Beijing

I had a FULL day off today and walked what felt like miles and miles. Beijing feels propserous, but you can sense that the social experiment underway here is teetering. There are millions of migrants from the countryside who have flocked here and taken up all manner of menial jobs. The city is immaculately clean with this legion of workers. I mean, spotless. A ciggie butt doesn't last 10 minutes on the sidewalk
These folks live in pretty tough circumastances not a stones throw from the gleaming hotels and tourist spots.

It's hard not to notice the number of soldiers and police here. They are always in the background which feels very different to HK. I took so many pictures of these guys that I'm going to post a separate collection of their pics. But here's one to give you a flavour.

Beijing is a great place for people watching.... and being watched. I stand out from the crowd in China, standing as I do about 2 feet above everyone else Even in this day in age, I was stared at openly from time to time. One fun, but eventually tiresome fact of life for foreigners, is that you're constantly approached by students to practise their English. Some are trying to get you to buy something, but most are just practising conversation. If I'd stopped to talk to them all, I'd not have seen anything. A smile and a wave of the hand was my eventual defence.

Here are a collection of interesting faces from today.

I swear I took the above pic, my Fav of the day!

That's it for now. I'll post some more tomorrow morning before I fly to Melbourne.

I'll leave the last word for the "Big guy" and his friend.

Love to all.

T