After really badly polluted days, we are having some very nice blue skies in Beijing. My friend James has been running in the Summer Palace where he took the pics of the floating duck (real or fake duck, I give up by now!).

Others head to Tiananmen Square, to face the long queues to pass security checks, then to find the recycled big flower pot: seems the fake flowers are leftovers from last year. Oh, tastes differ.
Then having my usual “pit stop” in The Den, the pretty well-know pub in Sanlitun, mostly frequented by aging expats (like me? except I don’t have a beer belly). One table was preparing for a birthday drinking party, all Chinese. They made such a ruckus, shouting and screaming that most guests tried to move away from their table (or left). For Chinese, consideration for others: ZERO. I imagine a bunch of expats doing the same in a Chinese restaurant. That would be a source to lambast them. Reminds me of the following quote from the local news:

The image of Chinese abroad
“They make loud noises in public, scratch graffiti on tourist attractions, ignore red lights when crossing the road and spit everywhere.”
You could think this was said by a Chinese-hater. Nope.
Said Mr. Wang Yang, Vice Premier of China, September 2013

But, we are facing a major problem during the holidays: my favorite KTV is closed. See how it looks like, it is Japanese style. Sitting with one of the girls who is an old friend. Just during a quiet moment before the Japanese customers came in. Usually I sing 15 or more songs (English, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Chinese…)

We will try to survive the holidays. In the meantime, will play around with my new toy: a SONY NEX-6 digital camera. Looks great, some of the pics here taken with it in low light conditions.

Every year I plant the tiny seeds of the previous year’s chilies.
This year they have grown very well, thanks to Belgian insecticide and soil with worm poo (yes!). And daily care.

The first harvest of the year, more to come in the next weeks. And they are VERY hot…

On 12 September, the big reception for the 53^rd anniversary of the independence of Gabon, in Millenium Hotel (CBD).
Many guests but few from Western embassies. But a couple of friends to meet again.

See the speech, with a nice Chinese lady playing the guzheng (Chinese plucked zither. It has 18 or more strings and movable bridges) and the harp. And with the Lady Ambassador of Cyprus.
I tried to strike a conversation with a diplomat from the DPRK but little to say. He did not have a card. I guess his budget must be tight.

Beijing has spent lots of money to impress outsiders with walkways for the blind on the sidewalks. A complete waste of city money. No blind person would ever use them as cars, bikes, vendors, and other stuff blocks those guide paths. Just imagine a blind person crossing the street: even an athlete has to be careful making it to the other side. Traffic lights and pedestrian crossings are for decoration only. Same for disabled people. How many do you see on the streets? For Chinese, those people should stay home.

Even the Chinese media admit the problem:
“Quotable” – China Daily (28 August 2013)
“It is not an exaggeration to say that blind people are ‘seeking death’ if they dare to take blind pathways. Unless blind people are very familiar with the situation nearby, they would never dare to take the paths.”
Li Weihong, deputy chairman of the China Blind Persons’ Association, told the Beijing Morning Post. Even though the capital has about 1,600 kilometers of blind pathways, hardly any blind people use them due to their awkward design and obstructions.