Beijing travel bug

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Quan Je Du revisited
2009-10-26 13:32:00
I get to have pictures this time!! I dragged my family to dine here at Quan Ju De and experience my favorite Peking duck around Beijing. I miss it so much that I stuffed more than 3 pieces of succulent Peking duck skin inside the wrap. Cucumber–check, Onion leeks-check, hoisin sauce-check, and sugar! The art of eating Peking duck, it was kind of fun after all. The corn coated with duck egg…yummy!! Though of course, you can get it cheaper else where, there’s this Guo Lin restaurant. My parents are vegetarian so we tried some of their dishes. There was one that was like a sticky rice with strawberry sauce. My mom seemed to liked it. It tasted refreshing and unique if you get high from all those oily duck skin. No complains here, I love the oil from it, love it love it! I do eat them occasionally only so better indulge while I can.

Service apartment place
2009-09-07 18:35:00
Last May, my family and I went to Beijing then Shanghai, I opted for Agoda’s deal of Service Apartments as I scouted for better deals. Here’s a detailed account of our stay in each service apartment, Wanderlust Diary. It had a kitchen, pretty decent bathrooms, cozy living room area, table for laptop (free internet), huge clean beds. Overall the place was great to go back to after a long day of tourist attraction walking. In Shanghai, I found a good service apartment, which coincidentally was also the service apartment my friends stayed at before we went Huangshan years back. It is called New Harbour Service Apartment. When I recall, it is quite near to XinDianTi than the hotel I stayed last time. Save us some taxi fee! Plus it has a lot of restaurants around for late night dining! This one is better than Beijing’s service apartment because of location (much nearer to civilization), plus the place is much bigger. And we got to stay at the 3 bedroom sui...
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Tous Les Jours
2009-07-22 15:47:00
Well, there’s Breadtalk around Singapore and Philippines..quite commercialized nowadays. However, during our stay in Beijing, we were craving for Tour Les Jours, a quite relaxing place to hang out. Actually, I notice more Koreans before. Later, I researched about it apparently, it wasn’t a French bakery like its namesake. It is operated by a South Korean company. “Tous Les Jours means “every day” in French, and the name expresses the bakery’ commitment to making fresh bread every day.” It still looks cozy inside…warm during the winter. Unlike Breaktalk, here they put the breads into individual plastic. I think because of the “pollution” around since the one we are near to (Wudaokou branch) is not located inside a mall. I actually haven’t tried any of their drinks. I thought it was expensive, so I turn to SPR instead. But I love love love their cream baguette. Seriously, it is so addicting. Branches: ?? No 9 Wangj...

Wangfujing- Shopping strip
2009-07-01 15:39:00
My mom wanted to visit this shopping strip in Beijing (Wangfujing) with the thoughts that it was still the same old shopping strip as before. She said this used to look very traditional..with small shops like there in Yu Yuan Shanghai but alas commercialization took the best of the yester-years. We passed by the exotic food section which I dared my small siblings to try (yet no one brave enough to swallow gross looking insects/bugs). I was dwarfed by the huge buildings that surrounded me. I vaguely recall this much shopping centres last time I went here (which mainly because it was still pre Olympics 2008). I still miss Singapore malls though where I prefer the brands better. Chinese fashion is very peculiar for me. Not that it’s not fashionable, but sometimes it looks too extravagant for every day use…maybe I’m a laid back dresser. Don’t forget to try out the Golden Jaguar Buffet when you visit this shopping strip. It’s in the mall nearb...
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Beijing outskirts
2009-06-26 15:59:00
While cruising along the outskirts of Beijing (getting back from a tiring Mutianyu trip with my family)…we saw an array of fruits being sold. I read somewhere that the fruit farms were popular nearby the city. It actually reminds me of one of the outskirt county here in Manila called Tagaytay…but in Tagaytay it’s cooler and more relaxing (seeing the lake with the smallest volcano at the middle) We actually stopped by to buy some local fruits along the way. My mom acted coolly as she tried to manage her way to haggle..even oblivious to the local pricing, she used her instincts (which I envy I do not have in terms of buying food) Peaches…that were the best buy! The sweetest thing they were! Too bad we didn’t go straight back to the hotel thus some peaches rotted. Some rare blueberries were also found there. Somehow, the place doesn’t look so lively though…maybe it was because of a foggy weather.

The Old and the New
2009-05-28 18:58:00
Surprise Surprise, I get to visit Beijing for a while last week! Ha! Tiring because I was the tour guide for my family but it was worth it. A sort of brief nostalgic trip that depleted my energy. I had to stop over to the newest huge mall around Chaoyang District. It was called the Village. It was literally a stone-throws away from Yashow (the buidling where we used to shop and haggle clothes in Beijing, one of our favorites because they sell overruns I like) A hangout that I would have liked because if you get sick of the haggling, you can now visit the Village where branded stores like Uni qlo, Nike, Adidas, etc have huge stores inside. I also saw Hatsune branch at the top floor in one of the buildings. On a sidenote: I was searching for free WIFI around and lo and behold, I get to hangout in Starbucks in a while…walking nearby is the huge Apple shop! Yeah! Cold Stone is another nice dessert hangout place which I will feature next time. Yummy! The Village Cour...

Oriental TV Tower
2009-04-07 07:24:00
One of the tourist spots in Shanghai is called Oriental TV Tower . It looks similar to Macau Tower…and it also offers tourists the view of the whole city. It is located at the tip of Lujiazui in the Pudong district, by the side of Huangpu River, opposite The Bund. When we visited this that time, we didn’t go up the tower already since I urge my friends to just go to Grand Hyatt hotel for the view of the city. I saw there are different observation levels where you can choose to view the city. There is also a revolving restaurant there similar to Singapore’s Prima Tower Revolving Restaurant. At night, this is usually one of the visible sights around the city. We walked along The Bund and see the shiny spectacle of light just across (Oriental TV Tower lit at night). It must be very nice to have dinner at their restaurant. The fee for going up the tower shoot up after Olympics I think. I saw last time it was around 70rmb. If you want a cheaper cost for ...

Beijing in the eyes of the…
2009-03-24 17:22:00
A photography contest! Something about Beijing ! Wow..this must be very interesting because Foreigners get to show how they view Beijing… I would join if I were still in China…this will be quite interesting! The mechanics goes like this (from the website): Events Introduction Foreigners ?? watch Beijing Beijing Chao photography competition activity NOTICE To celebrate the 60th anniversary of People’s Republic of China, so that foreign friends know, feel the changes and the charm of Beijing, the Beijing Municipal People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Affairs Office of Beijing Municipal People’s Government, Beijing Municipal People’s Government Information Office, Beijing Municipal Commission of Education, Beijing Foreign invested enterprises Association in March 2009 to July co-sponsored aliens look ?? Beijing Beijing Chao photography competition. The theme for the competition the new face of Beijing, mainly reflecting the new face o...
More About: Eyes

Olympics Venues
2008-05-29 17:35:00
As the much awaited Beijing Summer Olympics is nearing (official date to open is on 8/8/08 at 8:08:08 p.m, as the number is one of the most auspicious number in Chinese culture), one should know to stay strategically near the venues of the games you’ll want to watch. Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend any games so I’ll just take note for other people’s reference. The stadiums are neatly constructed in a way that is convenient. Number 1 in the map is the National Stadium which is famous for it’s Bird’s nest look. It has the capacity of around 91,000! This will be the one use for the opening and closing ceremonies. National Aquatics Center (2) “Watercube” is another famous new venue which will host competitions like Swimming, Diving, Synchronized Swimming. National Indoor Stadium (3) will be the venue for Olympic Artistic Gymnastics, Trampoline, and Handball competitions and the Paralympic Wheelchair Basketball competition. Beijing S...
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Shanghai Museum
2008-05-20 16:52:00
Visiting museums should actually be one of the top must see of tourists when visiting new places. You get to sense the culture, history but most of all, you can check out cool artifacts. I am actually fascinated about museums but I seldom go because either no one wants to go with me or it’s really out of the way. When we went to Shanghai , I knew I had to go because the structure itself looks enticing enough. Shanghai Museum is actually a museum of ancient Chinese arts. Featuring a lot of furnitures, art masterpieces, old coins & money, clothes, I pleasantly scanned the interesting pieces. However I still like the feel of going to Forbidden city to glance at “how it was“. I want to walk the steps they took long before and imagine being there. (more…)

Chengdu earthquake
2008-05-14 16:19:00
Disaster after disaster…Myanmar had just experience a terrible cyclone that left more than 100,000 people dead. Now, China with the strong earthquake that hit Sichuan at 7.9 magnitude. With a lot of people still under rumbles, it’s quite saddening to know that most of the buildings that collapsed were schools meaning a lot of children got trapped and now calling for help, hoping they can be saved. Pictures: Xinhua Hopefully, there’ll be more survivors than those feared dead… My landlady is from Chengdu also, I emailed her but no reply yet. Maybe their internet isn’t working yet. I hope they’re fine too. if you want to help even in small ways such as money, please check out these details..: For those who are looking to contribute to current aid efforts underway, you can now donate money to the Red Cross Society of China which has formed a disaster relief working group to be dispatched to the earthquake-stricken Wenchuan County in Sichuan...
More About: Earthquake

Chinese pod
2008-05-06 08:26:00
Interestingly, you can learn Chinese (Mandarin) at your own home. This sounds like an advertisement but I do think this is the best alternative for those who would want to self study Chinese. I found this site before, when I wanted to practice aside from our usual text books. I wasn’t really paying much attention to my teachers in BLCU because I have this tendency to deviate from my own thoughts (I think I have a slight Attention Deficit Disorder) so I push myself to learn online. It quite fun actually to learn in Chinese Pod. It has audio voiceover which you can choose if you’re not sure how to pronouce Pinyin. Plus there are also levels if you want to accelerate the lessons. Likewise, it’s fun to know the basics. Now they only have 1 week trial but before they had a month. I used two of my emails to access the lessons unfortunately, I’m still not the diligent student even if I’m my own teacher. Argh. Got to waste another opportunity to pract...

Wudaokou Best-Kept secrets
2008-04-27 10:07:00
A student like me with an adventurous heart and a big appetite (on certain a season like Winter!) had gone up and down in this lovable district called Wudaokou. It was my home away from home for a while with friends that shared memories with me at that time. We skipped from restaurant to restaurant, trying out things until we find the best around town. I recall having a hard time returning for one-last-taste/visit during February when we were about to leave. I wanted to immortalize the experiences and when I come back, surely I would be nostalgic. Here are the places I love: 1. Milk tea station- Though I forgot the name of the booth, I remember it’s along the front part of Hua Qing Jia Yuan. It’s located along the store strips. It’s not comparable to the powered ones, this one tastes sooo much better! 2. Cafe Bro - It’s also along the store strips, right beside the Mcdonald’s. I like their pastas and also their crepe cake is to die for. 3. ...
More About: Secrets

Papa John’s Pizza
2008-04-09 05:44:00
I’m not actually familiar with Papa John ’s Pizza at first. I thought it’s just another pizza store. As I research, I saw that it’s actually a franchise from the United States orginating from Indiana. I discovered this in Beijing from a friend who recommended it for its variety of flavor. But what I remembered most is the pizza crust. I’m very particular with pizza crust, I often throw this part away if it’s too thick or starchy. We ordered this one for our friend’s surprise party that time. It’s a must to reheat this though when it becomes cold. (more…)

April Fool’s Freeze Party
2008-04-07 10:25:00
I saw the Frozen Grand Central http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwMj3PJDxu o which facinated me so much. Imagine people suddenly stopping and you feel like there might be something wrong! Cool right?? And last April Fool in Beijing, they also orchestrated the same thing! The location in Beijing was Jianwai Soho on April Fool’s Day..perfect way to celebrate the day! You can watch the Beijing version here I saw the article from TBJ Blog with really nice photos! Enjoy!
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Quan Ju De
2008-04-05 18:32:00
Quan Ju De equates to PEKING DUCK in Beijing. The brand had survived 100 years already in China and still going strong. With branches sprouting everywhere in Beijing and also supermarket brands (pre-packed Peking duck), you can say Quan Ju De had become a household brand for most Chinese. I remember my friend told me the name of this restaurant, I had a hard time remembering how to pronounce it. I think I asked him more than thrice when we were still in Beijing. And finally after eating there, my tongue became accustomed to the name. Do you have the feeling that when it’s quite famous already, it will lose its luster and might be overrated afterall? Well, in this case, it isn’t like that. I honestly think that this is the best Peking Duck from all the ones I’ve tried. Succulently tasty, the duck’s skin is shiny and fatty for my taste. I prefer this than Da Dong’s dry crispy skin. I want oily! Price is reasonable for me. Probably around...

Olympics torch relay begins
2008-04-03 08:53:00
I’m not really keen with Olympics when I was younger. I just know that the whole concept of Olympic games came from Greeks. I’m more facinated with history than sports and I know this Olympics 2008 in Beijing is history in the making. Starting with much controversy, first with Steven Spielberg pulling out from as artistic advisor for the Beijing Olympics and also the recent protest for Tibet’s freedom from China’s hold. Also the longest Olympics torch relay ever! The much anticipated torch relay started last March 24, 2008 and it will last 130 days. It will be passed in the five continients featuring important people, cultural heritage, sceneries to emphasize the theme of the Olympics which is “One World One Dream”. The Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay will traverse the longest distance, cover the greatest area and include the largest number of people, according to plans released tonight during a grand ceremony held in the China Millennium M...

Xijiao Hotel
2008-03-17 09:29:00
Xijiao Hotel is one of the hotels near Haidian district. Walking distance from BLCU, you can opt to stay here if you want to walk around Wudaokou for a short while. This hotel is quite convenient and clean but not that great. It’s probably a three-four star hotel if I remember correctly. There’s a bowling place right beside the hotel and also swimming pool area inside. On the third floor of the activity buiding of Xijiao Hotel, there’s a store selling DVD’s which is cheap plus you can check if it’s working. Though this is not the cheapest around the area, I feel that this one is quite value for money (for the quality of room facilities).

Sichuan Ethnic group
2008-03-06 14:35:00
It’s rare nowadays that we see people living in a completely different cultural society. Being cosmopolitan is the way of life in this century. However, if we set aside patronizing the liberated modern world, we can see ultimately unique people still existing amongst themselves. Well, I caught a glimpse of ethnic minority in China. Surprisingly, challenging my ignorance on this subject, I was able to experience first hand on some traditions of these people. I’m not quite sure though what’s the name of their group because I’ve googled this and according to China Culture: As one of the largest provinces, Sichuan has more than 15 minority groups living with the Han people. Among these are the Yi, Hui, Tibetan and Miao peoples. Each of these minorities has its own charm, ethnic style and folk custom. I was amazed on how they preserve their culture. They also look quite different than Chinese people in the city. I guess having a long history before has ...
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Sarangbang- Korean
2008-03-02 16:56:00
SarangBang is one of my favorite Korean restaurants in Beijing. I first experience this quite authentic Korean cuisine during my trip with friends a year before I went to study in BLCU. The spicy food complimented the cold autumn weather. Back in the old days, I had learn to love to Korean food when I was still in Manila, there was a really old Korean restaurant we often visit more than twice a month (it’s called Korean Village). I didn’t mind smelling like food (because of grilling by ourselves) after blissful dinner. I grow to love kimchi which I avoided years back. But I didn’t expect Korean cuisine could get even better! (I sound like an advertisement already!) My friend J taught us the know-hows of eating Korean style in Beijing. There are quite a number of appetizers and sauces to mix together. You’ll get to love mixing rice with everything when you get used to the spicy-ness. Be ready to get your hands dirty! Wrapping everything (meat, ap...

Chinese New Year Traditions
2008-02-24 10:52:00
Chinese New Year Celebration is based on the start of the Lunar Year. As the year starts, there are a lot of activities Chinese practice to welcome the year with ,luck, fortune and prosperity. Back in China, there were a lot of temple fairs and fireworks during Chinese New Year ’s Eve. Scheduled huge fireworks were anticipated especially in the central area of Beijing. We had our own celebration in a traditional Chinese restaurant called Hua Jia Yu Yuan. It was a feast literally as we devour ala carte orders that was a set for Chinese New Year. In Beijing, the streets are almost empty as a lot of people who came from different provinces went back to their home to celebrate this holiday. It was expensive to rent a van this time of year as they would not wait for you until the wee hours since the drivers will also celebrate with their families. Back in the Philippines, we celebrated Chinese New Year but not so much as Christmas or New Year. We had our usual tikoy (sticky ri...
More About: Chinese , Traditions

Temple Fair (Bai Yun Temple)
2008-02-11 11:13:00
During Chinese New Year, there is a tradition in China which celebrates by having temple fairs. Celebrated in temples around the city, people gather around to pray for luck, good fortune, health and all possible good tidings that one can ask. One of the temple we visited is Bai Yun which means White Cloud. It’s actually fun to see a lot of people burning incense and praying to Taoist saints. They also have a lot of activities like this one which I tried. You will need to buy gold plated huge coins to aim and throw on the big bell on the middle. It’s said that it will bring luck but I’m more into trying out cultural activities like this. And I hit the target! (not captured in the video though) Here’s a peak of throwing coin activity… (more…)
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Train connecting SG to Kunming?
2008-02-02 18:15:00
I’m excited! I heard that the news that they are planning to link the train form Singapore to Thailand to Kunming China! I’ve always wanted to see Kunming. According to sites I’ve read, Kunming is famous for its breathtaking scenic natural landscape. You can try to visit the Stone Forest which is famous in this region. There are also a lot of temples and caves in the area you can visit. Although it can be a waste of time to wait to get there, it’s rather an adventure to see the views along the way. Cities can look all the same but when you see the untouch beauty of nature along the way, you’ll be amazed with things you thought can be seen in movies only. Well, problem is, when will that plan be finish?? Strait Times Article (more…)
More About: Train , Connecting

Yuyuan Garden Shanghai
2008-01-27 11:39:00
Yu Yuan actually means Contentment according to one travel site I saw. Yu Yuan Garden is a “five-acre garden consists of six sections separated by boundary walls: Grand Rockery, Ten Thousand-Flower Pavilion, Hall of Heralding Spring, Hall of Jade Magnificence, Inner Garden and Lotus Poo located in Shanghai .” The place has a magnificent colorful architecture. The vibrance of red makes you feel “China”. But amidst its beauty, the place really attracts a LOT of tourist/people! It was literally full and I was finding my way to places I need to meet my friends. There was a lot of shops, food inside the Garden. This is where I got to try the HUGE Xiao Long Pao. I was literally shocked that I had to sip the soup inside the big pao. It was really hot! I wondered why the straw didn’t melt. The xiao long paowas actually cheap (around 5rmb). We ate at some famous restaurant inside garden, we saw pictures of Clinton and other famous personalities insid...

Unique Tea Serving
2008-01-24 12:15:00
Tea is more popular drink in China rather than coffee. They have too many kinds of tea leaves I never get to memorize. The famous ones are Jasmine, Oolong Tea, Green Tea. I’m not really a tea addict, we usually order those free ones (house tea) in Chinese Restaurants. I prefer coffee’s caffiene! Anyway, I saw an interesting act while I was in China. When we were in Shanghai, we went to a facinating restaurant called 1212 which is very hard to find. From the outside, it looks like an ordinary building but when you get in, you’ll be amazed how ironic the setting is. For the first time, I was able to watch some guy waiter doing some Kung Fu Tea (Gong fu) Serving. When I saw him, I thought he would be showing some moves, but it was just pouring. I heard in Beijing, there’s this place, a traditional tea house where they showcase this famous Gongfu Pouring. I should have watched one! I would have been much more amazed. (more…)
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Si Chuan Food
2008-01-18 15:41:00
If you really like spicy food, and you think that you haven’t tried anything that can make you give up eating that…you must try SI CHUAN cuisines. This is one of the spiciest food I’ve eaten and it really made my stomach growl in disagreement. We didn’t just order in some restaurant in Beijing, we got to try it where it orginated..Chengdu. Since we were adventurous enough to try something local when we had this free time on our tour in Jui Zai Gou, we went to the nearest restaurant we found. Trying our luck with the best local food, we asked the waitress to suggest what are their best sellers. The menu was full of food pictures so it was easy to choose even if it’s all in Chinese. Because Si Chuan cuisine is famous for their spicy entree, we had to try it for ourselves. (more…)
More About: Food

La Mansarde
2008-01-08 12:47:00
Delicieux! I have this facination with speaking French, I really want to learn the language. It all sounds so sophisticated and elegant. I wanted to taste the famous crepes and other French cuisines so that I can feel a bit closer to French culture. So we managed to search for one of the well-known French Restaurant in Beijing. La Mansarde was once featured in That’s Beijing so we ought to try it before we went back home. Best known for crepes, the restaurant offers variety of French cuisine. I am really not a fan of kebabs types of food. I think I ordered wrong because the ones I tasted was just so-so. I was not impressed by the entrees. We tried the lunch set (which is a value for money because there’s an appetizer or dessert, entree for around 40rmb if I remembered correctly). I guess there are only few good choices for the lunch sets. The ambience was nice, pleasing and home-y. The service was not so spectacular but ok for a classy restaurant. (more...
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Volunteering for Olympics 2008
2008-01-02 10:17:00
Do you still plan to volunteer for the Olympics 2008 in Beijing China? You can still apply! Check out this site Volunteer Information . That’s free pass to the event your helping! Plus you can also rub elbows with some of the best athletes! Coolness! However, you need to be very fluent in English and also fluent in Mandarin is a major plus. If you’re already in Beijing, you can go try applying. It’s a whole lot different experience!
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Fresh Plus Buffet
2007-12-22 18:17:00
While walking along a shopping strip in Zhongguancun , we stumbled upon a buffet dining area which looks snobbish at first, but since we were facinated with the ambiance and desserts, we managed to walk in and asked about the price of the best-looking dessert on the display stand. Luckily, we were able to talk to one of the marketing managers of the restaurant. She was very accomodating even if we looked like students (cheapstake ones). She toured us around the restaurant which I think was very chic. After letting us look at the entrees on the buffet tables, she gave us a dozen or more discount vouchers (20 kuai off!) to distribute amongst our friends in BLCU. The buffet restaurant is called Fresh Plus International. The lunch buffet is originally 90 RMB per person but with our discount voucher, we managed to have a value-for-money buffet meal! Everytime you eat there, they will replace the discount voucher with new ones so that you can invite friends/family to try the rest...
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Southeast Asian players get ready for 2008 Olympics
2007-12-20 04:49:00
In the recent 24th Sea Games in Nakhon Ratshasima Thailand, Southeast Asian athletes were able to get a feel of competing with the best of the bests before the awaited Olympics 2008. Thailand leads the Southeast Asian pact of atheletes having a total medal of 409. With a big gap from the first, Malaysia follows with 216 medals then Vietnam with 204. I’m still skeptic about their skills if they can actually defeat China’s bets or US. But I’m sure they are all vying for the gold in the Olympics. With only 232 days (as of Dec 19, 2007) to go before the Olympics, athletes are cramming to improve their statistics/goals/skills. Read More: Southeast Asians hone traditional skills for 2008 Olympics Also check out the official SEA games site.
More About: Players , Ready