kjp

In the internet cafe again. I've got a slight problem - this is the second computer that has windows 98 on it... And it doesn't recognise either my camera or my flash drive.... So I may have a storage issue, unless I can find a different / better internet conection.. But this may be a problem - there doesn't seem to be too many of them around that I can find easily. Otherwise. No photos for a future spam or two; or this website.

OK some random stuff about the past 2 days: No order - just as things come...

* crossing the big roads in Beijing is on the hazordous side of things... A honk / bell means that someone is coming through, regardless of the colour of the light. I always wait 5 / 10 seconds after getting a green walk light to cross - lots of people pushing the green light..
* The view from Jingshan park (just nrth of the forbidden city) is very good. Went up there yesterday - which was the moon festival or somehting. There were heaps of groupps singing. Just random people I think, as just random people were joining in. So they were folk tunes, I suppose.
* Beijing is big - big buildings; big distances; big roads, etc, etc.
* Exploring a hutong / backstreet or two is pretty good fun.
* The Buddist lama temple (went there this morning) is pretty cool - old, ornate stuff. unfortunately, could not take photos from withing the temples - just outside.
* beijing subway is pretty fast / effecient. Good valuefor Y3.
* Getting a sim card for my phone was a bit of a challenge.
* I haven't been to the hotel restraunt - just to local stuff. There's a small place just over the corner
* Getting stared is a bit weird. I am somewhere between weird / strange / curious to some people.
* Lunch at the equivalent of maccas for chinese was a bit bland today. Although there are Maccas and KFC stores. Although the Maccas are very small - just icecreams and deserts. Weir.d
* bottled water is Y5 for 1.5Litre. It tastes a bit wierd. I think that I prefer "Canberra juice" (!)
* It's cool watching old guys do their caligaraphy on the stones in the parks.
* At a park earlier today it was cool to see heaps of old people and grannys / grandpas do their excersises and taichi... (you would have fit in j&s!)
* I've had t use wo zai nar (where am I?) already....
* Beijing seems to be a city of contrasts - big modern buildings with run down old (very old) hutongs right next door.

I want to get some fruit, and see what a maccas icecream tastes like

I need some more cash.-- need to visit a bank. The hotel will give me Y807 for USD100. I can probably do a bit better.

the guy over there's ciagerette smoke is anoying me. (Although in the trip this hasn't been too much of a problem for me so far).

ok,
bye.