This is dedicated to Aunty The Great Chef, Mrs. Seng, who left for Singapore and her hometown in Malaysia.

Her arrival caused jitters. We weren’t used to an additional person in the house.

The house has surely been made so much livelier with her presence.

She whips up wonderful dishes too. A wonderful chef.

Her trademark soup pot is something I’d surely miss.

I’d always look forward to having hot, delightful and tasty soup when I come home.

We’re quite fortunate in a way; having home-cooked food while enjoying some elderly company… Perhaps a test to living in the greying population?

She doesn’t nag much. She likes to complain about things that happened in the market, the weather, and even the advertisements on TV for being too long.

But hey, even I complain also. TV advertisements are usually 10 – 15 minutes long. It is worse on channels that

We can’t always look at the negative things in life. And I won’t be voicing much my grievances. But I must say that she hogs the TV all the time. She is also entrusted with the care of Beijing Manager’s dog.

That husky dog is a fucking pest. Despite months with us (being the occupants of the house), she still barks at us. That dumbshit dog keeps her proud attitude and continues to be irritating; barking and making noises.

Obviously I didn’t let her off. Not even my own dog at my home is allowed to misbehave. Scoldings won’t do. She even disobeys her masters.

I’d have whacked the dog until it’s afraid of me.

Unfortunately, I have compassion.

Maintenance service is very timely too. A casual mention that my toilet flush has malfunction at 10PM sees the repairmen rectifying the problem by 10.15PM.

Shame the Estate Management service back in Singapore.

This milk is unflavoured but has got a special taste to it.

Aunty’s son is quite filial. Gives Chef Aunt money, milk, necessities, travel around Beijing, etc. She treats her son dearly too. Ensures he gets warm food; the best of the dishes; boneless fish.

A mother’s love seen through and under.

Wonderful amazing delightful dishes! I love her curry dishes. It’s just so fantastic. It’s difficult to get the required spices and curry sachets here. But she still manages Nonya-styled curry.

She has Nonya family background. That explains the cooking genes.

The choice of ingredients is important. There is usually plenty of leftovers for her noodles. They would definitely taste better if she had used better-tasting noodles.

And sometimes, her precious son does not come for dinner. We would all go hungry then.

Order-ins!

Laughter and joy fills the house often. There is not a time for peace and quiet. 小Q will ruin it anyway with barks.

I find it very hard to show my gratitude. I am not proficient in Chinese. Much less if I have to write Chinese letters. I merely sent her a thank-you-for-everything message. She knows very little English even though she lived in Singapore and Malaysia for such a long time.

She makes my overseas internship every bit different from others’.

I doubt I would see her again. I would miss her. Well at least her food!

Thank you Mrs. Seng.

It’s really hard to miss some other things though.

Reality check: What in China is not comparable to other countries’?

798 Arts Zone was an area for many state-owned factories. Factory 798 was originally producing military electronics. Not all factories there are occupied for art production and display. Factory 798 had quite a bit of history on communism. It’s currently attracting contemporary art galleries for artists and visitors locally and from overseas.

Frankly, I do not know much about the arts. I can’t properly appreciate artwork. But I am sure people who appreciate good artwork will love this place. There are lots of takeaways from artworks.

Many artworks contain some history, artistic impressions, feelings and emotions, stories and legends and myths.

I, for one, don’t usually take interest in the arts. But I went with an open mind and I’m pretty satisfied with what I’ve seen.

It’s divided into different sectors, each with different themes and exhibits.

(798 Brochure)

How useful to a copy only when I was about to leave.

Art exhibits are usually like shops along a street. Some sell their artwork while some are purely for viewing.

A stone replica of the BMW Z4.

Amazing, huh!

My car! Hahah.

Realistic oil paintings on canvas.

A pretty cool and unique store.

Random art sculptures littered all over.

Shiny silver exhibit.

I think the graffiti on the MRT train is better. Hahah hail Oliver Fricker!

Humanlike exhibits.

And for sake of being artistic…

Hmmm… Good detail I’d say.

Soka Art Centre needs an entry fee.

No way I’d paying for arts I won’t understand and appreciate. There isn’t an entry fee to 798 btw.

Typical description of the artwork on the exhibits.

Is it my perverse thought or the artist’s?

A BMW Z4 is stripped of its doors and seats for some red plastic.

That’s art?

What a waste. I asked the exhibitionist; they seriously bought the car for the artwork on display. Every part is real. Photography wasn’t allowed too. But oh, did I mention modern DSLRs can record videos?

In fact, photography is not allowed in a few exhibits. Not just the ones with nudity.

Even some with just canvas artwork do not allow photography. I can’t understand its reasoning. Hmm.

In Form. Lack of information for my understanding.

(Talking Mao Video)

All done with manipulations of light and projectors. Modernised I guess?

Some performance item I guess?

Abandoned and in-operation factories.

Not the entire 798 district has artwork to display. You could still see factory smoke signifying production.

Artwork on “Fragile” White Boxes.

Stunning details in macro.

Brave wolf fighter. Like an exhibit off a game.

Seems like he’s gonna do an AoE attack! Haha.

I like the interesting stone mask artwork.

A people exhibit.

Even lamastic artwork is available.

Roughly what D-Park looks like with the abandoned factories.

They apparently charge for residential and industrial photography.

Probably a good reason for charging too… … …

Filming movie?

The video cameras seem equipped with HD and 3D and maybe even 4D recording capabilities.

She is supposed to be filmed seemingly throwing the hat away. The hat was eventually flung away. FAIL.

Why are there so many BMW Z4s in 798?

Professional photographers and models galore.

Like a studio D-Park has become.

For example, reflecting natural light to brighten up faces for photography.

Originally used to transport raw materials and finished goods to and from the factories.

I think the train depot at D-Park is awesome for photos.

Cafes and restaurants around to chill.

798 Space. Iconic Marxist Bahamas-styled roofs.

I don’t see how is this artistic. Is just some bullshit idea? How can out-of-focus colour blocks in a photo have artistic intentions?

A prostitute transformation into artist.

I’ll keep my bushy comments to myself.

It’s good that she wasn’t in the same pose as the artist.

A photographer trying to explain his photos with his interpretations and stories.

I did not bother to understand the intentions of contemporary art.

Red-threaded tree.

The bride’s pretty. Seems better than the D-Park models.

And oh, camera trick… the shortie husband (did I mention fat and ugly too?) has to stand on a ladder.

I never knew how to solve the Rubik’s Cube. I’m serious.

Fortunately the car accidents I have seen so far aren’t fatal or has serious damages. This is despite the fact of how crazily cars manoeuvre here disregarding traffic rules as though they never existed.

I’d love to see Lincoln’s limousine in an accident. *Evil*

Left 798 on skates to look for a 望京公园. It’s apparently a proximity on Google Maps. Google Maps also mentioned of skaters in the area which I’d like to visit.

And the park is so small that there is virtually nothing there. No skaters for sure and I knew I got the wrong place. Was determined to find the park I wanted to go anyway.

And on and on I skated from 798, resting occasionally because my SEBA High usually hurts (because of the smaller size I chose) after 20 minutes of continuous wear. All this while I still thought the park I wanted to find was 望京公园.

This banner is now my landmark to tell that I’m in 望京.

I asked around. The friendly Beijingers seem to point to the park I came from. That’s because I’ve been getting it wrong all this while.

望湖公园 was my destination.

望京公园 was the wrong park Google directed me.

798 was my starting point of my impromptu urban,

After more than 3.5km skating, I finally reached the vicinity of 望湖公园. I made my final question to some elderly woman who told me that there was two parks nearby, and 望京公园 is really far away. I decided on a “one last shot” at both the parks.

北小河公园 is also a pretty small park that provides just enough relaxation for locals to enjoy their weekends.

I was really elated to see skaters in 望湖公园. I have actually found my destination despite the countless times I’ve been lost on the roads.

木瓜 has some really sleek moves.

He’s both a slalomer and a slider. In fact, many of those pros are good in both disciplines.

Feng 老师 was a really nice and friendly guy and he invited me to join and learn with them. I was shy and sat there looking and photographing. 木瓜 and the others are so friendly that I went with them to 新地’s shop.

My skating life changed then. I got to know 新地’s wife. 于美女 is so friendly and warm. They even brought me for dinner at 鼓楼大街, to savour 老北京菜 because I said I didn’t even had the chance to eat the famed Peking Duck.

I contacted them often and now I’ve been meeting them weekly to learn from them. I love how I am reminded to count my blessings.

It just makes life happier, doesn’t it?

I have inherited Mum’s genes of being nocturnal. I haven’t been widely partying away my youth like many others in my age. It’s not because I do not like that kinda environment, but rather, circumstances always do not seem to allow it.

And oh, please remind me how much does it costs to my wallet too. No entrance fee waiver. And there are no free drinks.

But enjoying nightlife is very essential. Every one in awhile, you should plan some activities like that to bond with friends, family, colleagues, companions, business partners, etc.

Set off together after work

同一首歌 KTV.

Looks pretty decent. Not sleazy. Quite classy.

A long wait for our room. And Jasmine became naughty.

I find some of these sculptures artistically nice.

Booking a room includes buffet-styled food.

Which is damn filling btw!

Btw, the small room (which is not small at all) is damn cheap. And every single aspect of it totally owns K-Box man.

Singing, screaming, merrily laughing.

Jasmine, her boyfriend and I hogged the mike… Jay selected many songs but didnt sing them!

These musical instruments add beats and groove yo!

Finally left the complex at 6.30am.

Finally had my taste of clubbing and nightlife after more than 2 months.

Both William and Jay are damn funny guys. Always seem to be laughing with them.

天王星 is not a good clubbing place.

It is very hot inside… Sweaty bodies eee. There’s only 3 dancefloors  blasting music. To my surprise there aren’t many Chinese R&B and techno. The Chinese are gaga over Lady Gaga. They love Ke$ha as much too.

We were worried when Terence suddenly disappeared. He didn’t tell anyone he was going home. He was not contactable because the lousy SE Satio died. We searched the dancefloors and other areas for him more than 5 times. We didn’t believe he would be at home. But he was. Phone turned on, charging, and in silent mode.

On a Friday night, didn’t spot any non-Chinese there. Heard there are mixed races one at other clubs. And yes the standard – drinks at fucking exorbitant prices.

It is actually 烧香 (burn incense) and its peak is Incense Burner Peak. There’s no fragrance from 香水 (perfume).

With the fog and minus the people, it really does seem like an Incense Burner doesn’t it?

it’s a pity that the fog hinders much view of the city.

Did I not mention that Mao’s former residence was there?

I am not pro-cab even though it’s affordable. I take the public transport (it’s convenient!) all the way, probably make a cab transfer. And it’d be much cheaper that way.

The Online Map looks so different from the ones placed there.

And that’s a disaster. I usually plan my trips so I’ll cover what needs to be covered and have got a time outlay of what I’m gonna do.

The huge difference of the map rotated is already so tough.

I wonder what it’s like to be sitting in those kinda chairs.

Shall I sneak in one day? Just a quickie maybe. Preferably with a getaway car waiting LOL.

Jing Cui Lake of Tranquillity.

I really feel at ease and tranquillity there. It’s perfect for a picnic or just screaming into the mountains.

The water is so still you could see your reflection without the rippling.

You’d be sure you won’t lose your footing!

It is very easy to climb the mountain with stairs platformed like this.

Ruins of the Xiang Shan Temple.

Seeing the amount of destruction like everywhere makes me hate the Allied Forces of Britain and France.

All is fair in love in war.

Yeah right.

The Heart Sutra, Diamond Sutra and the Buanyin Budhisattva Sutra used to be at the back of these stone screens.

One Wrong Turn.

And I land myself on the Stupid Route.

There was like clearings and I thought I would be treated with a scenic site. As I climbed and climbed, I keep wanting to turn back but with every inclining step I take, it just feels like…

HOLY SHIT I AM NOT GOING BACK DOWN!

At some spots I can just fall off and die la.

If I were here in Autumn, it’s Maplestory everywhere!

So actually it’s not a Stupid Route lah.  Can you imagine red maple leaves everywhere? It’d be so damn cool!

It was tiring to climb nonstop again and again, steps after steps. But it’s great for people who wants to train for endurance to use that secluded, longest path to climb up.

You’d always wonder when you are ever going to reach the peak.

As always, as I ascend, the scenery gets more and more beautiful.

香山 used to link to 八大处.

These duo will definitely make an awesome adventure!

冷面 is a damn easy quick-fix for lunch.

It’s damn popular at touristy destinations. It’s a great business idea to bring these kinda food for sale. For those clueless, don’t be too quick to discriminate this food. It’s not exactly very tasty or something I’d love.

But there are many ways you can customise to your liking. You can choose your sauces and spices. I took a bit of chilli and peanut sauce.

“FINALLY!”

After the arduous climb, would you not wanna see what you can see?

Let your balls shrink man. Seriously. Look down without any safety gear.

You dare?

Shit, 香山 changed my perception on trying bungee jumping. LOL

The shopkeeper friggin lied to me. I asked if they had to run their business carrying the heavy foodstuffs up the mountain everyday.

And the next thing, I saw 3 vans parked on the other side of the wall.

Take a breather. No smell of the fragrance.

I’m not taking the chair lift down for sure.

I haven’t seen a shit of what 香山 has got to offer. I strayed away from the path I wanted to go. Taking the chair lift is not cheap and definitely unfulfilling.

This is what I call TRUE origami!

The downhill descend was not as easy as I thought.

My legs were fatigued from the climb up. I am forced to descend quickly with every step I take. It gets so fast that I have to run at some point to stop.

Yes, be imaginative.

I wish I had the walking stick to help slow me down lah.

They call this a fucking cave.

Fortunately I already did my research to know what to expect.

Visitors are not allowed into the ruins. It might be dangerous and unkempt but I wonder why they don’t they allow it “at your own risk”.

Some story behind I guess?

Ancient trees. I love the white bark ones!

I had problems trying to figure out what the sign was trying to indicate. Is this it?

Signages here suck. There is no proper turn directions, no  following that path and you’ll reach the place you want.

I keep getting lost and “hey-haven’t-I-been-here-before?”

On the top of my list was this place, closed because I’ve wasted time figuring my way around.

I begged the keeper to let me in. It was past operating hours. Thank you so much. I wouldn’t have known the beauty and significance of the place then.

There were other mainland Chinese tourists which he didn’t let in eventually.

This is where Mao Zedong lived and began the Yangtze Campaign and preparations for the People’s Republic of China.

It’s damn awesome to link what you have learnt from history texts and then being at the place there, soaking in the atmosphere, learning from the environment.

I call it, Enjoying History.

I mean seriously… I didn’t give a shit about remembering what Mao did for China, what were the reasons for WW2 and stuff if I didn’t know the meaning and the actual events and learning from the environment.

Make a guess which chair sat Mao’s precious ass?

Remember Initial D? Yes the hyper-tuned Toyota AE-86…

Just immerse yourself and you’d feel yourself drifting thru the corners to descend.

Great!

And there’s even drainage you’d use to overtake the elderly in front of you!

Awesome isn’t it?

Skipped places that wasn’t recommended.

照庙寺 Bright Temple.

No feeling of the vibe. It’s totally ruined.

The Spectacles Lake.

Apparently both sides of the lake mirror each other, and the bridge in-between them makes them seem like Spectacles.

Pretty cool indeed.

I was too late to visit the Azure Clouds Temple 碧云寺.

Don’t think I’d be getting that chance this internship though. It’s tough to just travel there for the temple and then get off the mountain to some other place…

But it is awesome lah I heard.

There’s like 500 Arhats and being there there’s some ritual you could do to find your Arhat and what it represents about you.

Who knows? I might actually go there.

I always wonder what’s inside these pagodas. The keepers always say they’re empty and there’s nothing.

But the experience will be wholesome!

The neighbouring village is damn messy and dirty. If there’s one thing I learnt from 香山, it is that Beijing attractions all close early before 5PM.

I would still recommend 香山 nonetheless.

The Olympics Spirit rides deep within the hearts of Beijingers. Even many years after the Olympics.

I’d welcome you to Beijing, really.

It’s dumb to take tour buses there. The Metro goes direct and its damn convenient.

Can you imagine me not skating there?

It’s like the perfect terrain, very long straights…

Even the roads. They’re empty!

I wanted to have a peek of the Water Cube although there really isn’t something special about it.

It’s closed for renovations, anyway.

China International Convention Centre.

It’s really quite cool to see the weaving metallic materials up close. Work of architecture marvel!

Uneven grounds as I approach the Ticketing Booth

It’s not worth it to get a ticket when there’s nothing to watch.

Even the small lights are Bird’s-Nest-designed.

The grass is smiling at you. Please detour.

Broadcasting the Olympics live around the world.

Oops did they say no skates allowed?

The Planning Exhibition. I like how they theme their plain exhibitions.

I’ll guarantee I won’t be able to stop after skating down this.

99% probability of an accident. Ai Mai?

The Olympic Village. Nice Chinese themes I’d say.

Decided to give the Science and Technology Museum a skip.

An entrance fee and a few hours there wasn’t on my agenda.

The various Olympic sculptures and me.

Pretty colourful flowers.

She’s damn pretty, IMHO.

Photogenic place I guess.

A huge, welcoming sight awaits you at the Olympic Green.

Feeding fishes and boating in Ao Hai. and yes, they purposely mimic it to be the same 奥 as in 奥运会 (Olympics)

Beautiful Greenery.

It’s hard to believe it’s entirely man-made.

Was disallowed to enter with skates. Did I bother to heed? Nah .

Ponds and buildings.

Tiring walk uphill. Steep and you’ll never the top.

< 3 Outdoor lifestyle.

The Zhao Hua Platform. Disappointed me for a moment.

Now this is what I’m talking about!

So nice of me to bring JAFIT around yeah?

Happened to catch this two jokers kinda like posing.

(Downhill Braking Video)

Scary shit.

After a tiring climb up, the reward is a steep and fast decline.

Slalom braking… Slow plough’s ineffective. T-brake’s unstable.

The eco-corridor is pretty cool with this underwater viewing platform.

I love this French-English-Chinese-Japanese descriptive scroll.

After lotsa experimenting with the self-timer controls.

Slalom FTW!

(Overtaking Slow Vehicle Video)

Lesson Learnt? Never get one of these on ur travels.

Waste of time and money.

Sunset at Ao Hai

Finally found them after asking around here and there.

They’re pretty good skaters. Well I’ve come to realise that slalomers here are great sliders too!

Unfortunately they aren’t very friendly though. Hard to approach and make friends.

Fun day out. Well I can imagine the hype when the Olympics Spirit is sweeping Beijing…

Seriously, I welcome you to Shanghai Beijing anytime.

It’s an awesome city.

There will never be a time that I will stay at home doing nothing or not going anywhere. So far, the weather has been perfectly kind to me and hasn’t spoilt plans.

Thank Buddha.

I missed the proposed summer activities like the Cherry Blossoms Festival. Didn’t think there was going to be a beautiful one because of the long winter and erratic Spring arrival.

Anyways…

Beautiful greenery and cherry blossoms greets you at 玉渊潭公园 Yu Yuan Tan Garden.

This dry cup noodles is not bad. The design is pretty unique too. The soup pours out easily without any noodles lost.

The military museum was appealing but was not on my agenda.

The flower petals are beautifully placed to make this.

FYI, they are REAL

The usual introduction to the place.

Chinese-styled lanterns are quite popular.

The park was close to the CCTV Building and you can see it from almost anywhere in the park.

Sculptures and me.

Bridges and me.

The Kun Ming Lake links with many other canals in Beijing and one can even take a boat to the Summer Palace from here.

Impressive hedges artwork.

(Boring Speedboat Ride Video)

Speedboat wasn’t fast. Didn’t make fast turns. Short ride and I was the only one.

The greenery and lakes pretty much sum up the garden.

Hand imprints by famous people.

This pretty elephant sculpture carries messages of prosperity and love.

Look at that BULGE and SAG. Er-hum.

I thought my eyes were tricks on me.

They weren’t.

Occasionally there are long straights where it is very nice to speed around.

Unfortunately rocky and sandy roads made it so uncomfortable!

Accidentally found the stash of a flower-growing in a secluded area. I want a basket to bring home too…

Laying on the grass even without a picnic cloth is soothing and relaxing.

De-stress.

I like the different ways they ask you to keep off the grass.

Police personnel holding video cameras and DSLRs are filming the police dog. Probably to show how smart it is to detect bomb threats. It was a setup anyway.

Some of the more attractive flowers and plants that I like.

Expect lots of photos. I had to borrow Terence’s SD Card cos I didn’t free up enough space for the videos and photos I was going to take that day.

8.3GB of data, 840 photos, 8 HD videos. After edits, 4.3GB of data, 360 photos, 9 HD videos. And my Sanyo Enelope batteries still did not die on me at the end of the day.

My homework has already told me roughly what to expect. And to be honest, I didn’t really have that place in my list of important places to visit.

We enjoyed ourselves anyway.

Long queues.

Had to walk a subway station distance because the Zoo’s station was closed.

It’s strange that most visitors will often ignore reading it properly and just snap a photo.

Like me.

One of our first exhibits.

The entrance fee for penguins is totally not worth it. There’s supposedly a chamber which we enter but it was closed.

Lots of different turtles at the turtle exhibit. Educational.

Masters of disguise.

Can you spot a turtle?

Stone Turtle. Wow!

I can only see the shed skin of the cobra.

Lunch was quite pathetic.

This eatery sells the last bits of some veggies and meat. I only had a chicken wing.

Ok, I know I look gay. It’s the flowers, really.

It was hard to navigate around with a map like this.

Man-made.

The Aquarium is the best part of the Zoo, being the most expensive ticket too. An all-in-one ticket costs ￥140. This huge water containment’s worth ￥100 per pax.

Extremely long queues that stretches to the back of the compound. I forgot to save the video I took from the start-line to the back. Dumb 20 minutes queue.

Fuck. Stupid guard is just letting people cut. I think he’s sick and tired already too lah.

Awww, even he got frustrated!

Go kiddo, slice them up!

Headset as your virtual audio guide.

A remodelled Amazon Rainforest feel. Minus the insects, plants, smell, heat, trees… Just fishes.

Freaking HUGE fishes!

They seem to be able to swallow me and Terence whole and still have space for more.

The ￥10 hat did not last a day.

Dewgong Deugongs!

You’d definitely feel very close to the marine life on display here. The whole area is themed with much resemblances. I know Singapore’s Underwater World is 5 times better though.

Huge spectator stands. It’s like there’s no end to the number of visitors allowed in. Best positions are quickly taken up.

We found a small corner; but it was soon invaded by irritating Cheena people.

If I am the trained sea lion, this food source will be my target.

AV Crew tying the loose ends of the performance

The handicapped are not denied a chance to watch!

He wasn’t funny. Time-waster IMO.

It’s quite uncommon to see sea lions perform. Impressive too!

Stills tell only a summary…

I love how dolphins can leap so freakishly high!

They can actually reach heights of 15-30m. And they mostly do it for fun in the wild.

Just as you thought the female trainers are pretty…

Think again!

It’s all about their attire.

For her, it’s not really about her attire…

We had no idea what she was sitting there for. And so I did not prepare in video mode. Wasted!

The ￥100 is really well worth it!

Camwhore with Mr. Shark. Rule: No biting!

(Speedboat Experience Video)

Speedboat for ￥10!

Plainly, it’s a leisure ride. The operators simply made the boatman steer it harsh left and right to create the waves and thrilling fun.

Haha don’t understand why they are so afraid.

Somehow I like the big sculpture more than the caged lion.

Rare White Tiger on display too.

Damn that little kid who refuses to move. We were rushing for time as we knew many exhibits close early and we havent seen the “great” Giant Pandas of China.

Doggy-the-kangarooey!

=D xD >D.

The fugly Panda who only knows how to lie down and eat and eat and eat.

And a baby panda’s eyes are fugly. Seriously.

Some exhibits are so disgustingly polished with fingerprints.

I don’t find the Panda cute at all.

Hard to get a shot with so many people standing around.

Hamtaro?

What’s with ducks and goose for professional photographers? Holy crap look at his telephoto zoom lenses on the tripod! MEGA EXPENSIVE.

Maybe the sunset… But what’s with ducks and goose?

Feeding is not allowed. But they’re cute and nice. Fed them with everything they had; sweets, grass, etc.

Mr. Furball here wants lotsa attention!

“Let me out please! I promise I’d be good…”

Random tree climbing. Hahaha.

I always love this kinda aperture effect.

Boring? How about a M18 picture next?

Ooo?

Tada! x=

Let’s create havoc like in Zoo Tycoon:

Remove the fence.

Awww. Lovely hugging!

It’s damn hard to catch them in focus while they jump in midair. They jump super fast like a spring…

Vultures and eagles. Impossible to catch in midair with the fencing.

Where manual focus is required.

It fucking hurts me when I dropped my lenses as we ran for the self-timer.

This is a real brothel.

Not in disguise.

We explored yet another Singapore investment after dinner before home.

My mum used to work for OSA in Singapore. Arranging activities and programmes. It was fun then too. I can understand how despite being far away from home, students here can feel the warmness and friendliness of people.

It’s really a pity that Joanne and YiTing decided not to forgo shopping for this.

Theme was a potluck picnic at the Botanical Gardens. Don’t expect just solitary peacefulness, card-games, couples making out, flowers and plants and trees and botanical studies.

Oh gosh, do I have to remind you? This is China.

Poor SinYi was tearing. I had somehow enjoyed Onion Immunity.

Maybe it’s my contact lenses? Anyway took over the job of chopping up that GIANTIC onion!

Lurvbesss JAFIT!

Skinning the potatoes and boiling them for mashing.

The secret ingredients. Shhh.

SinYi and her wonderful meat patties.

Initial plans to do Shepherd’s Pie failed. Our microwave was too powerful and either overcook the cheese, chars the cheese, or sticks it to the bottom of the microwave plate.

It just doesn’t ~~~~~melt~~~~ it.

So we had to revert to meat patties.

What to do with leftover cheese and mashed potato?

Google didn’t help me to find recipes. After plenty of food experiments, brainy Terence and creative SinYi came up with…

Cheese Sticks!

Amazing taste! Crisp on the outside, soft in the inside.

(Almost) Everyone loves cheese anyway!

Actually we wanted Mrs. Seng to show us her cooking skills for a fried rice. Unfortunately she went to bed early. I had little recollection of me frying fried rice back in Singapore. Ha.

Sautéed the prawns I bought, initially for my cup noodles, with garlic and onion, rice, eggs, and different mix of sauces. Specifically, Magi Seasoning, Kikoman Soya Sauce, Lee Yum Kee Oyster Sauce, Mushroom Oyster Sauce and Fish Sauce. I’d have thrown in some mixed peas, but we didnt have.

I was too engrossed in frying my fried rice. Don’t NPNT (No Picture No Talk) Me ok?

We wrapped up the last cheese sticks while I searched for directions. Slept late at 4AM.

Sweet dreams for everyone and we all overslept and missed our alarm clocks. Awoke only at 8.45AM. Had to fry the cheese sticks, microwave-heat our foods.

Mrs. Seng mentioned 718 could go there directly. We are reminded that the subway’s too packed and since we are carrying food items, we are better off seated all the way to our destination.

Little that we knew it took us 2 hours. Fortunately we cabbed over from The Summer Palace. Costed ￥20.

Had to abandon our cab and proceed via foot. Traffic + Human Jam everywhere. Yucks.

Long ticket queues. Yucks.

Waited for some SSA peeps to pick us up and lead us to the picnic. Was told people were highly anticipating our arrival with good food.

Flattered.

Had no leftovers. We mainly helped ourselves to our own food because there was little food left.

Pretty beautifully-crafted statue of flowers. From the K-X and EOS 500D.

Terrific Trees!

Especially the White Leaves Tree.

Went around to explore. Pretty interesting.

XuanYi and SinYi taking a Polaroid shot.

What’s up with fisheye cameras, man?

Very colourful blooming flowers.

Him VS Her.

As usual, beautiful scenery!

I find photos with colourful flowers even more beautiful!

Our makeshift tripod. Hahah.

Lotsa people are with this cute flower hairband.

Kids playing with water.

A bee kite. Obvious choice to play it in the open. Lotsa kites died and got stuck at the tall trees.

Not such a good idea with people walking around every 5 seconds?

A garden with orange leaves.

Fellow skaters skating around Botanical Gardens

I don’t get what’s with the speed skates though… unless he skated from Tian An Men.

I guess this is how I look when I’m on my travels on skates, especially at the tourist attractions and parks.

Only that I’m not a girl and I don’t have a ponytail.

It was a pity I didn’t spot them or arrive earlier. I would have joined them since I lugged my skates all the way. They were untouched in the end. Majority wanted to leave the area with SSA, and I can’t and won’t be skating there alone with some strangers right?

Everyone coming together to begin packing up.

I love the aperture and the quality of photos from my 50-200mm zoom lenses. Especially portraits!

I heard however (lazy to research), that fixed lenses have better aperture and light exposure, thus better-looking photos. But it means you have to move around constantly to shoot your subject too.

Why do need Chinese guards here for? Give them a break, man.

The queue for public transport

We are located so far away from many fabulous places =/

My first “黑车” ride.

Illegal vehicles swarm tourist places, hoping to make a quick profit in their free time. While I heard that it is safe enough not to be sent somewhere to be raped or robbed, it is unsafe lawfully. There might be a chance of you being ripped off too.

So an agreement on the price must be reached first. And the tip’s not to travel alone.

I am trying to figure out what buildings are these.Our Singaporean seniors do not know. The 师傅 (aka driver) said it was Mao’s Former Residence, wtf?

My guess (with reference to Google Maps) is either 香山 or 八大处. But even at the point of writing (I have been to both), they don’t have buildings like these.

Split off at 北大. Took the metro back to 大望路.

Andy had psycho-ed me that Pizza Hut in China is awesome.

And I don’t have the luxury (i.e. money) to eat Pizza Hut everyday. So decided to try at least once.

It is rare to find my favourite puff pastry soup.

Is puff pastry soup like this available anywhere in SIngapore?

Pizza Hut bakes this perfectly crispy Puff Pastry Clam Chowder for me to savour. Olio’s Signature Gourmet Pie do not come close, FYI.

Where KFC meets Pizza Hut. It’s a Popcorn Chicken Pizza.

Marvellous to be cooking together and preparing for this lovely picnic SSA planned. Thanks!

It is rare for all three of us male waiters to hang out. We are always somehow in different shifts.

Jay has been a good tour guide. Bringing us around to nice places to eat and stuff. You have to know a local when you’re overseas to survive man.

干锅湘之驴 Gan Guo Xiang’s Ass. LOL I rather they use Google Translate, really.

小炒甲鱼 Slighty fries stewed.

口口香浓以犹未 Shannon get enough mouth

Tobacko fish. Cool!

鱼头泡饼 Cake in Fat Head Fish.

湘飘鸡翅 Dongting Lake Big Head Fish

You see, this is so much more readable and understandable.

And it’s supposed to be a restaurant-hotel. Not cheap.

Was Jay’s previous job. He did the ordering and the discounts. We actually spoke like Englishmen pretending not to understand Chinese to play in, hahaha.

You have to pay ￥5 for this. Includes a wet tissue too.

Food was fabulous too. Filling. I just cant feel the vibe of the veggies.

A walk down the street filled with 成人保健s (Sex Shops) later, we finally reach 四得公园. Oh did I mention that there are Sex Shops at every corner of Beijing? Cater the needs of horny China men (1 woman : 4.25 men ratio).

Oh I should mention that I haven’t gone in before and I will definitely buy something back. Trust me, if any shop is said “to be found anywhere”, it’s definitely 成人保健s (Sex Shops).

Orders, anyone? PM me. LOL.

A successful beautification project reconstructed under “Green Olympics” theme. 四得公园 mainly caters to locals seeking some leisure.

s

Small park that is well-equipped I’d say.

Nice bricky toilet.

STOMP it now, with the header “Couple caught making out at East Coast Park”.

I think people will actually believe it. Try it! LOL.

Soccer and basketball going hand-in-hand…

Had to experiment with my camera to let it capture the essence of night shots.

Hey, ballerina!

Even skate and dance too!

By day, it’s a playground for skaters (I presume). By night, it’s a playground for the aging population to shake their asses man!

There’s a shop doing rentals. It’s provided sofas to rest and drinks and even FAKE slalom cones. Okay well they probably actually aren’t fake, more of a play-thing for kids who pester their parents.

Dazzling Dance Arena.

Made a ￥5 entrance in, but chicken out to dance. The music is so inappropriate and the moves are so complicated.

Cool to learn nonetheless!

Yes, the guy was dancing solo. No kidding.

Surely Fire Burning On The Dancefloor! Ooh~

Hanging out like this is certainly fun.It’s rare that we get a chance like this. Gotta cherish.

And oh yes. I will miss the (extreme) broken Chinese-English signs for sure!

It is very rare for Olio to have catering 外卖. Prices are too expensive. The food planning committee has a budget. It is a tough decision to get approval for the cost.

Very commonly we are summoned for deliveries to nearby offices at 华贸中心, the Suntec-equivalent in Singapore. Not a huge catering event like this.

I should count myself lucky. This might be the one and only chance in the 6 months of my internship “training” employment / exploitation.

The vest is too big.

The kitchen got their hands really busy preparing the food.

I should have bought two shirts. It’s ￥89 ($17.80) only!

I returned recently to find that they are carrying Summer clothing already, all short-sleeves. Have to wait 2 or 3 months.

ItoYokado is not cheap though. It is like a Takashimaya in Singapore. LB is the only one brand (which I never heard before) that is going at that price. Otherwise, shirts are ￥400 – ￥800 ($80 – 160).

There’s even a Formal Suit that goes for ￥2500 ($500). That’s Zara’s pricing btw.

Olio at 6AM.

I guess the kitchen staff are used to it because they have to prepare food for Fraser every weekday.

Loaded our stuff in this JinBei van. This is China’s answer to Toyota Hiace.

I realised just recently that there is very little cargo lorries. They always use these JinBei vans to transport cargo and workers. It’s not the same bangla-on-lorry sight in Singapore.

Lorries are not allowed into the 3rd to 1st Ring Road. They can only enter after midnight and leave before sunrise or face fines. Thus the popularity of these minibuses / vans.

There are restrictions too. Similar to Singapore, you cannot remove the seats and store cargo. Here, your vehicle has to be dedicated to cargo OR human transport, not both.

We broke the law.

Red Carpet deployed.

Manager wanted us to unload and setup the catering equipment nicely before photo-taking. Had lots to observe about the process of a catering event. And for the first time, being in the shoes of one.

So unappealing. But I couldn’t remove anyway… unseal the freshness.

Select your choice of beverages.

No need to serve. We just cleared empty glasses, carry new ones around, and restock.

Catering: Making ordinary things look beautiful.

The amazing salesman drove cars that barely fit through that entrance. Slow, but steadily into the showroom.

Cake and mini-bites for everyone!

Playing with Aperture settings. Effective, huh!

Up-down: Chicken, Chicken Cutlet, Mixed Vegetables, Rice With Mushrooms, Sambal Squid, Sea Bass in Cream Sauce, Lamb Stew.

This is actually an event where Reely invites their celebs, some race car drivers to talk about the goodness of their new “Sport SUV”. My efforts to understand their slang made me laugh about how they say the SUV can take corners at high speeds because of its aerodynamics.

It’s an SUV afterall, wtf, racing?

Let’s play a game of spot the difference.

There are 5.

You cheated!

Shy Manager.

The event ended and we finally removed all the plastic wrapping.

Looks so much more appetizing now.

Mainly it was the Reely staff who were helping themselves to free lunch. I doubt members of the public came “uninvited’” to the event.

The makeshift standing tables are very innovative.

Plates stacked up as we cleared them away. Cleared away glasses and refilled them. Kept running here and there.

Lotsa remaining food. Yummy lunch!

Packing up was tiring. Karma to throw away so many kilograms of food. Reely staff helped by taking away what they wanted.

And colleague Jay is finally willing for a photo.

A long and tiring day. Started at 6AM and knocked off only at 4PM. Had to help with the cleaning and polishing and carrying back to storeroom.

A rare and damn fun experience on the whole!