Beijing tales

From the desk of Mama Piggy:


The quintessential tourist pix at Tiananmen.


The roof of one of the halls in the Forbidden City.


My fav pix - twisted branches against an icy blue sky.

The best part of the winter holiday was that I didn't feel/look fat, not when everyone else is wearing layers upon layers! Winter is a figure-flattering season :)


See the snowflake in the middle of my hand?

The worse part was going to the toilet. Peeling off layers after layers before doing our "business" is no fun, and the water from the tap is icy cold! Hmmm, does that explain why most of the locals don't wash their hands after going to the toilet? No, I kid you not - we went to several eating places, and I observed that the food handlers, who are easily identified in their uniforms, walked straight from the toilet cubicle into the food stalls. Urgh.


I also have Agreeable Feelings :) Notice the thin layer of fresh snow on the road?

We stayed at the Nanjing Great Hotel, which is just off Wangfujing and a stone's throw away from the Donghuamen Night Market (东华门夜市).



It's food galore at the market, which offers some rather "exotic" grub.


Sea urchin anyone?


Skewered creepy crawlies!

Or how about some crispy starfish snacks?

Candied fruits for picking.

Papa Porky haggling with a vendor.

There were a number of vagrants rummaging among the rubbish bins at the night market, feasting on half-eaten food discarded by tourists. One of them, an old man, hovered near us, glancing surreptitiously at the food in our hands. We bought him a plate of piping hot fried noodles, which costs 5 yuan (S$1). He was surprised by our gesture, and thanked us profusely. I shall never forget his face.

Back to sweltering Singapore

From the desk of Mama Piggy:


Braving the chilly winds at the moat outside Forbidden City.

Don't laugh. I know I look like an Eskimo. It was freezing cold that day. Temperature dipped to minus 11 degrees Celsius. And when the bitter northern winds blew, it felt like a knife which threatened to cut off my nose. Hence the cover up.

We couldn't have chosen a better time to go Beijing. But hey, we saw snow and had a close-up look at a snow flake, okay? We even had a McDonald's sundae one afternoon when the temperature was 1 degree Celsius! And candied apples (冰糖葫芦) never tasted this great!

China pixs

From the desk of Mama Piggy:



In my humble opinion, the West Lake in Hangzhou is over-rated. Maybe the Spring-time crowd there got to me, I didn't find West Lake especially enchanting.

Shanghai zaps me with its fast-paced mode and horrendous traffic, but at the same time it perks me up with its dynamism and energy.

I look forward to the day when I can cross the roads safely, without cars and motorbikes ramming into me even though it is MY right of way.

We're back ...

From the desk of Mama Piggy:

... and the heat and humidity in Singapore is almost unbearable.

Gimme the cool, crisp air of Shanghai anytime!

I will even put up with the chaotic traffic, rude drivers (especially the driver of a black Audi who nearly ran over me!) and funny English.



More pictures to come.