Biscuet.com

Since you last heard from me…

Moved.

Hosted a group from the US.

Got a new passport.

Celebrated 6 months of being able to keep a girlfriend.

Planned a massive event (with the help of tons of other very talented and smart people).

Booked flights for people to come help with said event.

Sat in an uncountable amount of meetings.

Went horseback riding.

Went to a hip hop concert.

Oh and so much more.

I went to IKEA on Saturday. Big mistake. Thousands of Chinese people also had the same idea. It was jam-packed from wall to wall. Getting through the aisles involved pushing, elbowing, and swim moves. I got rammed by at least a dozen carts during the 2 hours that i was there. But, in the process, i kept a relatively positive attitude and learned a few things. Here’s what a Saturday at IKEA in Beijing will teach you:

• Chinese people tend to drive shopping carts like they drive cars: butting in front of people, ramming people out of the way, moving your cart themselves when it’s in their way, and more.
• The amount of people in the store was overwhelming evidence that the Chinese value beauty, order, and trendy design influenced by western styles.  They value it so much that they want to put it in their own homes.
• Some people go to IKEA because the beds are more comfortable than the ones at their homes.  Contrary to the popular Chinese myth, the bedroom section was not setup to be used as a napping area.  IKEA in China is infamous for people sleeping in the beds that are displayed throughout the store.  My trip on Saturday did not disappoint.  Here are 2 photos:

Mom, Dad, and kid all asleep (Dad is under the two pillows!)

They even have their shoes off.

Never in my life have i felt more like a prisoner than when i visited the US Embassy in Beijing. A couple of days ago i had to go the US Embassy to renew my passport. I’d like to give you the full story of that experience, but i’m quite certain i’ll leave out a detail or two. In case this isn’t common knowledge, let me start by saying that the US Embassy is supposed to technically be US soil. That would lead me to assume that a US citizen would be gladly welcomed there and given a pleasant experience. Let me back up a couple of days first before i go any further. I first went to the embassy on Wednesday. Turns out it’s closed on Wednesdays and then i found out later that you need an appointment first so even if they had been open i still would have been turned away. Yes, you read that correctly, i need an appointment to visit my own motherland. So i made my appointment and i went back on Friday afternoon. And so the saga begins…

- First problem: The embassy people forgot that they need signage outside the complex to direct their American compadres on how to get inside the building. There were no signs anywhere. I ended up asking two different guards how to get in. I flashed my passport a couple of times thinking that would cue the red carpet. Nope.

- Finally made my way past the guards and the past the mob of Chinese people waiting out front only to be confronted by a Chinese kid no older than 15 demanding to see my passport and asking if i had an appointment. Oh yeah, and he was dressed in street clothes. Very professional. (note the sarcasm)

- Just inside the doors they have a metal detector and they took my cell phone and told me i could get it after. This is normal. I actually have no problem with this. Frankly, it was nice to be without a phone for a while.

- The American Citizen line whisks you past the 1000+ Chinese people standing in line for whatever it is they are doing (i guess they are all trying to make their way to the Land of Opportunity).

- Then, again with minimum signage and a lot of guesswork, i made my way upstairs to the American citizen services department. This portion of the experience felt very much like those prison visitation scenes you see in the movies except i think this time i was the prisoner.

- The American citizen services room is tiny. If more than 10 people get in there at a time it would feel like a Chinese subway at rush hour. The whole feel is cold and uninviting. Even the benches they have for you to sit on are cold metal benches. It’s all just bland and makes you want to get outta there as quickly as possible… except that leads us to the next issue…

- It’s like they don’t want you to leave. They are so slow you’d swear they get paid by the hour. And of course because the US Embassy is on US soil i thought my experience would include being helped by an American who could empathize with my issue. Nope. It was a Chinese girl with only decent English who was trying to help me. She managed to make the experience rather difficult and frustrating, but nevertheless i managed to sorta get what i need (that’s an even longer story).

- On my way out i was pushing and shoving my way through a sea of Chinese people still waiting in line when i was stopped by a Chinese guard. He asked me if was “so and so”… i told him no and continued to reach for the door. Before i could open the door he snatched my passport from me… this only added fuel to my frustration, but i wanted to be nice because i’m a nice person. So i let him look at my passport until he was happy and then i left. Whew… made it outta there. Hope to never go back. Except i’m going back tomorrow to finish the other half of what i needed to do but the Chinese girl behind the bullet proof glass couldn’t help me.

Ok, here are some brief suggestions:
- Is the US so broke they can’t afford a couple of nice couches in the waiting area?
- Would it hurt to make the US citizen area slightly larger so we don’t feel like we’re crammed in a little prisoner visitation cell?
- How about a water cooler and maybe even a small pot of coffee to make us feel welcome?
- Or, maybe magazines in the magazine rack that are post-2009?

And a brief comment about the number of Chinese that were there:
- Like i said, there were about 1000 of them inside the main gates of the embassy waiting in line. And there was another line of them that nearly wrapped around the block. I’ve only been to the embassy a handful of times, but it’s always like that. This is evidence of at least one thing: As opportunity presents itself for the Chinese they are flocking to leave their country.

In March of this year i found myself in Hanoi, Vietnam.  And then today i found this short clip while digging through some of the files from the trip:

Here’s a tiny collection of a few things that have been circling the internet here in China.  I’ve included a brief personal thought below each one:

1. A Village With Only One Restaurant
   This is a joke that has been making its way around Sina Weibo (China’s version of Twitter).  It’s quite easy to read between the lines and see the point that’s being made.
2. When a Woman Dares to Say “He Hit Me” in China
   The startling reality of domestic abuse in China.  Recently, a very public figure in China voiced publicly that her husband beats her.  This has started a firestorm of conversations in China about domestic abuse.
3. The Creators Project
   This is a 4-day art exhibit in Beijing’s infamous 798 Art District.  Lots of music, lectures, short films, and exhibits.  I’m looking forward to checking it out this Saturday.
4. China is Set to Enforce a New Social Benefits Tax for Foreigners
   This is interesting on many levels.  Never before have foreigners been a part of the retirement and social benefits plan in China.  Is this a sign of China’s continued development or a sign that they are once again looking to milk foreigners for more cash?  This new tax means that any employer with foreign employees is now responsible for an additional 37% tax for each foreigner.  The primary benefits for the foreigner include: medical care at Chinese hospitals and a retirement package.  Now, ask yourself this: When sick in China do you want to go to the sub-standard Chinese hospital or to the foreign hospital that accepts your foreign insurance?  And how many foreigners have you ever heard of retiring in China?  Very few.  Very very few.  We are not so easily fooled by China’s plan to milk more money out of employers choosing to hire foreigners.  However, with most new rules in China, there’s no plan in place to enforce this rule so i don’t think anyone is too upset yet.

The Confucius Cafe is a small quaint place in the center of some of Beijing’s coolest hutongs.  Located on Guozijian, the cafe is situated on the same street as several historic temples so there are always throngs of Chinese tourists marching behind their fearless flag-waving leader.  The Confucius Cafe serves up decent Illy brand coffee, but it’s really the wide-open windows and outdoor seating that makes this place attractive to me.  You can usually find me sitting at the closet table to the front windows or out on the porch either on Saturday mornings or anytime during the week if my desk chair gets too bothersome.  The best thing they have going for them is the breakfast special that they serve all day.  For RMB 28 ($4.38) you get a plate of eggs, toast, bacon, and coffee.  To me, it’s a great way to start any day!  Also, because they open at 8:30 a.m. they are open a solid 2 hours before anything else in this neighborhood.  I’m writing this post from my favorite table out front with a nice breeze and a slow setting sun.  If you ever see me here please stop to say hello.

Sometimes people ask me where my favorite area of Beijing is, but i find that to be a nearly impossible question to answer.  There are so many places in Beijing that are fun “favorites” in their own way.  However, if i’m pinned down and forced to give an answer i will generally say that my favorite area is Hou Hai.  For those not familiar with Beijing, Hou Hai is Chinese for “back lake”.  It’s a fairly large pond that is beautiful and is surrounded by bars, restaurants and coffee shops.  It’s a wonderful place to go for a walk, pick up Starbucks, people watch, grab yogurt, window shop, and just hang out on a sunny afternoon or nice evening.  The other night was my weekly date night so i decided to find a restaurant at Hou Hai that i’d never been to.  After some brief brainstorming, researching, googling, and reading, i finally landed on a Vietnamese place that i had seen many times, but never tried out.  So i decided to take a risk and check out Nuage.  Here’s my assessment:

Highs:

• Beautiful location.  The rooftop terrace overlooks the lake (see photo below).
• The interior decorating was very cool.  We sat outside, but the tables inside were very rustic and cool.  many of the seats were made out of old rickshaws.  Nice touch!
• The food was very delicious.  Most of the time restaurants at Hou Hai are hit-or-miss when it comes to the food quality.  I think Nuage was a hit.
• The service was fantastic.  Very friendly, very patient, very helpful.
• The rooftop or other large private room inside would be great for a large party.

Lows:

• Jenn got the Pho and said it wasn’t real Pho.  I don’t particularly love Pho so i don’t know exactly what she meant.  I think Nuage used different noodles than what is traditionally used in Vietnam.
• If you sit on the roof they charge an additional 15% service fee.  I kind of understand because of the limited seating and high demand, but still, feels like a bit of a rip off.
• A tad pricey, but i think that’s fairly normal for a restaurant right on the water at Hou Hai.

** Guys: listen up. If you need to take someone on a date in Beijing, here are the details of what i did. It seemed to go really well (unless Jenn lied to me and secretly hated the whole night).

• Dinner at Nuage. We got there just before sunset so we could see the pretty views, but then watched the sunset and had our dinner by candlelight.
• After dinner, we went down to the water and rented a little boat for an hour to cruise around the lake and hang out.  This was full of adventure as we accidentally hit a couple of boats and our battery died once and we had to get towed.  Great fun and great memories!
• After the boat, went to the frozen yogurt place that’s also right by the water and got dessert.  See, the hour-long boat thing let dinner settle and then we were ready for something sweet.
• Walk around and eat the yogurt. People watch or whatever.
• Optional part: If you have extra energy and need a longer date then walk down to Nanluoguxiang and do some window shopping and people watching.  This is a fascinating hutong street full of very cool shopping and home to China’s hipster scene.  It’s awesome.

I didn’t mean for this to turn into a restaurant review blog, but that’s what i’ve enjoyed doing the last couple of days so i’ll keep going with it.

Tonight i ate with several friends at one of my favorite roast duck restaurants in Beijing.  Roast duck is a traditional food in Beijing and is one of the most famous dishes to eat here.  My particular favorite roast duck restaurant is called Li Qun Roast Duck, and that’s where we ate tonight.  It’s located in the Qianmen area which is within walking distance to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.  It’s a beautiful area at night!

Here are some highs and lows for Li Qun:

HIGHS:

• The duck is amazing!  Absolutely delicious.
• The place is always bustling with people and excitement.
• The staff are generally very friendly and fun-loving.
• It’s tucked away in a small alley and quite hard to find.  So when you find it you truly feel like you’ve found a treasure.

LOWS:

• It’s a bit pricey.  There are less expensive duck places for sure, but the experience is worth it.  It’s especially worth it if you’re hosting a guest from out of town (as was the case tonight).
• It’s often very crowded.  I’ve waited for over an hour before for a seat.  Don’t go on a weekend.
• There isn’t any space indoors to wait for a table.  So if you have to wait and it happens to be raining then you are out of luck.

Li Qun is a “must visit” for the newcomer or visitor to Beijing.  It makes you feel like you’ve gone back in time to the days of “Old Beijing.”

On a whim today i decided that i want to find the best hot dog joint in Beijing.  Several new hot dog places have popped up over the last 2 years.  Two years ago i remember saying to some friends, “i sure wish this city would embrace the hot dog.”  Well, it looks like my wish might be coming true – at least for the time-being.

Today’s hot dog choice was Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs in the WanLiu mall at BaGou.  Here’s the rundown:

HIGHS

• VERY clean and new store.  For cleanliness i give it a 10 out of 10.
• Very friendly staff.  Although i didn’t meet anyone who spoke english, they were still very patient with my pitiful language skills and did everything with a smile.
• The french fries are crinkle cut fries, which i’ve never seen in China.  They are perfectly salted and quite tasty.

LOWS

• Although i didn’t hate the hot dog at all, i still can’t justify putting it in the “highs” category.  Though Nathan’s supposedly originated in NYC, i couldn’t find any resemblance of an NYC hot dog.  It wasn’t bad by any means, but it wasn’t good either.
• I got the chili cheese hot dog and the meat itself had a very grissly, fatty, texture to it.  Not like a true American hot dog.  The chili and cheese was good though.
• Overall, i give the hot dog a 6 out of 10.
• The price is quite expensive for what you get.  The chili cheese dog combo that comes with fries and a drink was about 35 RMB ($5.50).  The hot dog is small and so is the drink.  I left hungry and that’s never good.  The hot dog at Dairy Queen is literally half the price, but it’s twice as delicious.

I’m sorry Nathan’s, but you were quite the disappointment.  I think the only way i’d go back is if someone talked me into trying a hamburger.

A new restaurant opened up about 3 weeks ago called The Avocado Tree.  Being located in the bustling WuDaoKou area made me excited about it before ever visiting.  Less than 24 hours into being in Beijing someone was already asking me if i had been there, so on my first free night i decided to go with a group of 8 friends to check it out. The way i heard about it was something like this: “Hey! Have you been to the new Chipotle knock-off?” So with a lot of positive feedback, but with still low expectations i dove in. There are some positives and negatives as with any place. Here’s my take on it.

HIGHS

• I was surprised to meet a Canandian-born Chinese owner.  She’s young and energetic and, best of all, has perfect english.  She helped us order and made sure we had a positive experience.  She admitted that business had been slow to catch on with the local Chinese, but i’m hoping it will pick up.
• The restaurant was very clean.  Like, spick and spane clean.  I even took a peak at the kitchen and the oven was sparkling.
• Modern, hip furniture.  Like Chipotle (go figure).
• I didn’t try it out, but i saw a sign for free wi-fi.  That’s always a positive.
• DELICIOUS food.  WOW!  i was VERY impressed.  My friends had raved about the guacamole so i had to try it.  It did not disappoint.
• I had a chicken burrito combo.  Came with chips, salsa, and a coke.  All for 33 RMB (about $5).

LOWS

• At first glance, the portions seemed like a kid’s meal.  But, in fairness, i was pleasantly full.
• The drink cup was seriously a kiddy cup.  Might as well have been a sippy cup.
• The bathrooms are very inconvenient to access.  And they aren’t clean.  Or Western.