I walked over to the old district near Tiananmen Square this morning. The streets are packed in Beijing! It's loud and crowded and the city is teeming with life in every direction.
I walked off the main drag and got lost in the hutongs where these kids were playing improvised games.
It was Hedi's birthday. At his apartment this evening we had
champagne and fois gras sent over by his family in a care package from
Switzerland. Afterwards we went out for Beijing Kouro (roast duck) at
a restaurant where the staff outnumbered the customers by a very wide
margin, as is very often the case in Beijing. Here, behind a roomful
of empty tables, the kitchen crew is lined up to receive their orders
from the chef. The meal was delicious and cost next to nothing.
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