tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39722507052831612692024-03-06T07:48:11.257+05:30The View From The Great Wall- now moved to prachipreaches.comAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01684215421059627649noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972250705283161269.post-11888018626702069132014-06-07T17:15:00.001+05:302014-06-07T19:34:33.027+05:30How A Social Profile Can Land You A Job! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wF6jsHNnF5Y/U5L6iAZJTAI/AAAAAAAAIcE/qBFZbmwasSg/s1600/SocialProfile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wF6jsHNnF5Y/U5L6iAZJTAI/AAAAAAAAIcE/qBFZbmwasSg/s1600/SocialProfile.jpg" height="148" width="400"></a></div>
<br>
How did I get my job as a content developer? Not my degree in Medical Biotechnology. Not my Diploma in Mandarin but the blog that I wrote while in China got me a job. Living in a world, the internet-era, it is increasingly important for a person to have a social media standing. For example, a friend of mine graduated in a course in journalism and the first few questions her boss asked her whether she was on LinkedIn and if she had an active Twitter profile.<br>
<br>
Today, YouTubers have a career earning much more than what they could have with their degrees. Take for instance, Jenna Marbles who cries every now and then with her degree wrapped around her arms, all in good humour. With millions of subscribers and fans all over the world, Jenna Marbles is doing great. All thanks to YouTube. Similarly Superwoman, Ray William Johnson, have made a brand for themselves. Each one unique bringing their own charm in front of the camera, mostly from the comforts of their homes. Social profiles not just on YouTube, but on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram- People can not get enough of people. Jennyandteets2 aka Jason Bigg's wife is keeping me busy laughing every now and then with her posts on her newborns- absolutely hilarious. She even recorded herself in labour- in the hospital-about the deliver. Now, she's happily breastfeeding and joking about her new parenting ways.<br>
<br>
There's one other person in this list who made it big for themselves, all thanks to her ever growing subscribers and fans, and again, from all over the world. Michelle Phan. With millions of fans and hundreds of make-up tutorial videos in her bag, she went for her dreams and started her own make-up line. Now, that's brilliant. Bringing us back to- social profile. Except the obvious thriving YouTube channel, she currently has her own website which goes by her name (something I'm looking in for myself, as well), Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, G+ to name the top few.<br>
<br>
I started blogging out of sheer attempt to let my opinion out there- somewhere in the matrix of the massive virtual world of the internet. After sticking to blogging a bit more regularly, and finding myself in the middle of an alien community in Beijing, I slowly see the impact my articles have made in building my own profile internationally. This community isn't confined to blogs- it stretches out to all social media giants. This connectivity makes it even more exciting because it leaves the possibilities endless. Swinging from writing travel logs to international relations to philosophical existence, I'm enjoying writing more than ever before. I' not quite sure how many of my fans are out there, but I want you all to know that I'm coming out with my own website soon, featuring all my blogs. I hope you're excited, because I can't contain my happiness. :)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01684215421059627649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972250705283161269.post-31666057101679641592014-02-12T22:21:00.000+05:302014-02-12T22:21:39.272+05:30Laowai's Losing Charm<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Here is an interesting article about the falling number of marriages between the Chinese natives to foreigners.</h4>
<br />
<a href="http://online.thatsmags.com/post/laowai-losing-their-charm-foreign-marriages-fall-by-11-in-china#.Uvulcb8-ZOw.blogger">http://online.thatsmags.com/post/laowai-losing-their-charm-foreign-marriages-fall-by-11-in-china</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01684215421059627649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972250705283161269.post-3966284466487109102014-02-05T23:18:00.000+05:302014-02-05T23:20:10.246+05:30Re-Reado! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<br />
Re-introducing to you <a href="http://www.reado.com/" target="_blank">Reado</a>- <i>India’s first website </i>that offers Digital Download. </h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4 style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: justify;">
As mentioned in my earlier post <a href="http://prachipreaches.blogspot.in/2013/11/travelers-must-have.html" target="_blank">"Traveler's Must-Have"</a>, Audiobooks
are not only convenient to carry anywhere or to download, but if you’re lucky
they go that extra mile to give the listener a more personalized feeling by
narrating the book in their voice.</h4>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zc9puCHm7kw/UvJ2WWvNCII/AAAAAAAAGOg/0wj0PKfTBGw/s1600/Reado.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zc9puCHm7kw/UvJ2WWvNCII/AAAAAAAAGOg/0wj0PKfTBGw/s1600/Reado.jpg" height="406" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reado.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
From bestsellers to Children’s literature to Management
essentials- Reado is one stop shop for the <a href="http://www.reado.com/" target="_blank">Audiobooks</a> you’re looking for. There’s
a new feature on the <a href="http://www.reado.com/" target="_blank">Reado</a> site for “<a href="http://www.reado.com/list-and-offers/Free-Audiobooks~a33ac0bd6927fb42" target="_blank">Free Audiobooks</a>” from where, as the name suggests, you can
download free audiobooks consisting of <i>classics</i>
by the likes of Mark Twain and Lewis Carroll.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Navigating through <a href="http://www.reado.com/list-and-offers/Free-Audiobooks~a33ac0bd6927fb42" target="_blank">Reado</a>’s newly done homepage, you’ll find
yourself eager to try this thing of the future. <a href="http://www.reado.com/list-and-offers/Free-Audiobooks~a33ac0bd6927fb42" target="_blank">Reado</a> has given its website a
refreshing makeover making it appealing to any person because the layout is
simple yet so effective. It has a flawless look and easy to navigate plus the
content is well written. The modern design is very consistent throughout all of
the pages.</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
What’s more is that once you buy an Audiobook- it’s yours
forever!</h4>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
All you need to do is login to your <a href="http://www.reado.com/list-and-offers/Free-Audiobooks~a33ac0bd6927fb42" target="_blank">Reado</a> account and download the Audiobook
from your personal library. You can download your Audio Books as many times as
you like, for life. Enjoy these exciting features and enter the world of tomorrow, get your hands on an Audiobook NOW! No matter how you're travelling, you'll always have time for your favorite author, or the new bestseller. No more excuses!<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01684215421059627649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972250705283161269.post-12749965994567317632014-01-31T22:34:00.000+05:302014-01-31T22:34:30.493+05:30Happy Chinese New Year! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vOT1jQP6mI8/UuvW22RLAZI/AAAAAAAAFcM/aYtPEVqzLQE/s1600/540021_10150734135145874_336915598_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vOT1jQP6mI8/UuvW22RLAZI/AAAAAAAAFcM/aYtPEVqzLQE/s1600/540021_10150734135145874_336915598_n.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01684215421059627649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972250705283161269.post-7826952368052442482014-01-16T15:49:00.000+05:302014-01-16T15:49:04.856+05:30Take A Seat: China Is Bringing The Future To You<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 22.5px;">Although according to the economist </span>China says 2014 trade growth may lag last year's rate, there is so much the Chinese are looking forward to adding to their <i>wow list</i> in 2014. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4 style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 22.5px;">More Magnificent Architecture</span></span></span></span></h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgOQovyNz39iyjm32m9dsFdIV70kiMJ4FH96v84tGk1TL69wjB6l36CnO37D_lOw2ymajAaWc2yLL5FMF2-Okb71T3Va2wGd36n8Bxap2Bb-LShlb_YX5yoIbkyhKwCVCF0RxrInoChKhN5XtbIdzZy9E2D-8xz4_fU-45qFaDn9HvPvfYKgEEzUhZtxNM8KGfwJVs7ssV8hMmsde5Dv8wUb8_eD_zsZ7tbwoVJkVKSEX7fsNNhBRt9aQrR0kN1f8OOEwTfDvQBPJw=" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/inluxury/16111/1385033452090/1312_impression_01_resizejpg/ALTERNATES/w940-land/1312_Impression_01_resize.jpg" height="396" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 22.5px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 22.5px;">As part of an ambitious development plan, a new district is being constructed in the city </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 22.5px;">China’s Hunan Province, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 22.5px;">and its focal point will be a sinuous, Mobius strip-style pedestrian bridge that arcs over Meixi Lake. With a span of 490ft (150metres) and a height of 79ft (24metres), the undulating bridge incorporates a variety of routes at different levels and its looped design also references traditional Chinese knots, which are used in decorative Chinese folk art. Conceived by Amsterdam-based firm </span><a href="http://www.nextarchitects.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #0066cc; line-height: 22.5px; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Next Architects</a>, t<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 22.5px;">he Changsha bridge is one of a number of confirmed and proposed distinctive bridges this year.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 22.5px;"> </span></div>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #282828;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.5px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<h4 style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #282828;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.5px;">More Shopping</span></span></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">SkyMall is mostly </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">a catalog of the utterly useless and completely extravagant that we may pull out of the seat pocket in front of us when we're cruising at 36,000 feet, out of sheer boredom. </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">And it just so happens that the Chinese are adding </span></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">fairly low priced cars, at around 100,000 yuan ($16,000)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"> to that list. Although there is a small percentage that does, it's still rare to buy a car without first taking it for a test drive.</span></div>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">For Chinese consumers, who are just becoming accustomed to the thought of owning personal vehicles, the percentage may be significantly higher.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/inluxury/16111/1385033452090/1312_impression_01_resizejpg/ALTERNATES/w940-land/1312_Impression_01_resize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px; outline: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Particularly interesting is the fact that flight attendants will be educated about the details of each model. Passengers may even qualify for discounts, just for buying in the sky, all to encourage passengers to purchase.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%2Finluxury%2F16111%2F1385033452090%2F1312_impression_01_resizejpg%2FALTERNATES%2Fw940-land%2F1312_Impression_01_resize.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgOQovyNz39iyjm32m9dsFdIV70kiMJ4FH96v84tGk1TL69wjB6l36CnO37D_lOw2ymajAaWc2yLL5FMF2-Okb71T3Va2wGd36n8Bxap2Bb-LShlb_YX5yoIbkyhKwCVCF0RxrInoChKhN5XtbIdzZy9E2D-8xz4_fU-45qFaDn9HvPvfYKgEEzUhZtxNM8KGfwJVs7ssV8hMmsde5Dv8wUb8_eD_zsZ7tbwoVJkVKSEX7fsNNhBRt9aQrR0kN1f8OOEwTfDvQBPJw=" -->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01684215421059627649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972250705283161269.post-26522773438028641512013-11-21T12:55:00.000+05:302013-11-21T21:12:49.176+05:30Traveler's Must-Have!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is often said that nothing compares to the essence of old
books from the library, or the feeling of crisp pages sliding through your
fingers- but in our time and age, where
one device holds everything from your calendar, calculator, camera to numerous
songs and movies, carrying a book around can seem like more than a task. The
ultimate solution for travelers; doesn't matter how you’re travelling- via bus,
train, car or even a plane, <b><a href="http://www.reado.com/audiobooks" target="_blank">Audiobooks</a></b>
are the solution you've been looking for.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I remember my first audiobook, Tina Fey's <i>Bossy Pants, </i>her autobiographical comedy book; which I got my hands on as soon as I could, completing my duties of being her beloved fan ever since I started watching 30 Rock.<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"> Listening instead of reading has its own perks, specially when the author speaks in their own voice. It almost appears to be more of a coffee date with your favorite author who is speaking to you, the reader, directly; such audiobooks take the reader to the next level of <i>personal touch</i>.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Audiobooks are completely hassle-free; </b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Easy to Carry</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="text-align: justify;">Convenient</span> download to your laptop, tablet, phone, etc.</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Have a more Personal effect on the reader; the Author's voice</b></span></li>
</ul>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although the growing industry is about USD 7 billion worldwide, Audiobooks
were as good as being non-existent in India until <b><a href="http://www.reado.com/" target="_blank">Reado</a>, Think Ink Media Inc</b>. launched at the World Book
Fair 2012 New Delhi, and bought with it the concept of <i><a href="http://www.reado.com/audiobooks" target="_blank">digital download</a> </i>prior to which Reado was involved in production and distribution of physical CDs.<i> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reado has recognized the change in content consumption
patterns and is now making its content available digitally direct to phones,
MP3 and other music players making listening to audio books more convenient and
easier.<o:p></o:p><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">Partnering with some of the biggest names in publishing like Penguin, Hachette, Harvard Business Review and Brilliance, Reado has successfully managed to create a market for audio books in India. Reado happens to be the first website that offers <i><a href="http://www.reado.com/audiobooks" target="_blank">Digital Download</a></i>.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: left;">Reado is a user-friendly site, fun to use. Having bought my first audiobook (Great Minds of Science) from this site today, I am truly excited to listen to it. After all, as Reado puts it, the future of reading is<i> listening</i>.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01684215421059627649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972250705283161269.post-8378454367040906612013-11-09T21:49:00.001+05:302013-11-11T20:10:42.881+05:30Do The Chinese Really Eat Insects?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>This is to
answer that one question you always had about the Chinese. </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">To answer this question, yes even though
eating insects is a taboo in most societies, it dates back thousands of years. Not
only do the Chinese but a lot of south Asian countries like Korea and Thailand including
North, Central and South America; and Africa, Australia and New Zealand enjoy
ingesting insects.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I come from a
culture where we more or less kill insects to protect ourselves and not because
we want to eat them. It’s a cultural difference and perspective that’s hard to
step away from.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TbQEZb4suN4/UmKrQIWCooI/AAAAAAAAFDM/iN6jajc6DD4/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TbQEZb4suN4/UmKrQIWCooI/AAAAAAAAFDM/iN6jajc6DD4/s640/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Your typical sights and smells in Wangfujing, Beijing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">While
researching on the consumption of insects or <i>entomophagy</i>, it came to me as a surprise that the main consumer for
these creepy guys is, in fact, Thailand and not China. Grasshoppers, centipedes,
various bug larvae, silkworms, multiple creepy giant cockroach lookalikes fall
into the list of bugs humans consume. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Other unusual food consumed includes
seahorses, scorpions, even animal body parts like snakehead soup, duck feet
marinated in blood, solidified duck blood, pork lungs, peacock and pig face. Banquet
specialties include cow’s lung soaked in chili sauce, goose stomachs, fish lips
with celery, goat’s feet tendons in wheat noodles, shark’s stomach soup,
chicken-feet soup, monkey’s head, ox forehead, turtle casserole, pigeon brain,
deer ligament and snake venom, lily bulbs and deer’s penis… you know where I’m
going with this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">What came as
a bigger shock was that even though people blame the rapid rate of urbanization
and industrialization for China’s pollution problems and water shortages, few
recognize that meat industries are to be equally blamed. Livestock produces
more greenhouse gasses on the planet than all automobiles and other forms of
transportation combined. China’s meat consumption per capita has nearly
quadrupled over the past 30 years to an estimated 71 million tons per year. And
if China’s meat consumption doesn't slow down, the environmental consequences
could be disastrous.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">So is there anything in the world that
can gross the Chinese?</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Believe it or
not, many regard eating cheese or butter as disgusting; they consider eating a
plain cooked steak as primitive and unappetizing and find the French custom of
eating snails to be strange.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Images from Flickr]</span></i></span><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">[sources: </span><a href="http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=146">http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=146</a>]</span></i></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01684215421059627649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972250705283161269.post-41686693816749544902013-10-27T16:00:00.000+05:302013-10-27T16:00:06.263+05:30Welcome To Haze-ing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Beijing is
one of the most famous cities in the world but unfortunately also infamous for
its unhealthy pollution levels. The city has been trying to clear its act up
especially since the Olympics, which was an important time for China's image as a host country.</span></h4>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EF8MGjv-xHM/Ul1mnDfKZqI/AAAAAAAAFB8/8lqp-cdY4io/s1600/smog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="609" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EF8MGjv-xHM/Ul1mnDfKZqI/AAAAAAAAFB8/8lqp-cdY4io/s640/smog.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">October, 2013, Chaoyang district in the afternoon, Beijing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">A short back-story: In preparation for the 2008 Summer Olympics and to fulfill
promises to clean up the city's air, according to the Wikipedia, nearly 17
billion USD was spent. Beijing implemented a number of air improvement schemes
for the duration of the Games, including halting work at all construction
sites, closing many factories in Beijing permanently, temporarily shutting
industry in neighboring regions, closing some gas stations, and cutting motor
traffic by half, reducing bus and subway fares, opening new subway lines, and
banning high-emission vehicles. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">But more recently in January 2013, measurements showed levels
of air pollution, as measured by the density of particulate matter smaller than
2.5 micrometres in size – higher than the maximum 755mcg the </span><a href="http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/070109air.html"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">US Embassy's equipment
can measure</span></a><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> (40 times above what the World Health Organization deems
safe). You can see the Air pollution measurements on the </span><a href="http://www.bjmemc.com.cn/"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Chinese website</span></a><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">What’s more?</span></h4>
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">It is of no secret that the government regularly
uses <b><i>cloud-seeding</i></b>- a method to
increase the likelihood of rain showers in the region to clear the air prior to
large events by altering the microphysical processes within the cloud (read:
every Sunday).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">People that
come here from all over the world experience difficulty in breathing, skin
conditions, hair-fall issues, teary eyes, and so on. <i>Living in Beijing</i> comes with getting used to air purifiers, mouth
masks, and waking up to smoggy and hence, very gloomy mornings. <a href="http://prachipreaches.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-rich-chinese-fancy-designer-baby.html" target="_blank">The intensity of this situation is so serious that even wealthy locals are planning to move to other countries like the United States and Europe, after acquiring the respective country’s citizenship.</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meanwhile, there are several ways to keep yourself informed of the
Beijing Air quality; not only through websites but even twitter, mobile apps,
even calling the local authority. All we can hope for is that
Beijing sets more rigid rules in the future that limit factories and vehicles from
contributing to the hazardous pollution level not only in Beijing but
throughout China, for the betterment of the locals along with the rest of
us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Also Check out: <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/10/23/240282098/chinas-smog-as-seen-from-space" target="_blank">China's Smog As Seen From Space.</a></i></span></h4>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01684215421059627649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972250705283161269.post-62541427822452237712013-10-27T13:00:00.000+05:302013-10-27T13:00:52.307+05:30High Rent Prices In Wudaokou<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W4uuaQVSj58/UmkjpQMp5pI/AAAAAAAAFD4/NW9AuUO35RI/s1600/2013-10-22+14.29.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W4uuaQVSj58/UmkjpQMp5pI/AAAAAAAAFD4/NW9AuUO35RI/s400/2013-10-22+14.29.52.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture taken near Golden towers, walking distance from BLCU, Wudaokou</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01684215421059627649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972250705283161269.post-426233338866459232013-10-25T13:24:00.000+05:302013-10-25T13:27:31.451+05:30Guest Blog in Living A Dream in China<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Beijing is one of THE most happening capitals in the whole
world. Living here you are bound to come across people from all over the world. I recently wrote a <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://sarajaaksola.com/5-types-of-people-you-are-sure-to-find-in-beijing/" target="_blank">Guest Blog in Living a Dream in China</a> </span>on the few types of people that you can easily find sitting right next to you. </span></span></h4>
<div>
<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Do check it out: </span></span><a href="http://sarajaaksola.com/5-types-of-people-you-are-sure-to-find-in-beijing/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">Guest Blog in Living a Dream in China</a></h4>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. I Want To Study In China</span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-69FZjixu7Kg/UlFzeIyKFiI/AAAAAAAAE-Y/XMo7Ks-fEos/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="420" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-69FZjixu7Kg/UlFzeIyKFiI/AAAAAAAAE-Y/XMo7Ks-fEos/s640/Untitled.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter" />
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0" />
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0" />
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1" />
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2" />
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth" />
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight" />
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1" />
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2" />
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth" />
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0" />
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight" />
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0" />
</v:formulas>
<v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" />
<o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t" />
</v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_2" o:spid="_x0000_i1026" type="#_x0000_t75" style="width:405.75pt;height:267pt;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square">
<v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\Starasia\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.jpg" o:title="Untitled" />
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2. I Never Want To Grow Old</span></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3. I’m Looking For A Good Time</span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8n0_Rdj1lC0/UlFzm2rw8XI/AAAAAAAAE-s/pGbC4i8IgAo/s1600/blog1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="385" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8n0_Rdj1lC0/UlFzm2rw8XI/AAAAAAAAE-s/pGbC4i8IgAo/s640/blog1.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4. Business with China</span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">5. When In China, do as the Chinese do</span></h3>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qt6sV8His-Y/UlKMH2bZziI/AAAAAAAAFAw/9iOjWdC5GBM/s1600/sophisticated_procedures_to_marry_a_girl_in_ancientf3f610a80c8c82bbb9f9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qt6sV8His-Y/UlKMH2bZziI/AAAAAAAAFAw/9iOjWdC5GBM/s320/sophisticated_procedures_to_marry_a_girl_in_ancientf3f610a80c8c82bbb9f9.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Google images</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ganbei </i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">to you, China!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01684215421059627649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972250705283161269.post-73941956459934256422013-10-20T16:03:00.000+05:302013-10-20T16:03:39.805+05:30The Rich Chinese Fancy A Designer Baby<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>It is of no surprise that the <span style="background-color: white;">American citizenship is something many
Chinese dream of. </span></i></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">While
countries like Thailand and India offer cheaper surrogacy, the Chinese are
looking across the Pacific Ocean for a better option. How Better? Essentially
with Chinese DNA, they desire tall, blonde and even holding Ivy League degrees
donors. Designer babies; smarter and better looking; boy or girl; their choice.
The possibilities are endless, if you can afford it, of course.</span></span><br />
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7076/7308537360_8172b4b005_d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7076/7308537360_8172b4b005_d.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Designer babies coming soon!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">By U.S. law, anyone born in the States qualifies as an
American citizen and can apply for green cards for their parents after they
reach 21 years of age. As compared to investor visas, surrogacy is a cheaper
route to American passports, costing around $120,000 to $200,000 per package,
according to </span><i>Reuters</i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Why is the
prospect of </span></b><b>American citizenship so
shiny?<o:p></o:p></b></span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First, The Chinese worry about quality of life in a country
suffering from choking pollution and various health and food safety scandals.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Second, some
wealthy Chinese say they want a safety net overseas because they fear more
social unrest in China.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Third, the Chinese want their kids to be educated in America,
where academic pressure is not nearly as intense as in China.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Surrogacy is illegal in China; but that doesn't stop plenty
of shady transactions from taking place in Chinese cities every day. Although the
one-child policy has already been relaxed for many segments of society, such as
couples who are only children themselves, it remains in effect for others. F</span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">amilies who violate the one-child policy
face the prospect of forced abortions, sterilizations and fines, policies that
have been most brutally enforced in poor, rural areas.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background: white;">Two decades is definitely a long time to wait
for green cards for Chinese parents of a U.S.-born child. It’s impossible to
know whether U.S. citizenship will still hold the same allure in the future.
But that doesn’t stop the Chinese. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Chinese want it all. </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01684215421059627649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972250705283161269.post-24707948556753712342013-10-16T19:59:00.001+05:302013-10-16T19:59:24.473+05:30Say Hello To Shopping In Beijing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">People come to China from all over the world to shop mostly due to the relatively low prices and what seems like unlimited variety. Shopping online on sites like Taobao is not only common but
also a better shopping option because of these simple reasons. Even if you don't have an online account, there are a bunch of places you can visit here and make your trip worthwhile.</span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tourist Go-To Places </span></h3>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yashao in Sanlitun, Silk Street/Market
in Chaoyangmen</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3641/3651721975_0030383215_d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3641/3651721975_0030383215_d.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silk Market</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tourists make sure they stop by these places. Very similar
locations, standing a few stories tall, every floor is dedicated to clothes,
shoes, bags or electronic accessories. For first timers, these places seem like
a good option but I personally don’t like to bargain to the extent of spending
more than half my time talking about the price with the salesperson. These
people spend a lot of time dealing with foreigners so interaction with them is
easier but some of them could prove to be unnecessarily persistent to the point
of being pushy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Must See </span></h3>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Wangfujing Market, Xidan Shopping Area and The
Place</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8230/8417307168_c36dac1b3a_d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8230/8417307168_c36dac1b3a_d.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wangfujing famous for its bizarre street food</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As the most famous commercial area of Beijing, Wangfujing has been known to be the earliest business activity center. The street is less than one kilometer long, but it is crowded with
specialty and long-history shops, which are full of modern atmosphere and high
taste.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">West of Tiananmen square, Xidan is an up-market commercial
area just like the US department store. Providing mid-and high-quality
commodities, this shopping area is another place with the big brand names all
located here. Same goes for The Place located in Guomao. You will find
everything from Zara, Gucci to Giorgio Armani here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My Winner </span></h3>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Golden Towers</span></h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-96jynD_QOjo/Ul1_ByE9CeI/AAAAAAAAFCc/lcsFB1haS5Q/s1600/2013-10-12+16.59.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-96jynD_QOjo/Ul1_ByE9CeI/AAAAAAAAFCc/lcsFB1haS5Q/s640/2013-10-12+16.59.11.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden Towers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s-QNmPsyihM/Ul1-__VDhGI/AAAAAAAAFCM/X3o-OoYJ3j0/s1600/2013-10-12+17.07.39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s-QNmPsyihM/Ul1-__VDhGI/AAAAAAAAFCM/X3o-OoYJ3j0/s320/2013-10-12+17.07.39.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i1e0LZ-O7dk/Ul1_BU0SfbI/AAAAAAAAFCU/dxSC25f9XOc/s1600/2013-10-12+17.58.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i1e0LZ-O7dk/Ul1_BU0SfbI/AAAAAAAAFCU/dxSC25f9XOc/s320/2013-10-12+17.58.03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Golden towers is located approximately 20
minutes from the Wudaokou subway station and is without a doubt my favorite place to shop. Having
lived in Wudaokou for a year, I have had the chance to shop at this amazing
place almost religiously. Offering the lowest prices, with minimum bargain involved,
Golden towers offers clothes, (amazing) shoes, and accessories along with the
chance to get a simple manicure for just 10 RMB.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Electronics? Zhongguancun </span></h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Also referred to as "China's Silicon Valley", and "electronics avenue," because of its connections to information technology and the preponderance of stores along a central, crowded street. If electronics are what you're into, this is the place for you.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01684215421059627649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972250705283161269.post-7161199515161710252013-10-14T15:16:00.000+05:302013-10-14T20:51:58.035+05:30For The Elite Expat Community: InterNations<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;">Once you step into another
country, you want to know all about it. You want to be able to meet new people,
get to know your city and everything it offers. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">InterNations is present on over 250 local expatriate communities around the world uniting members of 180 nationalities and</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> is that one online
portal where all the expatriates come together and share their experiences
abroad. </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;">Only </span></i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">people with a background in traveling and living in a foreign country
are able to be a part of this expat community. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;">All the members to this
community are <i>hand-picked </i>and this <i>exclusivity</i> works as one of its
significant features<i>.</i></span></span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To an expat blogger, InterNations
gives a great opportunity to be a part of its recommended expat blogger and in
this way be available to a wider audience. You can check out my Interview <a href="http://www.internations.org/china-expats/guide/recommended-expat-blogs-china-15673/prachi-the-view-from-the-great-wall-8" target="_blank">here</a> and more on <i>Working in China Guide</i> <a href="http://www.internations.org/china-expats/guide/working-in-china-15406" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">InterNations also has an
expat magazine that offers information and first-hand experience articles on
moving, living, working and even on cross-cultural communication. What’s more
is that every month top-class InterNations events take place in numerous
communities world-wide, giving expatriates the chance to meet other expats in
an exclusive and international environment. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s the ultimate
expat experience; make sure you’re part of it.</span></span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt 3.45pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01684215421059627649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972250705283161269.post-67533608999399749672013-10-14T00:50:00.000+05:302013-10-14T20:52:32.816+05:30Recommendation- NO Spark<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>I have been a Jay Sean fan since he started with the Rishi
Rich Productions. He’s always been a part of the group, I love Juggy D and
Rishi Rich the same way. I've been so lucky enough to see and dance with Juggy
D live! It’s been such an amazing experience. </i></span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The following are two videos, one from before Jay showed up and the one after he did. </i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxdEAIoz_qufyI7VB3sCB1TAMOl6fPtJQQ6Fvj2dsWPGRZCMR1VRoaA8YCHlrm-UhQXnC7iXEsbM9NmcGj2og' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://8jokes.info/t/sZsi9XwLEo7PCoMO9Zd8MoNmEYh07Zh0ZZPmohPindfOLXB1DoNKDaD__" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZjCKJDLYIhs?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZjCKJDLYIhs?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This time when I was in Beijing,
I found out Jay Sean was coming. Determined to see him live me and my sister
reached there right on time, waited for over 2 hours for him to show up and
when he did, the crowd obviously got crazy. The bouncers were right upfront, even though there were wide steel pipes separating us from the stage. After my several
attempts to ignore and avoid the crowd punching and pushing from behind, the Chinese bouncers took both me and my sister out of the club. The
most obnoxious sort of club I have ever come across. This club is so
discriminatory. We were in the front, minding our business and dancing while
these other Chinese women were dancing and punching us from behind, and to our
surprise, the bouncers decided to take us out instead. It is ridiculous and honestly
absurd. </span></div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The View From The Great Wall does not recommend “Spark” located in
Guomao, Beijing. Avoid this discriminatory club. </span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01684215421059627649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972250705283161269.post-75610527553015347822013-10-13T14:50:00.002+05:302013-11-11T20:21:25.506+05:30Beijing To Hong Kong And Back In One Day? Yes You Can!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Reasons you
could be making a run to Hong Kong vary. For me it was the expiring of the 30
days duration on my Visa. My F visa expires next year, but the duration of stay
for each time I enter is 30 days only. </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">Couldn't</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> I just get a visa extension? I
did.</span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>But from my
experience, you’re only allowed to do that once. You can read more on my
experience extending my visa <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://prachipreaches.blogspot.in/2013/09/f-visa-business-extension-in-china-2013.html" target="_blank">here</a></span>. I went to Shenzhen to take the subway to
Hong Kong and back, just for the Exit-Entry stamp.</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vmODNVQUjaI/UlGQ7g6M7FI/AAAAAAAAE_8/mxdVdAUXlJA/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vmODNVQUjaI/UlGQ7g6M7FI/AAAAAAAAE_8/mxdVdAUXlJA/s400/PicMonkey+Collage3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;">Me tremendously bored at Beijing Airport</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">So at about
4:30 am I take a taxi from Chaoyangmen to the Capital Airport. I tried to find
a bus running at this hour, but with zero luck. I reached the Airport at in
about half an hour and took my flight from Beijing to Shenzhen.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Anp7PiOJPcg/UlGQ-PPZ7tI/AAAAAAAAFAI/WSOHT5DEHuE/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Anp7PiOJPcg/UlGQ-PPZ7tI/AAAAAAAAFAI/WSOHT5DEHuE/s400/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;">Shenzhen Airport Top Left, Luo Hu Port Bottom Right & Left</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At 10:30 am
I was at the Shenzhen airport and already on my way to the famous Lo Wu Port.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">The subway can be easily seen as soon as you exit the Shenzhen airport. Taking </span><a href="http://www.szmc.net/cms/page?arg=en/index" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: red;">the
Line 1(green line)</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">, straight from Airport East Station to Luohu
Station, I got off and walked out right in front of the Luo hu Port in which I
walked right into immigration in Hong Kong. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Getting the HK visa only takes
about 30 to 45 minutes at max. After which you find yourself at the MTR train
station at Lo Wu. I tried to just get right back in Immigration back into Shenzhen
but that isn’t possible. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After getting a 100 RMB exchanged enough to buy me a
train ticket I get off at the first station –Shang Shui. Few minutes later I
catch a train back to Lo Wu and get through immigration, and what do you know, I'm back in Shenzhen by 2 pm. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I took the flight back to Beijing at 5:30 pm and I was back in the capital by 8:30 pm. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="first-para" style="line-height: 16.7pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.25in; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The most useful resource was the <a href="http://mtr.com.hk/chi/homepage/cust_index.html"><span style="color: red;">Mtr
website</span></a>. Hong Kong train operator MTR has updated its customer
website so that users can not only search the route, time and fare of Hong Kong
train service, but also the underground system of Shenzhen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><i>For your
knowledge there are </i></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><i>four land border crossings between Hong Kong
and Shenzhen.</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 16.7pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lo Wu</span></span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 16.7pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Probably the busiest and most popular border crossing among the
four. Best part is that there is a busy shopping mall at the Shenzhen side. The
last train destined for Lowu border departs from Hong Hum, Kowloon at about
11pm. I read up that this crossing would be crowded during public holidays but
having gone during the national holidays (5<sup>th</sup> October) I did not
come across any unusual crowded-ness till I reached back in Beijing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 16.7pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 16.7pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Lok Ma Chau/Futian</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"> </span></span></b><br />
This border crossing is a diversion from the Lo Wu one. It is
also connected at two sides, Hong Kong and Shenzhen, by railway. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 16.7pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 16.7pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Huanggang/Lok Ma Chau</span></strong><br />
The biggest advantage no doubt is its 24-hour operation. You can find
buses and taxies going to/from the border 24 hours. And the biggest
disadvantage lies in its traffic and immigration clearance arrangement as you
have to get off the bus to clear the customs and immigration of Hong Kong, and
then onto the bus to go to the Shenzhen check point, and off again- if you go
in the direction of Shenzhen, and vice versa. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 16.7pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 16.7pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Shenzhen Bay</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"> </span></span></b><br />
This border crossing is used by vehicles only, as it has no rail
connection at both the Hong Kong and Shenzhen side. This is its
limitation. But since it is closer to the Shenzhen Airport, the bus to/from
Shenzhen Airport usually uses this crossing. The immigration and customs
clearance for both Hong Kong and Shenzhen lies under one roof, a
stark contrast to the Huanggang/Lok Ma Chau border. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 16.7pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.25in; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you take a taxi from Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon of Hong Kong, for
instance, it takes only about half an hour to reach the Shenzhen Bay border,
and costs about HK$220. It probably takes you 10-15 minutes to clear
all the customs and immigration. Right after leaving the customs and
immigration hall, there is a taxi stand – you can take the taxi to
anywhere in Shenzhen. (<span style="color: red;"><a href="http://annatam.com/"><span style="color: red;">http://annatam.com</span></a></span> was a
great resource) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Useful
resource: <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/guangdong/shenzhen/subway/"><span style="color: red;">http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/guangdong/shenzhen/subway/</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i style="background-color: white;">[All images are self clicked]</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<div style="background-color: white;">
<!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01684215421059627649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972250705283161269.post-2979460325437293232013-10-08T18:17:00.000+05:302013-10-08T18:17:18.058+05:30The Next Best 7 Wonders of Beijing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>This post is in response to the article on the <span id="goog_217096560"></span><a href="http://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2013/09/27/peking-man-7-wonders-beijing" target="_blank">7 Wonders of Beijing</a>.</i></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Blue sky days, Mc Donalds delivery, Taobao and Ayis, are few
of the seven wonders that the author mentions in his article on thebeijinger. Well, here is the
list of the next best 7 Wonders of Beijing.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Pyro Pizza</span></h4>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Like all good things, this amazing pizza place, is located
in Wudaokuo district. Offering the most amazing pepperoni pizza, and the most
exciting menu, Pyro also delivers right to your door step. Celebrations or no
celebrations, good times call for Pyro.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2. BLCU/BFSU</span></h4>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">These two universities are among the most famous
universities for foreigners. Located in the Haidian district, majority of
foreigners that come to Beijing to study get enrolled here for their bachelors
and even language courses. Having studied in BLCU, I have got to say, the sort
of university life I’ve enjoyed for one year- learning mandarin, travelling
around China, meeting new people and making new friends in addition to my
favorite – numerous conversations with the taxi drivers, the ride has been
amazing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3. National Holidays</span></h4>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Chinese work hard, play harder. The few days they get
off they spend travelling around and even out of the country. Unfortunately, I
had to travel these national holidays and had the (unlucky) chance to be one of
the millions travelling around the same time. For more on that, <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://prachipreaches.blogspot.in/2013/10/celebrating-national-holidays-in-china.html" target="_blank">click here</a></span>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4. CCTV 6</span></h4>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The first day I moved in Chaoyang, I happened to browse
through the Chinese channels and TO MY SURPRISE, I bumped into CCTV 6 playing
“Kites”, a Bollywood movie featuring Hrithik Roshan. CCTV 6, the movies channel
does rescue you sometimes even if it’s with some funny and interesting Chinese
movies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">5. Roller-blades</span></h4>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Trolling around the city, I have come across people on roller-blades more than once. Enjoying the wind and the crowd behind you, roller-blades are not a bad idea moving through this busy city.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">6. The Alien Market, Russian District</span></h4>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After moving to the Chaoyang district, here in Chaoyangmen,
I live 5 minutes away from The Alien Market a.k.a The Russian district. Along
with the huge shopping malls, there are a bunch of posh Russian restaurants
also located here. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">7. Thebeijinger</span></h4>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is one website that might as well be introduced to you
as soon as you land Beijing. Including everything from housing, personals,
jobs, etc., under classifieds, it offers very interesting blogs as well as the
most happening events around the city along with reviews of all the top
restaurants the city has to offer.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01684215421059627649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972250705283161269.post-40120847164833888402013-10-06T23:12:00.003+05:302013-10-10T00:37:20.672+05:30'Celebrating' The National Holidays In China<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, a little introduction, The Golden Week (<span lang="ZH-CN">黄金周</span>) in the mainland of the People's
Republic of China is the name given to a semi-annual 7-day national holiday,
implemented in 2000.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The "Chinese Lunar New Year Golden Week" begins in
January or February.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The "National Day Golden Week" begins around
October 1st.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SjVyD3ObS3E/UlGdZ1iaVMI/AAAAAAAAFAU/JMSe92S83dU/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SjVyD3ObS3E/UlGdZ1iaVMI/AAAAAAAAFAU/JMSe92S83dU/s640/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top left: Forbidden city, Beijing; Top Right: The Great <strike>Wall </strike> queue of China<br />
Bottom left: Pudong, Shanghai; Bottom right: Guangdong highway</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Fun facts and figures: </i>In 2012, the PRC government announced
that national highways would be toll free for Golden Week, and as a result 86
million people traveled by road (13% increase compared to the previous year). The
same year, the Forbidden City in Beijing had a new record of 182,000 visitors
within one day on October 2.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This National Holiday, I had to unfortunately travel to Shenzhen. Even though the 'crowd' at Shenzhen was bearable, things got a little out of hand reaching Beijing- in the subway, as it was a Saturday and i'm guessing people had already started coming back to the capital. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Not only this, but the weather was extremely dull through-out and smog was everywhere. Even during take-off I could clearly distinguish smog and it was quite an unpleasant thing to notice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: #cccccc; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Some claimed<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><z>the<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>holiday<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>does<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>more<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>harm<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>than<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>good<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>to<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>both<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>the<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>health<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>of<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>the<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>tourists</z><z>
and<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>the<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>development<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>of<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>the<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>economy<span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></z>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><z>and<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>advised<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>the<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>widespread<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>introduction<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>of<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>paid</z><z>
vacations<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>instead<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>of<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>the<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>current<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>system<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>of<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>long<span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></z>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><z>nationwide<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></z> <z>holidays<span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></z>.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">[Images via: Southern Metro Daily, Weibo]</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">[Sources: Shanghaiist, Wikipedia]</span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01684215421059627649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972250705283161269.post-67034560534952165292013-10-06T14:22:00.002+05:302013-10-10T00:02:58.923+05:30Xiang Shan 香山 (Fragrance Hill) & Cloud Temple in Pictures 2011!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Studying in Beijing also comes with travelling in Beijing and most of us have been to the hills near-by. The Fragrance Hills are one of them. Located around an hour away from the City, one can travel there by bus or even a taxi. </h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O33MlIS9qmM/UlEg-0V2wMI/AAAAAAAAE7E/Ugd2n_KHujU/s1600/297915_10150441774920874_928214408_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O33MlIS9qmM/UlEg-0V2wMI/AAAAAAAAE7E/Ugd2n_KHujU/s320/297915_10150441774920874_928214408_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bsr586uztRE/UlEg-Xb2dJI/AAAAAAAAE68/q7zuhndL0X4/s1600/298005_10150441758220874_1857334539_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bsr586uztRE/UlEg-Xb2dJI/AAAAAAAAE68/q7zuhndL0X4/s320/298005_10150441758220874_1857334539_n.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RUlUUcOx5Mk/UlEg-eElIPI/AAAAAAAAE64/h9wIURa1HjQ/s1600/300018_10150441742220874_4766025_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RUlUUcOx5Mk/UlEg-eElIPI/AAAAAAAAE64/h9wIURa1HjQ/s320/300018_10150441742220874_4766025_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vOo1f55VBc0/UlEg_eDRiaI/AAAAAAAAE7Q/dQ9hVkZ53VE/s1600/300302_10150441762550874_1887651281_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vOo1f55VBc0/UlEg_eDRiaI/AAAAAAAAE7Q/dQ9hVkZ53VE/s320/300302_10150441762550874_1887651281_n.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uWS2teoZInk/UlEg_zgIVDI/AAAAAAAAE7c/Fg5c12wroBQ/s1600/303010_10150441708940874_272939333_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uWS2teoZInk/UlEg_zgIVDI/AAAAAAAAE7c/Fg5c12wroBQ/s400/303010_10150441708940874_272939333_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-urPxQdnYWyE/UlEhBACwu7I/AAAAAAAAE7s/vvc8pFM43TU/s1600/312722_10150463018965874_1954162544_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-urPxQdnYWyE/UlEhBACwu7I/AAAAAAAAE7s/vvc8pFM43TU/s400/312722_10150463018965874_1954162544_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UwqwiYDuRGc/UlEhBbYxT6I/AAAAAAAAE70/seZ8qNH_PU0/s1600/313623_10150441761775874_1192958129_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UwqwiYDuRGc/UlEhBbYxT6I/AAAAAAAAE70/seZ8qNH_PU0/s400/313623_10150441761775874_1192958129_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lcBor0Vy6f8/UlEhCEWZCJI/AAAAAAAAE78/NWSTrJTsiyY/s1600/315762_10150441773495874_1886927304_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lcBor0Vy6f8/UlEhCEWZCJI/AAAAAAAAE78/NWSTrJTsiyY/s320/315762_10150441773495874_1886927304_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zEneeEsu1s4/UlEhCGbFckI/AAAAAAAAE8A/dN9pd80BRvE/s1600/316105_10150463019860874_1614275328_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zEneeEsu1s4/UlEhCGbFckI/AAAAAAAAE8A/dN9pd80BRvE/s320/316105_10150463019860874_1614275328_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmqaGlCks4Y52eZjntsj-vidL-VYr7bYZoh3vArjFbqgRobjcndUEZDKj0-ZHQHjJcERpeW0rB4rlPWSdbesnuf_jXjojrTR8G1rrsWErnkjtMmG7rrA1GdMsg299RSSladRMb9KDbKMKu/s1600/375793_10150441708340874_1286085159_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmqaGlCks4Y52eZjntsj-vidL-VYr7bYZoh3vArjFbqgRobjcndUEZDKj0-ZHQHjJcERpeW0rB4rlPWSdbesnuf_jXjojrTR8G1rrsWErnkjtMmG7rrA1GdMsg299RSSladRMb9KDbKMKu/s400/375793_10150441708340874_1286085159_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mTbGIQBSvuE/UlEhDIKzPsI/AAAAAAAAE8c/MHTpeYgYNts/s1600/378048_10150441751265874_1788521085_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mTbGIQBSvuE/UlEhDIKzPsI/AAAAAAAAE8c/MHTpeYgYNts/s400/378048_10150441751265874_1788521085_n.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Lbkz_3USnI/UlEhDSsJMUI/AAAAAAAAE8k/8258XdEJ_is/s1600/378948_10150441716945874_1548669834_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xVXBiZ129fg/UlEhEMd-OlI/AAAAAAAAE8w/6nd_oOaKC0s/s1600/379427_10150441737775874_1781225104_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xVXBiZ129fg/UlEhEMd-OlI/AAAAAAAAE8w/6nd_oOaKC0s/s320/379427_10150441737775874_1781225104_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Lbkz_3USnI/UlEhDSsJMUI/AAAAAAAAE8k/8258XdEJ_is/s320/378948_10150441716945874_1548669834_n.jpg" width="240" /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s0FkWbbiiek/UlEhFQikZbI/AAAAAAAAE9I/HXMTf7V08WE/s1600/385979_10150441718620874_1390439732_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s0FkWbbiiek/UlEhFQikZbI/AAAAAAAAE9I/HXMTf7V08WE/s400/385979_10150441718620874_1390439732_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Z2PQ6mEFnU/UlEhFydn4hI/AAAAAAAAE9U/m5fyE3FWY2g/s1600/386076_10150463023550874_2064362978_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Z2PQ6mEFnU/UlEhFydn4hI/AAAAAAAAE9U/m5fyE3FWY2g/s400/386076_10150463023550874_2064362978_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iEOSmTXtPe8/UlEhGjL9EBI/AAAAAAAAE9g/OUFcMLcR4NY/s1600/387374_10150441744635874_1792286727_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iEOSmTXtPe8/UlEhGjL9EBI/AAAAAAAAE9g/OUFcMLcR4NY/s320/387374_10150441744635874_1792286727_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11sD5jBGtk1nGl1jBFOEPHq20keSbyYQuQw3LQ8SNosguiqUtGqBHL1yehgQAXjO2VTgWehoHV0q8_jFC7R_VG8v-Kj12Alrx6_1mbILsyrm819CyxjbySZ3__A3eZ_4oS19WSWNVOejM/s1600/387421_10150463020655874_496751343_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11sD5jBGtk1nGl1jBFOEPHq20keSbyYQuQw3LQ8SNosguiqUtGqBHL1yehgQAXjO2VTgWehoHV0q8_jFC7R_VG8v-Kj12Alrx6_1mbILsyrm819CyxjbySZ3__A3eZ_4oS19WSWNVOejM/s320/387421_10150463020655874_496751343_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JCRpqRgpm2k/UlEhG0VwTUI/AAAAAAAAE9s/waAxJ-CM2Bc/s1600/389195_10150441704990874_1358810646_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JCRpqRgpm2k/UlEhG0VwTUI/AAAAAAAAE9s/waAxJ-CM2Bc/s320/389195_10150441704990874_1358810646_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KHaLictfg0I/UlEhHnegf7I/AAAAAAAAE94/-ro2-Ucvi_s/s1600/391571_10150441734975874_1602104203_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KHaLictfg0I/UlEhHnegf7I/AAAAAAAAE94/-ro2-Ucvi_s/s320/391571_10150441734975874_1602104203_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd1KuOyEkItqR8pI0Q-2VTWrv4kpSVijEiY8Br5zdM99ot9DkXjzF-WZeJQZBzKKDXooSbu0s4y-bUICJL24t_HcgVwjioUw_WLCch7hk7uj1OLJ-9WOBa3JRzM1EYD8vw84VncLo2itGS/s1600/392192_10150441754910874_1623268927_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd1KuOyEkItqR8pI0Q-2VTWrv4kpSVijEiY8Br5zdM99ot9DkXjzF-WZeJQZBzKKDXooSbu0s4y-bUICJL24t_HcgVwjioUw_WLCch7hk7uj1OLJ-9WOBa3JRzM1EYD8vw84VncLo2itGS/s400/392192_10150441754910874_1623268927_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieg8Ie4awiDEAdkBhWzcODxan4lscSh4y-GloxOV-v-oKDgxm4jCiu7lsZS3-i30_LbQzhJ1LLUZEbUEKHETRgGqW2Rg0Z5iMwEX8q4WafvrDVpNQQhujkjAHRwso2rgPELU4DfzPkWfHm/s1600/393365_10150463018060874_1077870112_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieg8Ie4awiDEAdkBhWzcODxan4lscSh4y-GloxOV-v-oKDgxm4jCiu7lsZS3-i30_LbQzhJ1LLUZEbUEKHETRgGqW2Rg0Z5iMwEX8q4WafvrDVpNQQhujkjAHRwso2rgPELU4DfzPkWfHm/s640/393365_10150463018060874_1077870112_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<i>[All images are self clicked]</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01684215421059627649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972250705283161269.post-38057471360650580332013-09-28T14:54:00.000+05:302013-10-10T00:38:08.963+05:30Living in Haidian V/s Living in Chaoyang<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: left;">A First-hand Experience into moving & living in Major
Urban Districts: Haidian and Chaoyang in Beijing, China</span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Beijing is spread across 16,801 km² with a population over
20.18 million (20122 census). The vast size and the constant economic growth of
this city are a vital part to what foreigners are attracted to and the possible
reason they promptly leave the life they were living in their own country and
move here in the City of the East.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Beijing Municipality currently comprises 16 administrative
county-level subdivisions. But in this post, I am only going to be focusing on
the districts located at the center of the city and moving from one end to
another. In the heart of hearts, lies Xicheng and Dongcheng. Moving further
away, between the 2<sup>nd</sup> and 5<sup>th</sup> ring road, lie the major
Urban Districts: Chaoyang, Haidian, Fengtai and Shijingshan. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The central part of Haidian's economy is the Zhongguancun
electronics district, which hosts the Beijing offices of many software and
computer technology companies. Whereas, Chaoyang is home to the majority of
Beijing's many foreign embassies, the well-known Sanlitun bar street, as well
as Beijing's growing CBD.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hod-C6B3i4k/UjhHCrV3DoI/AAAAAAAAE4A/RXV9QATcmMU/s1600/299086_10150410107985874_878573417_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hod-C6B3i4k/UjhHCrV3DoI/AAAAAAAAE4A/RXV9QATcmMU/s320/299086_10150410107985874_878573417_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wudaokuo, Haidian crossing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mrpdQ8MrePY/UjhGaEk7hNI/AAAAAAAAE3g/f9X8wGbWYAo/s1600/383770_10150529576030874_500611843_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mrpdQ8MrePY/UjhGaEk7hNI/AAAAAAAAE3g/f9X8wGbWYAo/s400/383770_10150529576030874_500611843_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CCTV Building, Haidian </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Having lived a major part of my time in Haidian, an
educational district, with the majority of universities located here, it is
definitely going to be a change to be moving to the Chaoyang district, to be
more precise- Chaoyangmen. The Chaoyang Gate (the Gate Facing the Sun) was the
main gate of the East City. The gate was demolished, along with the walls and
moat of the East City in the 1950s and replaced with the 2nd Ring Road where
the moat and walls had been. </span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yXeO6XIT8WY/UjhLJIiuKNI/AAAAAAAAE4w/1olCDmYMf_o/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yXeO6XIT8WY/UjhLJIiuKNI/AAAAAAAAE4w/1olCDmYMf_o/s640/PicMonkey+Collage3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chaoyangmen crossing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_S_uzYEr4vU/UjhNmg6PcoI/AAAAAAAAE48/Ih3B8Td_Wso/s1600/IMG-20130914-02488.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_S_uzYEr4vU/UjhNmg6PcoI/AAAAAAAAE48/Ih3B8Td_Wso/s400/IMG-20130914-02488.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mLUU-4iMAQg/UjhJduX0jsI/AAAAAAAAE4Q/EGeAWP0hyyk/s1600/IMG_20130913_170533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mLUU-4iMAQg/UjhJduX0jsI/AAAAAAAAE4Q/EGeAWP0hyyk/s400/IMG_20130913_170533.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GorZ7bURqt0/UjhKrkJqyXI/AAAAAAAAE4o/2FWIytRUagI/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GorZ7bURqt0/UjhKrkJqyXI/AAAAAAAAE4o/2FWIytRUagI/s400/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jRtXlRIpwx8/UkafoAJ2NRI/AAAAAAAAE6s/JE-vNAV2cdA/s1600/IMG_20130923_202923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jRtXlRIpwx8/UkafoAJ2NRI/AAAAAAAAE6s/JE-vNAV2cdA/s400/IMG_20130923_202923.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One observation that cannot be ignored is that Haidian is
more relaxed than the ever-busy Chaoyang. I am most certainly 2 minutes walking
distance from Starbucks which, just by the way, I regard as a complete hype for
absolutely no reason at all. I've tasted better coffee, better food in the most
local of the local places. That is my one line review of the
God-knows-why-famous Starbucks. In Chaoyangmen I live right across what seems
to be the Russian District. There are numerous cafes, shopping malls all
Russian. There are plenty of foreigners on this side of the city. H&M,
Suning, U-town, Walmart, Costa coffee, Mc Donalds and even Burger King join the
list of places within 5 minutes from where I live on Chao wai nan lu. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A walk on the Chaowainanlu, and the Russian malls are all
around this place, also a very interesting find is the lack of Chinese
restaurants and a bunch of stores selling fox skin. It was shocking
to see the amount of skin people had outside their stores, very casually just
counting the number of dead animal fur. </span><br />
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Although this Business District is suppose to impress, it fails to do so as compared to the Haidian soul. Good inexpensive chinese food is hard to find, and this is a vital point to focus on as is good housing, places promoting themselves for students. A good location is mostly all that matters, not only does the apartment count, but don't forget to also look carefully around the locality you choose to live in Beijing.</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>[All images are self clicked]</i></span></div>
<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01684215421059627649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972250705283161269.post-24887574367892551122013-09-19T15:02:00.002+05:302013-09-26T20:30:18.758+05:30F Visa (Business) Extension In Beijing, China 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Extension of the Business "F" visa</span></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Most of us are confused with the new visa rule changes that have come up in the recent times. Starting on 1st September, the following on the link are the changes come in effect. <i><a href="http://www.china-briefing.com/news/2013/07/25/china-releases-final-draft-of-new-visa-and-residence-permit-regulations-for-foreigners.html">http://www.china-briefing.com/news/2013/07/25/china-releases-final-draft-of-new-visa-and-residence-permit-regulations-for-foreigners.html</a></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Foreigners being invited to Beijing for undertake activities
like short term visit investigations lectures business scientific & technological
and cultural exchange and short-term advanced studies practice etc., should
holding "F" (visiting) visa for entry, and stay within the resident
period of visa, which countered from the date of entry, if still need to stay
when exceed the resident period, should process visa extension application
procedures to Exit & Entry Administration, Public Security Bureau in
Beijing before the expiry, the times of extension is not limited, but each time
extension shouldn't exceed 3 months, the accumulated resident period not exceed
one year. When request visa extension application, must provide the following materials:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1. One's valid passport and visa;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">2. Host units' official letters <b>in chinese</b> (if hosted by independent investment joint venture and foreign
investment enterprises the whole-people collective and joint stock companies
etc., must also provide originals<b> and</b>
copies of duplicate of "Business License");<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">3. Adding the <b>official
seal</b> of the unit when fill out "Application Form for Visa Residence
Permit", and stick a recent, two in., bareheaded, full-faced photo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Sources:</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.ebeijing.gov.cn/visa/Fvisa/t982146.htm">http://www.ebeijing.gov.cn/visa/Fvisa/t982146.htm</a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Official website: <a href="http://www.bjgaj.gov.cn/web/">http://www.bjgaj.gov.cn/web/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Note: You cannot apply for an extension of visa AGAIN. You have the choice of either leaving the country (eg HK) or apply for another kind of visa. I know, totally sucks. Let's see what's in store for me next week. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Address of visa Office: </i></span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">2 Andingmen Avenue (East), Dongcheng District, Beijing (Southeast of BeiXiaoJie Bridge, 2nd Ring Road).</span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /><i>How to get there: </i></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Public transportation: BeiXiaoJie HuoKou Stop by Bus 44, 13, 116,807, 117, or Lama Temple Station by Underground Line 2, exit B</span></h4>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01684215421059627649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972250705283161269.post-9236432301326412162013-09-17T21:13:00.000+05:302013-10-10T00:39:21.956+05:30A Look Into The Teaching/Modeling Scenario In Beijing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To an alien familiar with China, it is of no secret that working as a part time teacher or even getting acting/modeling assignments are great ways to earn a fast buck. Of course, Europeans and Americans and the likes are also open to dating/getting married to (probably rich) Chinese men or even women who crave for the fantasy of the white skin. Yes, such immense obsession that this potential superpower has with the actual superpower; it is absolutely, most certainly, ridiculous. But this blog post is not about how the Chinese are fascinated with other humans that do not even remotely look like them; or how desperately they try; dye their hair blonde or use not only various cosmetics to turn their skin whiter, but also plastic surgery to get a pointier nose, chin and bigger more “western looking” eyes – You get the picture.</span></h4>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Since the past ten years, the need for English teachers in China has increased by a tremendous amount, and even so for Native English teachers. There are several advertisements, several agencies providing work visas, a salary from anywhere between 10k to 20k, along with several benefits.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WepUG4FjfVA/UjhCWGy21TI/AAAAAAAAE28/pxupA9S3dxc/s1600/thebjad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="365" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WepUG4FjfVA/UjhCWGy21TI/AAAAAAAAE28/pxupA9S3dxc/s400/thebjad.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: left;">Example of AD looking for A Native English teacher</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b>TIENS photo-shoot</b></i></span></h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In 2012, it was just another ordinary day as I was walking out my form building in BLCU, Wudaokuo and a woman came to me, took me to her group a few feet away and told me she wanted me to let her take pictures of my face profile. If they needed someone with my look they would get in touch. I let them take pictures and a few days later I got a call then an email and the next thing I know I’m getting my make-up done for a pharmaceutical photo-shoot. I had a good set of foreigners with me; this was a new experience for some. But for 12 hours we were in it together and it was tiring but pretty amazing. To be honest, now that I’m back in the city, I do feel like going for more photo-shoots. It was good money about 1300 RMB for 12 hours and then again around 500 more for 3 or 4 hours. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcOI8D4IHoymoD1DowOwpvEfsMNwHZgWxwKhDC-X_3jBmRxEU8VoXnSjJsebzfDAOT48qgxcfnD6JX9Ct561gFxXUKh649BKS6IrGhsvT0A-geIDSYXY-AZRYqsCkPZnPpD62TtJDKqWn8/s1600/376182_10151055923395874_415861347_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcOI8D4IHoymoD1DowOwpvEfsMNwHZgWxwKhDC-X_3jBmRxEU8VoXnSjJsebzfDAOT48qgxcfnD6JX9Ct561gFxXUKh649BKS6IrGhsvT0A-geIDSYXY-AZRYqsCkPZnPpD62TtJDKqWn8/s640/376182_10151055923395874_415861347_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bunch us students from BLCU at the photoshoot in Tianjin for a 12 hour shoot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Rd_37VkNeeIphErCt5gyoKuVBJlz_i8P5ofVRLbwF0AFHDMDvEcOR3m6KYBHoeY7WZAF2Goqjf3BHU3sqpHDWjjkIS1cQIqjreF5CLpzpYn-N_nWvG9NBlgfG_5bfRIp6V22MthJG4bL/s1600/540910_10151055936190874_1843381169_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Rd_37VkNeeIphErCt5gyoKuVBJlz_i8P5ofVRLbwF0AFHDMDvEcOR3m6KYBHoeY7WZAF2Goqjf3BHU3sqpHDWjjkIS1cQIqjreF5CLpzpYn-N_nWvG9NBlgfG_5bfRIp6V22MthJG4bL/s400/540910_10151055936190874_1843381169_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Teaching English is new to me, and this time around that’s what I got to focusing on. The following are a bunch of my personal experiences. I want to be able to share these with others in my shoes, living and earning on the side here in China.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-844Pk5g--fQ/UjhC0SSeFhI/AAAAAAAAE3U/zFYCrmRH_eI/s1600/1001248_10151852286285874_1795317228_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-844Pk5g--fQ/UjhC0SSeFhI/AAAAAAAAE3U/zFYCrmRH_eI/s320/1001248_10151852286285874_1795317228_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sino Education Building</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><i>The Classic Case of the Brat</i></b></span></h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So one bright morning, I go to the Sino education office located about 35-40 minutes, including the fifteen minute it takes walking to the Weigongcun subway. I reach in time and I find out I need to wait out ten or fifteen minutes for the kid to arrive for her class. This cute girl was nicely carried in by her mom. I didn't think much of this then but I’m beginning to understand why I’m bringing this into light right now. A room full of funny looking chairs and props were kept for kids to play around with. The Kid’s mom was… oddly older for a child around 4 or 5? She had the skin of a 50's lady –dark spots and no glow, absolutely. But, anyway, enough with how much noticing I took interest in. I was introduced to Angel, her name was the only anything angel about her though. Angel wore a nice bow around the head, would not sit still for even a second. But somehow, even I don’t know how, we got from A to well M as far as alphabets are concerned. Her mom, and another office member and I spent about more than half an hour trying for her to stick to her seat and interact with me. The only thing she was concerned with was A. freedom to jump around, B. that her mommy stay in the room. How this delightful session ended was with Angel crying her throat out behind the comical chair she sat/hide behind, and this is after her mom left the room for the student teacher interaction to take place. I was not going to move my ass. I know better than to run around a spoilt princess crying for attention. I might not be painting a pretty patient picture of myself here but the truth is if you were there, you’d agree with me. Later, after the duo left, the office assistant Alice told me that because Angel’s mom already had a 18 year old son, she was the more focused on and therefore loved more. No wonder.</span></div>
</div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Irene- the real teacher</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I met Irene through my sister. My first impression of her is my last impression of her. She is a professional, smart and polite Chinese lady who runs her own chain of English teaching offices around Beijing. She also gave us a good teaching rate per hour unlike other agencies that make it an almost never ending process for you to get to the point where you start earning what you well deserve. So far, I enjoy working for Irene and sharing this with my sister. I don’t think I can forget how she always somehow manages to bring in “I see’, or ‘we’ll see’ in a conversation. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you like what you read, watch this space for more!</span><br />
<div>
<i>[All images are self clicked]</i></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01684215421059627649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972250705283161269.post-24973812432600597562013-09-10T17:54:00.000+05:302013-09-10T17:54:22.036+05:30The 21st Century Pain!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In August 2013, I got myself one of the best phones the
world had to offer – <b>The LG Nexus 4</b>. Smooth, sleek, classy black and just
beautiful. I was on the constant hunt to look for a good cover for it because
the one con it did have was a glass back. An extremely bad idea for any phone
to have, absolutely. I wanted a cover, a funky one for my baby. I safely got it
to Beijing and for the good few days I didn't go out, me and my bff were
getting long just great. Everything from my emails, the best 8 megapixel
camera, my new found excitement for Instagram and so on forth, I didn't even
notice I was already in a relationship with the one thing that was my rock- my
phone.</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ONE UGLY night, under the sign –San li tun SOHO, a bit tipsy
and too excited, I don’t even know what exactly happened but the next thing I
know my baby fell in the water. It hit the ground went for a swim. I do not
even know how to describe how that feels. To have your super new phone that you
wanted soooooo bad to just fall within weeks of purchase. This is the 21<sup>st</sup>
century pain. I am currently trying out my options to save my baby. I've tried a couple of times here but the chinese guys say I need to change the motherboard along with the screen, Damnit! But the ultimate decision would be back to India-
warranty repair. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have gone through with the option of RICE. And it did not
work for me. I can see 20% of my screen when I put it on with a charger, the
power button’s gone. I have just gone through the worst feeling. This was brand
new. This was everything to me : ( Here’s hoping to fix it in the new future… or a new phone even.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01684215421059627649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972250705283161269.post-41899387517465327002013-08-14T11:33:00.001+05:302013-08-14T11:33:16.461+05:30Visit To Wudaokuo, Haidian With Risha<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OuszocBZzNo/UgscZnnBiwI/AAAAAAAAAxU/EenfnNm0AsM/s1600/PANO_20130812_125141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="113" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OuszocBZzNo/UgscZnnBiwI/AAAAAAAAAxU/EenfnNm0AsM/s640/PANO_20130812_125141.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New and Improved BLCU</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: #fce5cd; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">This is the first time ever I visited Wudaokuo with my sister. I studied in BLCU in 2011 for an year and Risha went to study there for an year in 2012. So we did miss each other out by that much. This was the first day we were in the same school at the same time. We went across the U center and entered from one of the southern gates of BLCU. Packed out our separate favorite dishes from the BLCU canteen. And to add to that, we closed the deal by going shopping to Golden Towers. This time, like all times, I came across the cheapest pair of gorgeous heels. Brown. Yum. We bought a couple things and even got the famous 10 RMB manicures done. My nails like that little treat. After lunch, while waiting for Risha to come back from buying a calling card, I was sitting right in front of the famous BLCU library, right out front of the canteen. BLCU is gorgeous as ever. And the construction that was going on when I left has most definitely been completed. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">BLCU is gorgeous!</span></span></h3>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01684215421059627649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972250705283161269.post-8962567507965940542013-08-13T19:09:00.001+05:302013-08-13T19:09:47.784+05:30Dark Sunday Afternoon in Beijing!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPNOBtFkIT2Tm16zFtq8NWwdjrWO5rit7olBkPGhl8W7dixmfycouXZ4IhoRUc82R66m2ng5ajHDucLChmRFE_YBzlGEIKKB89svcoyV7mr3yT7US-9jfX5HD4BWTuprtSCZ-ck7eUAtxH/s1600/My+Movie.wmv" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPNOBtFkIT2Tm16zFtq8NWwdjrWO5rit7olBkPGhl8W7dixmfycouXZ4IhoRUc82R66m2ng5ajHDucLChmRFE_YBzlGEIKKB89svcoyV7mr3yT7US-9jfX5HD4BWTuprtSCZ-ck7eUAtxH/s400/My+Movie.wmv" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
First sunday i'm back in Beijing and its pouring cats and dogs! Thank God we decided to stay in that day! Travelling on a weekend in and around Beijing isn't a wise idea anyway.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01684215421059627649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972250705283161269.post-66605307771754211492013-08-05T19:18:00.000+05:302013-08-09T21:13:47.843+05:30Packing for Beijing!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Its time to head to the east, again. And the list goes somewhat like this. 1. Maggi 2.Bleach<br />
Yes. Two essentials. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01684215421059627649noreply@blogger.com0