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Today's weather:
- Day: 33 degrees, sunny and clody
- Night: 22 degrees and raining
Sentence of today:
Could you take a photo of me?
你能帮我照相吗?Nǐ néng bang wǒ zhàoxiàng ma?
Today's - Good to know:
Chinese men are avid smokers but awareness of tobacco's harmful effects is slowly sinking in and propaganda since the mid-´80s to stop people smoking in public has been quite effective.
Hawking and spitting has traditionally been a ubiquitous habit in China. Recently, concerns about its role in the spread if diseases (including SARS) and the image problem this "vulgar" habit poses for the Chinese in the lead-up to the Beijing Olympics has led to a concerted campaign to stamp it out.
Todays tip:
Push your way into public transport or wait forever.
Dish of today:
酸辣粉。 Suān là fěn。 Noodles in a spicy soup.
Today's Historical fact:
Beijing hosts the 2008 Summer Olympic Games and Paralympics. The Games go smoothly and are widely considered to be a great success in burnishing China's image overseas.
Book of today:
The Rape of Nanking (Iris Chang)
Puts into perspective China's deep-rooted ambivalence towards its island neighbour, Japan.
My day:
Was waked up at 8 for breakfast. Bred with a strange kind of soup with no taste. But at least there were fried eggs also.
I was a bit tired this morning, and didn't really get that we went out for playing badminton, so I just packed my normal back with camera, guide book, phones and stuff, and took my flip-flops on. He looked strangely at me for bringing my bag. When we then arrived at the sports centre, Deng Baba asked me, did you forget your shoes? I was like, ahaa, you want me to play badminton too. I really experienced the language barrier there is between the family and me. I thought we went to see the Olympic stadium, the Bird Nest, but that was first later in the afternoon. Anyway, playing badminton was great fun, I played for 4 years when I was younger, and still have it in me, so I defeated some of the guys.
A thing I have been noticing is that young guys have long nails, especially the little finger. It should show that you are not a fieldworker and don't get your hands dirty. I find it a bit stupid for most of the guys have dirty nails anyway.
Driving in Beijing is crazy, Chinese people have no trouble driving 4 cars next to each other on a 3 lane road. Also the "emergency lane" on the highway is fully occupied with cars. You are also aloud to turn right in a crossing even if there is a red light.
Beijing tried to reduce the amount of cars on the road by making a law that one day each week; you are not aloud to drive. I asked You Mama how they control it, and she said, in every traffic light there is a camera, so if you drive on the day you are not aloud to, the camera picks it up, and you get a big fine.
This afternoon the whole family, You Mama, Deng Baba, Xiaoxiao, Jiaojiao and me went to the Olympic stadium. The architecture is pretty amazing when you look at it from the outside, but that's it. The Chinese people have a tendency to make things sounds more amazing than they really are. After the stadium we went to the Olympic park, which is the biggest park in Beijing. There is a really beautiful fountain/water show with music. You could easily spent half an hour just looking at it.
I ask the family about cars in China. If they are expensive? Because I noticed, that its really rare that you see an old car. Its mostly new cars in all the different brands, especially German cars or Toyota. And they are not so expensive as in Europe. The gas is also a bit cheaper. Two years ago Beijing government made at new law to prevent the increasing amount of cars, by making a lottery system, so if you are without a car, and want to have one, you have to take a number, and only certain numbers allow you to obtain one.
Our daytrip ended up in a restaurant called Spicy Grandma. And it was spicy! But also delicious. : )
Now its bedtime! Goodnight!
Ps: I miss you Vince!
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