Surviving is hard but oh so much fun (sometimes)
We had our monthly Old China Hands lunch on 3 July, in Morel’s restaurant as usual. I was wondering how many would turn up, with the hot weather and the holidays.
Surprise, we were well over 20! As always, new and old faces. And lively, old-fashioned conversation without mobiles.
Next one: 7 August, right in the middle of Beijing Sauna Season!
On Sunday 28 June I had to go to 798 for the opening of the Israel Center. I hadn’t been there since long as it is too far by bike. I arrived well ahead of time to walk a little around the Art Zone that has become a real small city. One needs more than one day to go around and explore the many corners, with galleries, shops, cafés, restaurants and even offices.
So I finally visited the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA), set up by the Belgian couple Ullens in 2007. It is pretty well known around the world by now. The outside is rather “factory” as the Art Zone actually is, but the inside is pretty modern and nice. I also liked the shop.
The sky was grey, the weather like a sauna but I did take a few pictures along the 798 road, like of the coffee shop hidden within a huge tree and the railway museum part (great old locomotive).
I will really need to visit the area more, I probably need first to buy a better bike…
The Rotary Club of Beijing has its regular lunch every week on Tuesday in Kempinski Hotel, in a private room, starting around 12:30 and finished 2 pm sharp.
Visiting Rotarians are always welcome and we see people attending from all over the world. As we are the only club in the region, we are kind of unavoidable. Guests are welcome but must be invited by a Rotarian. No walk-ins admitted.
See here some pics from lunches this month, on 16 and 23 June.
I was happy to see again Rtn Norbert, an old friend who worked in Beijing in the past and whom I introduced into Rotary. He is now back to Germany where he has joined a local Rotary club (Leverkusen-Opladen). He exchanged banners with our club.
Attendance is now low with summer coming. As usual I have to jump in as Sergeant-at-Arms, a kind of permanent title I have.
Nice to get a personal mug… here dedicated to my involvement with Rotaract.
I met the then Prince Philippe several times in the early 2000, he also decorated me. Now very pleased to meet him and his lovely wife in Beijing. For me, in the over 30 years I am in Beijing I met 3 kings and queens, King Baudouin (and Queen Fabiola, with whom I had a long talk in 1981), the King Albert II (brother of Baudouin) (and Queen Paola), now King Philippe (and Queen Mathilde).
The reception was in Diaoyutai State Guesthouse on 24 June. We first passed Tiananmen where the Belgian flag was flying along the Chinese one. The King and his big delegation of officials and especially businesspeople are visiting Wuhan, Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. I must admire people like our King having the patience to greet so many people, all this during a grueling schedule. I wonder how they do this.
There were some 680 guests with tight security, little or no food but lots of Belgian beer.
In the delegation was also Foreign Minister Didier Reynders (I also met him years ago). And of course our Ambassador Michel Malherbe who is doing a great job with a permanent smile, along with his team that is working with little sleep…
I did not try to squeeze through the crowd to see the King for some seconds, I don’t like that so much. Anyway, I had the pleasure years ago to be with him many times. I preferred to take some pictures instead, meet old friends (Jan Hu, Bernard Dewit, Gwenn Sonck, …) and have a good beer. And of course many of the Belgian community in Beijing.
Also good to see again Hans-Dietmar Schweisgut, the Ambassador of the European Union to China and former Ambassador of Austria in Beijing – we met many times in the past. He was the only ambassador invited.
On 17 May Mr. Liu Jia, chairman and CEO of Jiamei Medicl Management Group organized a private concert in his mansion near the airport. He also played the piamo and invited the guests to sing along.
The concert featured: Peter Ritzen (pianist, composer, conduxtor), Stella Chang (soprano), Lorraine & Angelo Marenzi (soprano & tenor).
In the audience the ambassadors from Belgium and Canada and many of our friends.
The concert was wonderful as always and was followed by a buffet dinner.