*jun on the landscape - 新加坡

6.26 am: In 北京

早安！

Sunlight hits pretty early here. 4 am is as bright as 9 am in Singapore. Got up early to iron work shirt and warm-up Chinese speaking part of brain and vocal muscles. Have a bunch of silly scribbles from yesterday I have not had the time to put up yet. Later.

Thus far, I love 北京. It’s gorgeous. I live in the middle of some major business district where the abundance of wide open spaces lets you admire skylines and pretty skyscrapers. So it is not like Shenton Way where you have to arch 70 degrees backwards to take in the entire building.

I was lucky to arrive to fair skies and gentle winds. None of that dustiness, pollution and dryness I’ve heard about. According to the driver who picked me up at the airport, if I had touched down two days earlier, I be looking at a sand storm.

First stop after checking into the hotel – Wal-Mart. 哈. I know, so not cool or cultured right? Here I am in the political and cultural centre of China… But bo pian had to get essentials. I am appalled to announce that they sell 30 types of floor mats for cars but only two types of coffee. The most standard of Nescafe products in a bottle or in 3-in-1 packets. This is not acceptable – I have an addiction. 毒瘾. But the locals do not really drink coffee; it’s a novelty to them. 叹气.

Got to go run some errands now…Oh yes, Tinana, I walked pass a small quaint shop filled with leopard print bags…