Sport Shoes with a Suit?!

Idiosyncrasies of China, never cease to amaze me. On my way to work this week I had to smile
to myself at the sights that met my gaze. On one side of the road, the only joggers/sprinters that
I saw, exposing themselves to the humid day, were foreigners. There they were sweating away,
exposing their legs in quite short shorts sprinting down the road. the amount of Chinese bicyclists that turned their heads to see these odd pairs or groups, was amazing to me that no one ended up in a head on collision!

On the other side of the street, I saw not one, but a number of Chinese men, making their way
to work, dressed in 'smart' suits, but with sport shoes on their feet. There was no extra bag in their hands, so I could swear that they had no intention of changing into more elegant shoes upon arrival and then again there were the sportively dressed pedestrians that were wearing smart black slip on shoes!

The attempt at smart dress in the men's department, still leaves room for improvement and help. Even though there are a number of elegant shops for men and the infamous 'Silk Market'
has enough attire to dress the whole of the male population in Beijing, it is not a place that is visited by the Chinese native of this city, but only the foreigner forever looking for a bargain.
So, the day wear of these local gentleman, lands up looking 'shiny'. It is not the well worn shininess that I am referring to, but the choice of buying the wrong material, that gleams and shimmers in the sun. It makes them look 'sweaty' and unkempt, which is a shame, because with the right choice of fabric and cut, with their slender and fit bodies from regular exercise, they could look a whole lot better. I am surprised that their wives and girlfriends, that do take care
of their own appearance, do not say something to them. Is this against Chinese culture?

For the frequent traveller amongst you, I will let you know the latest trends that are coming Beijing way. C & A, although now closed in England, has one small establishment here, Zara is expanding, but more importantly Marks & Sparks, H & M are intending to be here by the end of the year and Top Shop (only for the matchsticks) is coming along here too. It sounds from the above as if I am an avid shopper, but of course those of you who know me well, know this to be untrue. But as always, I like to be in the know and have succeeded in my brief time here to know more about the 'lay of the land' and cultural habits of the inhabitants than many others who have lived here a while.

Keep watching this spot, I shall update you of more 'inside Beijing tidbits and useless information'
all in good time!