Knuckle Sandwiches – Part 2

**WARNING - Long Post**

After spending the last two weeks sorting through the 4GB of photos we’ve managed to accumulate I finally got the time to return to the more fun bit of the website stuff – the blogging. While there is always something interesting, funny or just downright confusing to write about here in Beijing, this one is about unfinished business. So welcome to the details on the 2nd half of our trip down to Luoyang and Shaolin (where things actually did get interesting, funny and downright confusing).

Hard Knuckle
After our whirlwind tour of Luoyang’s cultural highlights on the Saturday it was off to Shaolin early on the Sunday morning to check out the birthplace of Shaolin Kungfu. I was very excited about this, having been a fan of their work for a few years and only recently finishing reading “American Shaolin”, and autobiography of an American who spent over a year training with the monks in the temple in the early 80s. He spoke of a less than modern temple and surrounding area, fronted by a strip of the small snack stores you see in China selling the coke and drinks to the tourist masses.

I would be lying though if I said I wasn’t a bit worried that the temple would be awash with all the unwanted trimmings of a cultural institution commercialised to the hilt, making it very hard to see the true meaning of the place beneath all the tacky trinket stalls. It’s only later on that I’ve got an idea about where on the scale it fell (but that is for later).

The sense that the whole Shaolin legend was being milked for all it was worth became apparent as we drove along the main road from Luoyang towards Shaolin. Big metal pictures of monks in various martial arts poses lined the concrete walls of the overpass cutaways, and the level of English on the road signs was higher than usual (which, for the country areas, is saying a lot). Once we turned off the main road we straight away saw signs of make good cultural learnings for great benefit of China, with big kungfu schools lining each side of the main street through town. On the temple side of town were two of the largest schools, one that had 15,000 students and the other that had at least 8,000. There was no stopping at this stage, as we were racing the clock to get to the temple exhibition hall for one of the daily performances that the kungfu students put on for the tourist masses. This show, like the ones that travel around the world (having seen one in Canberra) do not actually include the monks – they only come out for special guests (usually CCP officials).

When the bus pulled up at the carpark we were quickly made aware that the investment by the Government was not just on the promotion, but that a lot of $$ had also gone into fixing up the necessary infrastructure needed to make it a comfortable experience for the tourist. A visitors centre was conveniently located at the front, and the restrooms were clean and not just a hole in the ground (these ones were porcelain coated holes in the ground :-).

Given that we were running a bit late we seemed to hang around the entrance a bit too long while the guide organised the tickets, so by the time we got down to the exhibition hall which was 15min walk away we came up against a wall of spectators when we tried to enter the doors in front of and either side of the stage. It was time to pull out our “blond foreigner child” card again, and lucky for us it paid off again, and we managed to push on through with Madeline in the lead allowing us to get down onto the stairs to the side of the stage. While we were not front-on to the stage and the monks were mainly facing with their backs to us, it was still better than having to bob up to look over other people’s heads.

Students taking a rest at one of the training grounds on our way to the Shaolin Exhibition Hall.

Before the show had started a few of the performers came out on stage with what looked to be one of the monks, and people were jumping up on the stage left right and centre to pose for a photo with them. Amy and I decided that it was a first in best dressed affair, and not seeing any signs banning Laowai (foriegner) I decided to jump up and slot into the side for a photo. It must not have been a regular occurrence, because it seems to draw a bigger reaction from the mainly Chinese crowd with a few of them giving me a clap. It was then back to the stairs for the start of the performance, and by God do these guys know how to perform. The show started out with high leaps and backward and forward summersaults, as well as amazing feats of strength especially in the demonstration of the Iron Kungfu techniques (snapping spears by bending them while the point is pushing into the neck, and having thick poles broken over their forearms). They also got those students who are expert in the various animal styles to come out and demonstrate their wares, and having never seen the Frog Style it was certainly a great sight to see someone hopping around the stage like a giant cane toad on PCP.

Doin' it snake-style.

More than just a flying leap of faith - there is some serious training hours behind all their moves.

What came next was an opportunity that was too good to pass up. On the way to the temple the guide had mentioned the opportunity for audience members to go up on stage and participate in the show, so when they asked for volunteers from the audience I waved my arms around like a madman not thinking that I would be spotted from the very far edge of the viewing area. However, all the Chinese people on our side of the arena also noticed my enthusiasm and increased attention to my cause. It seems that the compare had a sense of humour, as I managed to be the last one selected and as I hopped up on stage it drew a very big response from the crowd who were surprised that a non-Chinese person would volunteer for the ‘job’. The even funnier thing was that I didn’t yet know what the ‘job’ entailed .

Sticks and stones may break by bones, if only I didn't have this really cool iron-arm technique.

As described then by the compare, the job was actually a bit more physical than I was expecting. It was competition format, with each of the 4 volunteers (me and 3 Chinese people) being teamed up randomly with one of the “animal forms” kungfu students. Our job was to follow and repeat the moves put out by our assigned kungfu expert as closely as possible, with a prize going to the person who the audience believed did the best ‘interpretation’ of the form. The winner would be judged by audience cheering, or in my case jeering.

The styles up for offer were the snake, the tiger, the monkey and the frog. In what was probably a lucky move for me I got the monkey, because out of all the styles this was the one that my mate Jonny and I use to joke about back in our Canberra kungfu days (we couldn’t actually do it, but gave ourselves endless amusement doing our own 10sec interpretations). I was the third one to demonstrate my complete lack of skill, and the guy who went just before me put in a very solid effort on the bullfrog style which got the crowd cheering. I on the other hand had them all laughing and although I was too busy trying to concentrate on what my laoshi (teacher) next to me was doing so I could repeat his moves, Amy later admitted to not having too many camera shots of my performance because she spent too much time laughing. I did though get a very solid applause at the end. Mmm, not a response I was looking for and not that promising as far as I could tell.

There was some serious monkeyshines on my part.

He might have 20 years more training on me, but I have 30kg of bodymass on him. Pity the bodyslam is not a valid kungfu move.

The last guy to front up put in what I believed to be the performance of the group, and really had the moves to look convincing. He also managed to get more cheers than laughs, which in my mind made him the clear favourite. When it came to the compare handing it over to the audience for their opinion it was a very close race between me and him by way of decibel level. Just when I thought it would be up for the audience to decide between two, it appeared that I was given the 1st prize (I say appeared, because at that stage all was in Chinese so I just stood there looking like Homer Simpson when he was getting tested by the military scientists – one of those times you fear when everyone else around you knows what is going on, and you have no idea).


Confusion due to language barrier aside, it was a great experience and not only for the free DVD. I also got to take away a CD of the photos of me hamming it up monkey style on the stage. When I returned back to my spot in the audience, I received many encouraging pats on the back and handshakes from those around me (at least that's what Amy tells me - it was a blur of adrenaline and more than a hint of euphoria). And while they were whacking the photos onto the disk and printing/laminating a few of the best ones I also got to sit in a better spot further to the front (unfortunately while Amy and Maddy were still stranded on the stairs).


[AUTHOR'S NOTE: Intermission time, so if you have read down to here without a break then grab a coffee and relax those eyes before continuing. We'll be back in 30sec after this public announcement. 29, 28, 27, ...].


After the excitement of the exhibition we rejoined the group outside and headed for the temple, which was well restored but looked like many of the other temples we have seen on our short time in China (a bit like the church exhaustion we felt when we travelled to Europe).

Inside the Shaolin Temple.

Next on the agenda was the Pagoda Forest, a short walk away. This collection of brick ‘towers’ is the burial ground for the monks, and comprises of both public and private pagodas. Those who have done their time in the temple have the right to have their ashes placed into any pagoda with an open ‘door’ (the public versions). Just across the path though we did notice a particularly modern and less traditional pagaoda, which we found out belonged to an American who paid to have his ashes buried at the temple. While we were unable to verify the story, his ‘headstone’ supposedly comprised of modern symbols representing computers and PDAs - only in (or from) the USA.

Among the burial structures of the Pagoda Forest.

While checking out the old structures we were also on the lookout for the opportunity for Amy to also have her photo taken with a monk. Unfortunately we soon found that while they were happy to be photographed ala natural, they were not happy to pose with or without visitors. Hence Amy missed her chance, but it does give us a reason to head back a 2nd time to capture that elusive photo (YES Please). The photos didn't end though, with Maddy still being as popular as ever with the locals wanting to get a shot with her, and me even getting requests from a couple of Chinese people seeking a photo with the funny laowai who ventured into the usually sacred Chinese enclave of Kungfu, and came away proving (as expected) that white man will always come 2nd best to the Chinese in Kungfu just as we come 2nd in the dancing stakes with the African-Americans.

One of the couples who were keen for a photo with the family of the blonde child and the kungfu wannabe/nevergonnabe.

By this time lunch was well and truely on the cards, which meant it was my first REAL excursion into scary territory. Where I was heading made the Shaolin Temple stage look like a hot tub and JD on a cold night - it was a Vegetarian restaurant. Incorporated into an operating buddist nunnery, it sold all the stuff that tasted and looked like meat but isn't meat. Maddy was none the wiser though and kept asking for more "sausage". To be honest it was OK, but I still think that if God didn't want us to eat animals he wouldn't have invented meat.

Maybe it was the whole eating of the plant-based protein thing or maybe it was just tiredness setting in, but either way by the time we got to the kungfu school I was starting to get over the weekend. It was a flying visit though, and while many of the stiudents were very young they were already developing power in their side kicks that will see the French World Cup soccer coach eyeing them off for the next round of contracts. All this in between doing normal school work and taking a bit of time out to do kids stuff, but with school 6 days a week and many of them using their free periods for extra practice, you can see many will definitely have a future in coaching, as a stuntman or in personal security (which is where many of them end up, although they all hope for Will Lee Wonker's Golden Ticket - a starring role in the Kungfu movie business).

The kungfu school had students of all shapes and sizes.

These kids had the day off, but they were using their free time for a bit of extra kicking practice. This guy already had a killer kick on him, and if I could have just half the skill that he had I'd be happy.

Home time beckoned, so it was back on the bus and a 2hr trip to Zhengzhou airport where we had a very ordinary dinner before jumping on a plane back to Beijing. It was certainly a tiring weekend, but it was defintely a fun one and for the most part very well run and worth the money (except for the last meal, but other people on the group complained enough for everyone so we felt well 'eard on the matter).

All in all I was pleasantly surprised with what I saw at Shaolin in regards to the level of commercialisation - it was actually less than what I expected. While we were hassled in the lunch restauarant carpark by mobile touters wanting to sell us postcards and mini weapons, this was not the case in the temple. Sure there was a whole row of souvenir shops selling everything from t-shirts to weapons, but at least you didn't have to fear the cultural reaper wandering around looking for the people with tourist dollars to spend. In fact, I actually wished it was a little more heavy on the tourist shop content because I found out after leaving the temple that one of the other group members had bought a whole set of Kungfu manuals from a small stall inside the grounds. They were in English, and I was keen to get a set so in the 15min I had left I searched high and low the places outside the gate for them but to no avail. I only managed to track down one of the books, which cost me nearly twice as much as she paid. Unlike the shop across the way where I got two tee's, this keeper knew she had the only copy available and was not budging on the price (the unpleasant effects of supply and demand, and as certain as death and taxes).

'Elegant' Knuckle
After the battle royale at the Kungfu Temple there was one more Guihot showdown to come, with Maddy participating in her first ballet dance competition the weekend after we got back from our adventures down south. It was a team event, which meant she didn't suffer the nerves that usually come when she is in front of an audience of strangers. There were around 4 categories with a few schools competing across all groups. Luckily for Madeline there were only two entrants in the team ballet category, the other being her other school team from the 2nd campus on the outskirts of town.

Maddy put in a great effort, and although the photos can attest to her being somewhat out of step with the rest of her group that didn't seem to worry the judges, who awarded her team 1st place and her first ever dance medal. The kids were very excited, and we couldn't get the medal from off around Madeline's neck for a few days afterwards.

Maddy jumping in her own time. Some people march to the beat of a different drum. Madeline on the other hand marches to a entirely different orchestra.

Maddy with her dance group showing off their medals.

Knuckle Done and Dusted
So that’s all for this post – apologies for making it a long one. The next few weeks are going to be busy, with Madeline's birthday party scheduled for next Sunday and Madeline also looking forward to her BSB Idol performance at school (BSB = British School of Beijing). In addition to this we are also off to Canada on 20th May to catch up with Amy's family (assuming borders aren't closed down around the world because of Bacon Flu). We'll also be using the trip as an oppotunity to buy decent quality shoes and clothes in westerner sizes.

Between lazy days of Pearls and Swine

Well it has been a busy week and a bit for me in Beijing, with Amy being away for most of that time with work. We were lucky to have her back for a few days in between which coincided with her birthday, so we managed to head out for some family time before Amy was off again on Monday afternoon for a course.

For her birthday I managed to finally hit the mark on the gift front, guaranteeing me at least a few brownie points that I can cash in later on. With the help of my Mandarin lesson 'partner in crime' I managed to get firm specs on what Amy wanted to add to her jewellery collection, and pearls were the order of the day. More specifically Amy was keen to have something to match her necklace that she had picked up from Broome a few years ago - a set of earings would be nice, and if it were possible a nice ring to go with it. A few weeks ago we decided to go to the Pearl and Toy Market for our language lesson, and while there I found a very good shop that has got the thumbs up from other expats in Beijing. The person we were dealing with was the owner of the shop, making her alot easier to deal with than the clowns manning the shop around the corner (and who annoyed my after only 2 minutes by telling me what I was asking for wasn't what I really wanted). Our final choice was (in the end) a very good recommendation, and I managed to get not only the earings that Amy wanted but also a nice ring done up to Amy's specs. As with many things here in China I was able to select the pearls to go into the jewellery, and then the type of metal it was all going to hook up to, and all made in the 20min it took us to go and have a coffee. Safe to say Amy was super impressed, which is WAY different to her response when I gave her that new Mountain Bike in my size a few years ago.

Amy's new Birthday bling.

In addition to the most excellent present pick (yep, I'm milking it) I also managed to get us into the very popular "Bubbalicious Brunch" at the Westin Hotel around the corner, which is run every Sunday. It was a close call though, as it appears that this is the place to be on Sunday morning in Beijing. Even though I rang the Monday before I was told that all inside tables were booked, and we were sitting in the corridor section (where, as we found out, alot of other people were as well). A strategically good battle position as luck would have it, because this was half way between the main serving area (seafood, Indian, Chinese, Western) and the 2nd area serving the signature Chinese dishes (Beijing Duck, BBQ Swine and more skewered meat than Kebabastan). From here Amy and I waged war on the various cuisines they had on offer. The package also included all the softdrink, wine, cocktails and Verve champagne we could drink, as well as a selection of four types of shooters (the Bloody Mary Oyster Shots were addictive, but I couldn't say the thought of a 2nd Baijiu and jellyfish was high on my to-do list). What was really interesting was not so much the effort they put into the product on offer (food and drinks quality), but the whole branding campaign that they had wrapped around it. When we walked into the hotel foyer we were greated by two young Chinese women dancing inside 6ft diameter "Bubbalicious" beach balls, and wandering aroung the restaurant was the resident juggler/child entertainer kitted out in the Bubbalicious clown suit and hat. Everthing was colour coordinated, and everything was branded). Whether this had anything to do with it by subcontiously programming the temptation synapses of my brain I'm not sure, but Amy and I spent the entire 3hrs there in total relaxation (or maybe it had to do with the 5 shooters, 2 cocktails and three glasses of wine I had). And while I did try and keep a steady pace on the food tasting front there was too much good stuff to not have tasted so the walk home afterwards was more of a shuffle for me.

The rest of my time either side of our relaxing weekend has been spent taking care of the odds and ends that have built up over the last month, including organising a party for Madeline and also helping her prepare for her 'BSB Idol' performance that she is doing with her friend on Friday (preliminary show only - Round 1 is early next month. Can't wait). On top of this my bar manager role is about to get busy for a few weeks as I go about restocking the wine and beer supplies for the displaced Aussie natives.

I have though managed to get out and about for a bit of aimless wandering, and it's on these trips that I usually find those Kodak moments that are worth sharing (or as is the case below, get to visit ones that friends have found).

Don't want to have consumer organisations testing your claims? Just insert a one word disclaimer at the start. (this compliments the restaurant down near my darts home pub, which claims to have "Probably the finest steak in Beijing").



No comment needed here.

Finally, there has been a few people who have asked when the 2nd part of 'Knuckle Sandwich" is going to make an appearance. It hasn't been forgotten about, and should be posted up by the end of the weekend all things going to plan (knowing that nothing ever seems to go as planned). And if it requires a few late nights to get it done then there is always this litttle beauty I found at a local supermarket - Coffee Gum. It's Caffebate for Espresso addicts, and soon to be available in skin patches at a pharmacy near you (or from the guy I saw on the stairs of McDonalds today selling prescription-only medicines from a plastic bag).

Coffee Gum. Soon to be available in "McDonalds Dripulator Coffee" flavour (Warning: New gum flavour may contain high levels of ash).

“I WALKED THE GREAT WALL, AND ALL I (DIDN’T) GET WAS THIS DAMN T-SHIRT”

Well we could ignore it no more. The urge to climb the Great Wall had been with us since we first arrived, but a combination of busy weekends and less than appealing cold weather meant that we only really got our first chance to do so last Sunday as part of an organised hike put on by Amy's workplace (the 2nd in a series of hikes along the Great Wall). The hike planned to cover the 8 to 9km stretch between Jinshanling and Simatai along a section of the wall which is largely unrestored. There were reports that it was also climbing intensive in some sections, although reality would later show that the uphill sections tended to alternate between steep and OMFG.

This was nevertheless touted as a more family friendly affair, but with memories of the first hike still burnt into people’s memories (particularly the 900m vertical climb at the start and the understated difficulty level) quite a few from the initial jaunt decided to sit this one out. On the flipside, a few who really felt it the first time came back in the hope that they could built on their new-found leg strength for the longer term (and in the end cure themselves of the need to do further great wall hikes). I was concerned about Maddy’s ability to make it but Amy kept the faith, and even though we got some extra attention in the hike briefing about the need to “keep on going once started”, reports of other kids Maddy’s age completing this stretch were encouraging especially given Maddy’s love of climbing and her good walking record.

The view of the Great Wall, from near the top of the chairlift.

Amy and Maddy (and the cameraman) taking the opportunity to rest halfway up one of the steeper climbs.

The drive just to get out to Jinshanling was actually a bit of an epic (around 2.5hrs) so plans were to leave at 8am on the dot. When we finally arrived around 10.30am (after some seriously aggressive driving from our bus captain) Amy suggested we head directly for the rest rooms and then straight up the chairlift to the wall ASAP. This would give us a head start on the rest of the group in case Maddy took a bit of extra time. Suggested finishing times by the walk leader were anything from 3hrs to 5hrs. The fast run out of the bus gates was a good idea in the end as the toilet line had already started to grow by the time we go out. It meant we were the first in line for the chairlift, which saves you around 20min as well as a lot of energy to get up to the wall (a lot of the group took the path).

The Great Wall snaking its way into the distance.

As soon as we got to the top of the chairlift we were instantly set upon by Touts, annoying locals that follow you around offering "help" and wanting to get paid. My patience with them lasted 30min before I told them to bugger off, leaving us the rest of the trip to enjoy without having them jumping into our photo shots or having to say no to offers of Great Wall postcards.

Me - pose shot.

View of the Great Wall, looking through one of the towers.

The climbing and descending on the hike started off hard, and didn’t relent until just before we stopped for our lunch break. The section of the wall we were covering would take us through 30 towers along the way, and a few of these were so dilapidated that we were forced to come off the wall and divert around them along paths cut into the steep mountainsides. The climbing was often up very tall broken stairs, and the stairs down in similar condition with Maddy (and even me and Amy) needing to descend some of them backwards. BUT what an experience! (and also a great way to lose a few kilograms in one day). The photo opportunities were fantastic, and in many spots you could see the wall snake around and over the mountains and off into the horizon.

Today's hiking forecast - climbing followed by more climbing.

Ye, Carmel and Phil picking their way down one of the messier descents.

With Maddy, Amy and I (surprisingly) leading the group we took the opportunity to slow down a bit and joined up with another 3 people from our bus. It was decided that we would stop for a bite to eat at the last tower on this section of the wall, just before it started to drop down into the ravine. The fact that this ended up being tower 19 of the 30 meant we were over ½ way, making lunch that much sweeter. So with Maddy all carbed up on Snickers we headed off again to do the last stretch which comprised mainly of decent down dilapidating stairs. This is where Amy had most of the problems though, with the pressure hurting her knees and I was really starting to feel the blisters forming just below the surface on the skin on the feet . Maddy on the other hand got a second wind (having nearly pulled up stumps three times before lunch), and was buoyed on by the news that there was a Flying Fox at the end which you could take to descend off the wall down towards the Simatai village. She did though have reservations up until the last moment, when she finally convinced herself to do it.

Maddy leading the way. Luckily we didn't need to climb all the way to the top of the section in the background (only to the section you can see where the road traverses the mountain and intersects the wall).

In the end though it was not to be, as she was deemed to be too young by the operator. For Maddy, who was really tired by this stage, it was the straw that broke the camel’s back and she mopped all the way down the 15min descent to the village. Even so, we were able to lay claim to being the first of our group back in, which made us very proud of Maddy. With already organised plans to meet at a bar on the side of the lake we made a b-line straight for it and enjoyed a cold beer and soft drink, as well as food and coffee.

Although not very visible, the wall runs along the spine of this mountain range from left to right. Not sure why a wall was really needed here (the face of the mountain range is deterent enough).

It ends up that that the section of the wall we did was actually the same section of wall hiked by our visitors from Australia (Matt and Dave) back in January, but luckily for us it was a bit warmer. I can now see why they raved about it as it was a spectacular section of the walk to do (not that I have anything else to compare it to yet).

The only slight downside to the day was the actual cost of getting from one end of the 9km hike to the other. In a manner that only a heavily beauraucratic system can come up with, we had to pay 4 times along the way to cover the full length – once when we entered at Jinshanling, once to take the chair lift, once when we entered Simatai and once to get across the suspension bridge. Granted that the chairlift was optional and it was free to hike up, but the fee at Simatai and the suspension bridge was a “pay or go back from whence you came” affair. Those wanting to take the flying fox were hit a 5th time, and judging by the condition of the suspension bridge the fee certainly isn’t being put towards its upkeep (it had a very "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" feel about it).

Ye, Carmel, Phil and Amy on the suspension bridge marking the near-end to our hike.

There were a few positive things money-wise that were VERY surprising, with drinks sold by touts on the wall being surprisingly cheap as well as the “I climbed the wall” t-shirts. The shirts were actually WAY cheaper than the starting price at Yashow Markets just down the road from our apartment , and in some cases actually cheaper than the finishing market price (proving how much of a rip-off they are there). In the end we decided we had enough Tees in the cupboard so decided to get Maddy a medal instead (although I might head back one day and get myself a whole box of the tees – I can see a real opportunity for a stall out the front of Yashow alongside the mobile authorised Rolex dealer in the dirty jacket).

"We walked all the way from UP THERE!"

Maddy taking a rest at one of the towers.

As with our other adventures, bigger versions of these photos are available in our online photo album here.

God Bless(ed) the Germans

Who would have thought that a German appetite and a local Queanbeyan institution could have played such a big part in making me feel at home in Beijing. On the struggletown front I'm not speaking about the Queanbeyan Riverside Plaza (although no doubt it has its merits for invoking a sense of homeliness - UGG Boots do that to me). I'm talking about the Central Cafe. Meat city, where even the most dedicated carnivore can walk out with their head bowed down in shame for leaving an unfinished Mixed Grill (THE legendary dish on the menu, which gives anyone finishing it a real sense of achievement as well as some serious artery hardening).

Now while I have mentioned in previous posts about the large size of the serves here at the restauarants, there is considerably less meat included in a dinner menu than in Australia (well at our house anyway, where vegetarians ARE welcome as long as they come already basted and seasoned). It was nice then to find a few weeks ago a German restaurant just around the corner from us which does a nice lunch smorgasboard, and with no plans last night we decided to head along and check out the dinner menu. While some of the more traditional dishes looked good I decided on a mixed grill while Amy went for the steak (which got an A+ from her). What a great pick mine was - a hot skillet right from the stove top with more meat than I could finish off, and underneath nothing but BBQ style roasted potatoes. My new favourite (m)eating place, if I ever decide that I need to purge my body of remaining green vegetable free radicals. So if you are planning on coming over and are of the carnivore ilk then prepare to have the gauntlet thrown down - it seems the Germans really know how to serve up a dish where even the single remaining vegetable has lost all resemblance of its former self. And I can guarantee it will thwart the hunger pains of even the biggest eater for a good 24rhrs afterwards, just like a Central Cafe Cordon Bleu (which, like most other dishes comes in pairs). My own little suburb of Canberra right here in Beijing.

Still on the topic of the Germans and their appetites, I am excited to report that I have come across someone who can actually out-eat me. 'Rubbish', 'Lies', 'Witchcraft' I hear you say, but to make it even more amazing is that this ability resides within a German friend of mine who looks like she would weigh in at around 15kg wringing wet. Sure enough she is on her feet all day at work and doesn't eat alot up until dinner, but she had Amy and I exchanging glances of amazement when she managed to finish off the two Beijing Ducks we had ordered AFTER finishing a 7 dish banquet. I remain in awe, and suggest that if there is a God then he not stray too close to my friend's knife and fork.