Curiosity didn't kill the cat

Living abroad has a plus and as every one knows a minus too. I know that I had
had enough of fighting daily with taxi drivers back home, in their case it was a question of being given a set fare, that the driver deemed fair and average. Then would enfold an argument, heated of course, as to whether you thought the price was okay, or as to his willingness to turn on the meter. This would nine times out of ten, follow with his cussing and swearing at you under his breath, for the rest of the journey. It more often than not left you feeling limp and wondering whether it had been worthwhile at all!!

Now here in Beijing it is more or less the same. firstly the driver refuses to take you because he doesn't understand the address and even if you are able to say a
smattering of words in chinese, he will either pretend not to understand, or your
pronunciation is so bad, that they really can't fathom what you are trying to say.

There are two ways round this predicament. Get out! or make a phone call to
someone, who will be kind enough to transfer in the correct chinese the address or spend 10 minutes on your phone, explaining to the 'would be' taxi driver how to get there. It is not a wonder that my phone card finishes so quickly with all the calls I have to make. Sometimes it is my own fault, like the time that I insisted that the driver take the 3rd ring road, instead of the 4th, only to have to
put up with his laughter the whole way back, at my expense both emotionally and financially!!

As to the post, that has to be the 'slow boat to China', but in the opposite direction. Post seems to find its way quickly this way, but ever so slowly the
other!?

Women drive buses, but not taxis, but can be pilots too, mind you if there
driving is as bad as the road, I don't recommend boarding the flight. Red seems
to be the operative color, for even a government sporting reform, red flags are used to direct traffic. Pensioners are planted at bus stops to ensure that alighting on to the bus is done in an orderly fashion, but of course seem to be rendered useless and at the height of the fray, shrug their shoulders and pack up their flags and go away. (I often wonder if this is a volunteer position created for the Olympics, or a paid one).

At the famous 'Silk Street' Market, a 'try-out' took place this week. Guards armed with red sashes, tables erected with name places and information stands was parked outside the parking lot of this popular shopping area, populated with ex-pats and tourists hoping to grab a bargain. Here they were, stopping every non chinese passer by, offering free information and service. Commendable.

Lastly, I now understand why Chinese kitchens are so small. They never use them! Please not that this is just an observation and not criticism as I myself try to avoid cooking as much as possible, even though once, long ago, I was a dab hand at it. They are always out eating in the abundance of restaurants
that seem to be brightly lit, always, all over the city.

If you are one of those lucky enough to have tickets for the Olympic event, I am still hoping to get a ticket in the last ballot in April, you will be flying into terminal 3, the new and most up-todate airport, plenty of shopping on your
way out, for all those things that you may have forgotten to stock up on, but mind, it is 2 kms from one end to the other!!