boring beijing

I went to Beijing for a show last week
For the Singapore Seasons extravaganza
An event showcasing the Lion city's need
For more foreign talent and investors

We checked into the Somerset ZhongGuan Cun hotel
Beautiful apartment hotel in a boring part of Beijing
We only had time for dinner before we got comfortable
in anticipation that the next day will be tiring





As expected, day 2 was indeed a long day
When we arrived, it was not ready, the stage
We hung around waiting while finding the time to play
And before long it was time for lunch

After that we took to the stage
Which was covered with a layer of plastic
The amount of dust on it was unbelievably large
it rose up to the knee whenever we started to kick

By the time we were done, it was almost dark
A few of us took the train to Tiananmen Square
The brightly lit area was like a big park
And provided a humongous picturesque fare

The next morning before we were rehearsal bound
I managed to pay a visit to the Forbidden City
Still hungover from the night before
We took in the fortress which was largely empty
Touched the cold stones everywhere and on the ground
Hugged a few hundred year old cypress tree
Happy that Forbidden City is no longer found
to be forbidden, cos I was there, heehee

That night our show was a great success, as usual :)
Men in suits and pretty women were plentiful
With sumptuous food and everything else so visual
The extravaganza was entirely delightful

With only a night to go we booked a massage in our rooms
The Chinese girl was really pretty
The massage wasn't fantastic but cheaper than home
At least my muscles were no longer weary




That's it for Beijing. The Chinese people we encountered were surprisingly polite, a far cry from the ones I met in other Chinese cities. Perhaps they were trying to improve the social etiquette before the imminent Olympics in 2008.

S$1 = 4.99 yuans