Beijing has quite a “china” feel to it, well, as much as the Capital can have. Quite a different lifestyle to be had there. Housing is all in back alleys of the main streets, so quite often you see old Chinese men walking around in their pajamas. Their home bathrooms are the shared public toilets, where they converse side by side with their pants around their ankles, squatting over a hole in the ground.

What impresses me, is the busy lifestyle of the old. Bright and early on my walks at 7am the local “playground?” is full of men and women 60+ in heated battles on the pingpong tables. Hovered around a table sharpening the mind with countless games of Chinese chess. Or in what looks like a childs jungle gym working out. When one conjures up what a 60 year old Chinese man working out looks like, one might think stretching or speed walking with 2lb weights in hand, not so. These men are stretching, doing the SPLITS or with their leg on a gymnast parallel beam, toes well above their head as if kicking Yao Ming in the face without jumping. (for all the oldies reading this Yao Ming is the 7’6” Chinese basketball superstar) They are also crowded around a firemans pole 20ft in the air one by one climbing it hand over hand, nope no feet. Us westerners, suck.

I have since left this lifestyle, on a overnight train to Shanghai. A new adventure is to be had.

Oh and i’ve added a page as to where I currently am.

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