Almost a year older and hopefully a little wiser

Carol is the lovely photographer of Niffy and I touching the epic venue that is Mao Livehouse. If you scroll down this blog, you'll see that I snapped a pic of this place the first time I passed by it in a taxi. Didn't think I'd be going to concerts there this quickly!

Inside Mao. The icon above the Mao is actually a shadow of Chairman Mao's famous hair. Niffy also said it looked like headphones!

The Young Knives

I heart Beijing.

There's just SO much to do in Beijing; I want to quit my day job and just go have adventures and meet people.

I went to Toastmaster's again on Tuesday, and this time, Emlyn took home the prize. Very proud of him. He also confessed that last time, he had a little something to do with the fact that I was picked. Apparently, he was pointing at me from behind, volunteering me. :) That explains a lot...it just seemed so random that everyone else who spoke was a volunteer and I was the only person picked to go up. One guy called me rabbit girl because of my speech last time...what an unfortunate nickname.

Last night was a jam-packed evening. I love how my having to be up and ready to give a presentation at 8am every morning doesn't ever play a role in deciding whether or not to go out. In NY, I would have said no and went home and crashed...maybe its because my clients in New York would have killed me had I started babbling on the phone in gibberish while they were asking me about equity long/shorts. Here, if I'm a little disoriented in the morning, I just speak English a little faster and no one understands me anyways.

The gang & I went to Lily's (the place to go in Sanlitun (SLT) for mani's, pedi's, massages, scrubs, etc), and I finally got that much needed manicure. After moving in New York, flying across the ocean, landing in Beijing, my nails were overdue. I was listening to the manicurists talk to each other...Niffy overheard that the ladies only get 1 day off a week, and I heard that they make less than 100kuai a day. That's less than $15 dollars a day using today's conversion rate for USD to RMB. Insane considering how much work they have to do. My manicure cost 60kuai and it took the girl over an hour. I guess their job is preferable to being unemployed and stuck in a village somewhere, but still...you'd think this income disparity here in Beijing would instill in me a little financial guilt.

Haha, now I feel guilty but after mani's (Niffy got this adorable French one), we went to COLD STONE CREAMERY! Boston Cream Pie with Reese's in Cake Batter Ice Cream. BAM!

From there we caught a cab to the Houhai/Nanlouguxiang (NLGX) area to catch the Young Knives concert. We made a quick detour at the Red House for fruity girly drinks and margherita pizza/chicken fingers. The Red House has these super elevated seating decks, and each table has its own wooden platform that you stand on and press a button to raise yourself to the seating area. Absolutely hilarious set up. I felt like Dr. Evil or Mini-me on this wooden platform. The seating area is only like 4 ft up, but you don't want to climb up wearing a cocktail dress or whatever. That'd be classy. So instead, you have to stand on the platform and wait for the platform elevator to raise you up at this comically slow speed. I found it odd when I first did it, and then after a little alcohol, it was uncontrollably funny. The music in the background was hilarious....Jay Z, Michael Jackson, Avril Lavigne, Chinese National Orchestra, Beyonce, Techno.

The Young Knives are this up and coming British "post-punk" techno band that has hit it big these two years. They are on a world tour and making stops here in Beijing and Shanghai. Basically....super nerdy looking British guys who play awesome rock music. They wear ties and buttoned-up shirts, and while they're rocking out, their glasses keep sliding off their noses. ADORABLE :) Concert was made infinitely better by the fact they had limes and Coronas. We met up with Niffy's Peace Corp Friends (lots of love to my peace corp lady, Violeta down in Lesotho *love love love*). They have been stationed in a very impoverished area of China, so they loved the concert venue and said it was "surreal" listening to Brit punk rock in the heart of Beijing. The concert was probably as amazing to them as it was to me. This is not the Beijing of my parents', and this is not the Beijing I grew up with. But you know what? I like it, I love it, I want some more of it. I think Carol and I are going to make Mao Livehouse a more regular fixture. PK14 is performing in a couple weeks, and tomorrow night...they have a British Pop Night with 5 bands performing.

The second opening band for TYK was actually my favorite. It was a group of Chinese guys wearing a combination of Adidas track suits and 1970's disco outfits. They sang in Chinese and English--LOVED them. I have to find out what their name is. Carol and I were right up in the front for the entire show. Great sound, great music, great view...but its always awkward when you keep connecting eye contact with the performer. They're up there singing their hearts out, sweating etc...I kept connecting eye contact with one of the guitarists and I was just wondering what he was thinking while he was looking at me. Probably...this room is so smoky, why are 3,000 people in here smoking, why are the French kids in the middle trying to mosh and kill people. I might just be projecting my own thoughts onto him there.

Today, Daniel and I went to the Golden Tripod (again) and tried to hear each other over the art auction they insist on having at the restuarant. Its deafening in there, but the food is good. Very much like Jing Fong in Manhattan if they had an auction house in the corner. Minus the carts...Afterwards, we went to the Lama Temple. It is the oldest and biggest and baddest LAMASERY in Beijing. Hundreds of Buddhas and very well preserved temples hailing from the 1600's AD. The wind was blowing like crazy, people and things were flying everywhere. Definitely worth seeing for those of you in Beijing who haven't visited before.

Saturday is a road trip to the Great Wall, the MuTianYu section. I can't wait to get some great shots.

Sunday (International Women's Day) is brunch, margaritas, and full body spa treatments at Kocoon. It is a good to be a woman. It is good to be in Beijing. :)

I miss all y'all in the States so very much, especially my girls in Manhattan. (I heart Jeanette) Thank you for the letters and phone calls. Just remember...PEK is only a 13 hr flight from JFK. Come on over and we'll have a blast.

PS: I'm looking forward to spending my first birthday since I was 4 years old with my grandmother next weekend!! :) This year of the Ox is a good thing.