World Park in Beijing is located in southwestern Fengtai District, and is about 17 kilometers from the City center and 40 kilometers from the Capital International Airport. The park opened in 1993 and is estimated to receive 1.5 million visitors annually. When we went there, it was so gloomy that I was depressed seeing the cloudy sky. Although the weather was not with us that day, we managed to go around the place and take lots of pictures as usual! My favorite is the Eiffel Tower replica! I do dream of Paris…so hopefully one day, I’ll be in the real one! (more…)

Beijing Center for Performing Arts
2007-12-08 05:08:00
This is one of the anticipated architectural masterpiece designed by the French architect Jean Andreu. Formally known as National Grand Theatre, Beijing Center for Perform ing Arts opens to the public this December 22, 2007. An inaugural concert will be given by the China National Symphony Orchestra (CNSO) and the Beijing Symphony Orchestra. Soloist Li Yundi, a young Chinese pianist, will play a piece by Maurice Ravel, said Deng Yijiang, deputy president of the National Center for the Performing Arts, during a news briefing. The Mariinsky Theater Opera Company (known until 1991 as the Kirov), from St Petersburg, Russia, will perform Alexander Borodin’s Prince Igor on December 25. It will be the first foreign art troupe to give a performance in the building. (more…)

Beijing Subway
2007-12-06 16:34:00
Beijing has a notorious subway line not just of the crowded area but more of the smell. Well, I’m not really discouraging people to use the subway because it’s rather convenient on some parts of Beijing. Going to Wangfujing or to Forbidden city is easier through this. Ultimately, you never been to Beijing until you tried riding the subway during peak hours! I mean, literally, an adventure. People wouldn’t really care if the train seemed like a big tin can of sardines full of people. You would have to push your way out even if it feels like part of you is stuck somewhere in the middle of the train! (more…)
More About: Beijing , Subway

BLCU Chinese restaurant
2007-11-27 10:13:00
When I was still studying in Beijing, we had this rule that we will eat cheap during weekdays and splurge on the weekends. As far as I am concerned, it didn’t bother me because eating cheap wasn’t that bad in our school restaurants. Inside BLCU campus, there’s a Chinese restaurant at 2nd floor of the cafeteria, which is our favorite value-for-money treat. . Interestingly, we were never left dissatisfied with our orders. At around 10 RMB per person, we get to order 7-8 dishes for 10 people already! Our favorites were the sweet crispy chicken and the fried mantou with condensed milk . There is a standard taste to all entrees…for standard, i mean the entrees don’t just look the same, they sometimes taste the same too! Also take note that during lunch time, BLCU students flock to this area to eat. Service is bad (the fuyuan or waitresses are sometimes so nasty, you’d wish you can just get things by yourself.) (more…)
More About: Restaurant

Li qun Kaoya (Peking Duck)
2007-11-21 05:22:00
Li Qun is one of oldest restaurant that served the popular Peking Duck in Beijing. Located at the heart of a Hutong, you might feel ancient dining here. The place reminded me of an old Chinese house. We almost got lost looking for this but you can ask taxi driver to drop you directly near the restaurant-house. Made of bricks, the house- turned-restaurant maybe your trip down Chinese history. Upon entering, you would see a lot of pictures of the owner with celebrities from all around the globe. Using old-school roasting style, you can see the duck being roasted right before your eyes. You can also ask that the waiter could slice the skin of the duck at your table side. (more…)

Snow in Beijing
2007-11-19 13:28:00
Upon news of snowfall for the winter season 2007 in Beijing , I began reminiscing my first snowfall in Beijing. Snow falls are incredibly rare in spite of common misconception of winter season for Beijing. Since the atmosphere is dry, the rain/snow are probably less than the usual compared to other countries. During my stay, I recall only around two times when it snowed hard. But the temperature would drop around -10 so suddenly. Yahoo widgets was my best friend during those times. I can’t help but reminisce. Firsts are really memorable, the year 2006, Nov 25 was one of the best moments in my life. My first touch of the snow ever! It was surreal because I was awaken in the middle of my sleep. My friends were all yelling that I should wake up and see the first snowfall! As far as I remember, I was slacking because of the ungodly hour when that happened (3am). (more…)

Dusty Beijing
2007-11-18 16:18:00
You might be shocked upon seeing heavy dusts around the city of Beijing ..so be forewarned. I think the government is now having plans to correct this problem before the Olympics starts. If it’s windy, for sure…these pesky dust come charging into unprotected eyes, heck I would often rub my eyes for this. Don’t wonder too if your house is already close, then when you come back, ‘dustballs’ would still pop out of nowhere. You better have a good set of vacuum for that. (more…)

Mcdonald’s ice cream
2007-11-17 15:30:00
This seems to be a very weird post regarding Beijing but I swear, this one is my favorite cheap treat when I was still in Beijing! I’ve been eating Mcdonald’s sundae back in the Philippines for as long as I remember. I even planned to join the Junior Mcdo crew when I was still young so somehow I am very familiar with the taste. So far, when I compared it to the sundae ice cream of Mcdonald’s Beijing China…it was different! The one in Beijing is much creamier and smooth. I wonder where did they get their ingredients or from whom they get the supply. For about 2.50 kuai, I would indulge with this dessert even in chilly winter season in China! (more…)
More About: Ice Cream , Cream

That’s Beijing Magazine
2007-11-12 16:13:00
Usually top must-haves of a tourist are a map, handy bag/wallet, cellphone, passport etc. When I first arrived in Beijing , I got the map but I couldn’t quite understand the roads. Beijing is a really big area to navigate through. The free map will only tell you the usual so you can skip that. When you get to Beijing, go to a restaurant in Chaoyang and for sure they have free copies of That’s Beijing magazine. This never ceases to amaze me of all the things you can actually go, do, explore in Beijing. For typical English speaking tourists, this is a very helpful piece to bring around if you want to try something new. That’s Beijing Magazine has a long list of restaurants of different cuisines, places you can visit plus the telephone number for you to ask for a reservation. (more…)
More About: G Magazine

Matsuko Beijing
2007-10-31 17:24:00
If you’re looking for a hefty Japanese meal, you can try out the buffet in Matsuko. Cityweekend says that : Matsuko/Songzi’s well-known buffet offers up the usual Japanese favorites with unlimited Asahi beer or soft drinks and a free plate of sashimi. Its wasabi-green interior makes for a distinctive flare not found at other Japanese restaurants. Perfect for a horde of hungry folks I saw that they have 3 branches now in Beijing …whichever branch you choose, remember to always reserve beforehand! (more…)

Electronic Dictionary
2007-10-28 18:27:00
This, I recall, is one of the handiest gadget one should own if you will be staying in China without a tour guide. English-Chinese Electronic Dictionary . I first discovered this handy-dandy gadget when my friends were all raving about their classmates little electronic device they all use to translate the word they want in Chinese. I was not familiar with it since the last time I held a English-Chinese dictionary was in High school and it was a big book! (more…)

Fendi Great Wall fashion walk
2007-10-24 11:03:00
For the first time, the Great Wall in China was used as a catwalk for a fashion launch and it was by Fendi ! The well-lit 1,500 mile runway became an array of white light path that models walked upon featuring the Fall 2007 collection of Karl Lagerfeld. This extravagant event on an ancient structure definitely made history of fashion shows. (more…)
More About: Fashion , Great Wall

Grand Hyatt Shanghai
2007-10-23 19:51:00
I heard so much about this famous “world’s tallest hotel” with its lobby on 54th floor. I had to visit it and see for myself. Image Credit We just got back from our pathetic picture taking session just below the Orient TV Tower. We saw that it was just a few meters away from the Jin Mao Tower where Grand Hyatt Hotel is so we went to have a look. Gooey eyed walking around Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai , my friends and I tried to look for the entrance which has the elevator going up to the lobby. I wished we stayed in that hotel instead. But of course, our budget doesn’t allow us so. Like 6 year-old kids, we wowed ourselves going up within seconds to the lobby at 54th floor. (more…)

Kro’s Nest Pizza
2007-10-17 07:05:00
Ever seen the biggest pizza in Beijing? This is notably the biggest yet! Kro’s Pizza is one of the Haidian bests when you want to just order take out. Kro’s nest has a branch near Beida (Beijing University). The place looks like a pub but more relaxing than the usual. The pizzas are HUGE as big as a manhole cover and it’s quite cheap. Medium size would cost around 60 kuai, 5-6 people can definitely share. The Philly Cheese Steak is one of their specialty. (more…)
More About: Nest

Autumn in Beijing
2007-10-10 16:59:00
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. (more…) Tags: autumn, in, beijing, love, leaves, weather
More About: Autumn , Jing

Mango Pudding
2007-10-06 07:17:00
The craving…of a perfectly good Mango Pudding strikes me suddenly. And there was once something close to perfection I tasted in Shanghai. Mango Pudding is one of the known Chinese desserts..aside from the almond fruit mix or buchi (the one with sesame seeds). I remember when i was still young, I would always order Mango Pudding in a certain restaurant in a hotel near our house. Addicted to its mouth watering mango bits and milk, I scouted for the next best since the restaurant closed already. =( (more…) Tags: mango, pudding, china, shanghai

Mare
2007-10-02 16:56:00
It actually only in Beijing do we indulge ourselves with these kinds of treats because normally, back in Manila, this would cost a fortune (not to mention fewer choices and lack of quality). Being one of the voted Best dining experience if I recall correctly, Mare had proved to us how deserving it is in the best-list. For one, the dining experience was superb, notably the surrounding will make it “fine dining”. With silverwares to match, you would feel elegant dining here. Mare offers a Spanish dining experience. They have lunch sets (which is a good choice for us since we were still on a budget, plus it’s value for money!) that offer an appetizer and main course or main course and dessert for about 40-50rmb. I would always order the one with appetizer and main course because the dessert I like wasn’t in the choice of desserts for the set. The best order I had was the Seafood Risotto ! You could also order the Seabass or Lamb which are also good. ...

Mid autumn festival (中秋节)
2007-09-30 05:25:00
China has this special festival they celebrate called Mid autumn festival (中秋节). Traditionally, there is a folklore about a beautiful lady Chang-O, who stole from her husband the elixir of life. She flew away to the moon thus when the moon is the fullest, they say you can see her there. Another story relates to Chinese history where they use mooncakes to pass messages during a revolution. Usually, it is when mooncakes are prevalent. Mooncakes are “cakes were made with melon seeds, lotus seeds, almonds, minced meats, bean paste, orange peels and lard. A golden yolk from a salted duck egg was placed at the center of each cake, and the golden brown crust was decorated with symbols of the festival.“ (more…)
More About: Festival , Autumn

Wal-mart Beijing
2007-09-27 10:28:00
I often seen, read, heard of the big supermarket in the United States called Walmart. The only counterpart I encountered in the Philippines was Waltermart. I was pretty excited going there for the first time. Well, honestly, I have a thing with supermarkets, I love scanning around and spotting new products. My first time was in 2005, in Beijing , where I shopped for chocolates to give as gifts for my family and relatives. It was pretty neat inside and quite huge. I went back again in 2006, I was still impressed but I think they lack personnel to help you out. In my marketing class, we had a case study about Walmart and I believe they are esteemed for their great customer service but I didn’t notice that. During weekends, it was pretty jammed packed but you’ll love freebies around this time. (more…) Tags: beijing, walmart,, wal-mart, china, supermarket, in, beijing
More About: Mart , Wal-Mart , Wal Mart , Jing

The Tree Belgian Beer Bar
2007-09-20 03:33:00
Famous for their Wood Fired Pizzas and Belgian Beer s, the Tree is one of the sought out pizza bar in Beijing. Located at the heart of Beijing’s specialty area in Chaoyang, SANLITUN. The place is pretty packed especially with expats mostly drinking the famous Belgian Beers they offer. Their pizzas are freshly baked thus has this crispy crust on the bottom. You can actually download their menu on their website. (more…) Tags: the, tree, pizza, beijing, sanlitun, chaoyang, belgian, beer, beijing

Paintball mania
2007-09-16 17:44:00
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. Olympics Sports Center Paintball Strike Range 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! (more…)
More About: Mania

Hooters (Shanghai)
2007-09-11 20:49:00
Well, guys will love to go here. It’s the famous “I will clearly see your assets” kind of restaurant, very popular in the United States. Out of sheer curiosity, my friends and I went to the realm of testosterone-filled restaurant, Hooters in Shanghai . We already saw an advertisement inside our taxi. We weren’t actually planning to visit the place (But our guy friends already planned way before going to Shanghai, what an eye candy for them!). Well, it was sort of a sign because of our indecisiveness were to eat that night. The place was what I imagined except their servers. It was actually weird going in as a girl and being served by fellow ladies. Not really what I expected since the girls I saw in TV were given priority in their frontal assets but in Shanghai, I didn’t saw really gifted waitresses. They were honestly very slim for men’s standard–(Well, I”m not a guy to judge so one can very much disagree). (more&...

Peter’s Tex Mex
2007-08-22 08:41:00
Craving for some tacos or burritos? Well, Beijing definitely has this variety to offer. Never thought that the place would look so homey. Peter ’s Tex Mex is one of the highly recommended restaurant if opt to try Mexican food. We were greeted by the personnel warmly when we entered the place. (Tip: Always reserve in advance). Weren’t able to order tacos but we tried the burritos. The serving was big enough for 3 if you will be ordering other entrees. A must-try is their 7 layer dip nachos. They also have different milkshakes and other desserts. (more…)

Peter’s Tex Mex
2007-08-22 08:41:00
Craving for some tacos or burritos? Well, Beijing definitely has this variety to offer. Never thought that the place would look so homey. Peter ’s Tex Mex is one of the highly recommended restaurant if opt to try Mexican food. We were greeted by the personnel warmly when we entered the place. (Tip: Always reserve in advance). Weren’t able to order tacos but we tried the burritos. The serving was big enough for 3 if you will be ordering other entrees. A must-try is their 7 layer dip nachos. They also have different milkshakes and other desserts. Nice to see a lot of kids hanging out in the restaurant. You can actually borrow books to read inside the restaurant. I also saw a play area so your children can play while they wait for the food. BRANCHES: Tel:8532-2449 88A St. Regis, 21 Jianguomen Waidajie next to the St. Regis Hotel Tel: 5135-8187; 8627-3734 Boutique 2, Hairun International Condominium, 2B Jiangtai Lu

Din Tai Fung Shanghai
2007-08-19 17:29:00
Shanghai is known for its Xiao Long Pao and we definitely went to Din Tai Fung Shanghai to see if it’s better than the Beijing branch. My friend Soph wanted to try the very best and this was the restaurant we can vouch. The branch we visited was the Xin Tian Di branch, although it was jam packed, we waited a bit and got a room all by ourselves (whoohoo!). The service was excellent though I can comment on the difference of the Xiao Long Pao variant. Shanghai branch didn’t have the Crab Roe flavor which I love in Beijing. But nevertheless, we enjoyed every burst of surprise inside the dumpling. (more…)
More About: Shanghai

Din Tai Fung Shanghai
2007-08-19 17:29:00
Shanghai is known for its Xiao Long Pao and we definitely went to Din Tai Fung Shanghai to see if it’s better than the Beijing branch. My friend Soph wanted to try the very best and this was the restaurant we can vouch. The branch we visited was the Xin Tian Di branch, although it was jam packed, we waited a bit and got a room all by ourselves (whoohoo!). The service was excellent though I can comment on the difference of the Xiao Long Pao variant. Shanghai branch didn’t have the Crab Roe flavor which I love in Beijing. But nevertheless, we enjoyed every burst of surprise inside the dumpling. We also tried the Hot & Sour Soup by request of Soph. My only disappointment…they didn’t offer the Mango ice dessert! Grr… We were surrounded by caricatures of HongKong/ Chinese artists. It’s nice hanging out in the restaurant however since they serve fast, you couldn’t really stay long since you would probably get addicted with Xiao L...
More About: Shanghai

Beijing Olympics Mascots
2007-08-17 17:10:00
When I was in Beijing , you can see the Olympics fever almost everywhere. There are huge Olympics themed billboard. Then there’s these cute mascots sold in Olympics souvenir shops around Beijing. The mascots have a deeper reference to it not just their names “Bei Bei”, “Jing Jing”, “Huan Huan”, “Ying Ying”, “Ni Ni” when said into one “Beijing Huan Ying Ni” means Beijing welcomes you! In Olympic Games, every athlete is eager to win in the games. They all want to be “faster, higher and stronger”, and they believe that “ one world, one dream” because we are living in the same world and have the same dream. The Olympic flame, the fish, the panda, the Tibetan antelope and the swallow make up the Olympic mascots. Their names are Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying and Nini. They are so beautiful that almost everybody loves them. From: 2008 Blog Sold as key chains, gold coins, collectors items&h...
More About: Beijing Olympics , Mascots , Asco

Beijing Olympics Mascots
2007-08-17 17:10:00
When I was in Beijing , you can see the Olympics fever almost everywhere. There are huge Olympics themed billboard. Then there’s these cute mascots sold in Olympics souvenir shops around Beijing. The mascots have a deeper reference to it not just their names “Bei Bei”, “Jing Jing”, “Huan Huan”, “Ying Ying”, “Ni Ni” when said into one “Beijing Huan Ying Ni” means Beijing welcomes you! (more…)
More About: Beijing Olympics , Mascots , Asco

Rio Brazillian BBQ
2007-08-14 03:32:00
Die hard carnivore? Well, this is the place you’ll surely love! RIO BRAZILIAN BBQ offers buffet with free beer and drinks plus special discounts for students! The place is usually jam pack so you need to reserve if you really want to binge meat of all kinds. They have all kinds of sauces to appease your cravings and of course, to give flavor to the meats you’re about to order. The restaurant has a buffet table on the side where you can other entree however they can go empty fast. So be sure to be ready when it gets served. The meats (lamb, beef, chicken) will be personally sliced on your plate when it’s ready. The downside of my experience is that the service is slow. There are only few waiters going around serving the BBQ so you’re left wanting for more than what is given. Also, you have to wait for what is ready…sometimes…it takes forever to serve the one you really like. Tel: 8406-4368 ext. 69 9-13, Bldg 5, Dongzhimen Neidajie...