Beijing | An Unweeded Garden

Browsing All Posts filed under »Beijing«

Saving face or saving money?

August 20, 2012

Understanding what something’s worth is never as straightforward as it might be. Yes, there’s supply and demand, but there’s at least three extra dimensions in Beijing. Distance, Haggling and Face. Distance is a factor everywhere, of course, as convenience always comes at a premium – but when nipping to the shop at the next corner […]

IKEA – with Chinese characteristics

August 6, 2012

Anyone trying to get to grips with modern China could do worse than head to IKEA in Beijing on a Saturday afternoon. Not only do they have one here (actually, they have 10 across a variety of cities with at least 2 more planned in the next couple of years) but, as might be expected […]

Olympic Legacy

July 30, 2012

People talk a lot about legacy when they talk about the Olympic Games. In London’s case, the word has never been far from the spotlight – and casting a glance over the previous two host cities can be telling in determining what that legacy for London might be. Athens has not fared well. Amidst the […]

A Traditional British Summer – in Beijing

July 23, 2012

Sometimes it seems like a bit of a shame not being in England to join in the support during the Euros, Wimbledon, the Tour de France (well, we had to win something), the cricket and, of course, The Olympics. And, I guess that’s just bad luck. But for anyone concerned that I’ve been missing out […]

Chairman who?

June 1, 2012

Beijing is something of a popular spot for visiting dignitaries. Last week Jeremy Browne MP came along to the British Chamber of Commerce for a roundtable discussion about the current economic climate for doing business in Beijing. More green than brown as he listened to the latest survey results from BritCham, he seemed most impressed […]

Looking in the wrong direction

May 29, 2012

“Look in the opposite direction to the oncoming traffic” doesn’t sound like the best piece of advice you could give someone about to cross an eight lane road in the middle of Beijing, but it’s surprisingly effective. The theory is that by showing the oncoming traffic you’re not paying any attention, the onus is with […]

Chinese lessons: part II

May 22, 2012

And so it begins, in earnest. Chinese lessons. Official Chinese lessons. Not Chinese lessons in a park, on a bench, with whoever has decided to take it upon themselves to teach me the Mandarin for Beijing Duck this week. No, I’ve enrolled at The Hutong School in Sanlitun. A proper school, with a proper syllabus, […]

Chinese lessons: part I

May 11, 2012

I’m not in the habit of talking to old men in parks, but sometimes you have to buck the trend and go with it. And so it was on Sunday, whilst sitting, reading by a lake in Solidify Lake Park, that I became embroiled in a conversation with an elderly Chinese gentleman. By conversation, of […]

China: Day one…

March 27, 2012

…I’ll be honest, expectations weren’t high on moving to Beijing. But they weren’t low either. Because somewhere in the swirl of last minute meetings, with clients and friends, baby Leo being ill and trying to sort out all the practicalities of the move, I’d somehow managed not to set any real expectations at all. That […]