Back from Beijing...
 

On a recent trip to Beijing, and coming back here it's what you notice as well as don't notice which comes to mind.

Lot's...and lots of people, but virtually NO fat people.

Woman dress...like woman. Feminine...class...dresses...nice clothes. No buffoons on the Subway in pants-sweats, etc.
Reminded me in a way of when I went to Houston for a while, and the woman were much different than anywhere else I have been in America(and I lived in the South, MidWest, and Southwest). The younger woman in Texas seemed to glow femininity. So Cal...not so.

My friends I-Phone...she pays for full Internet on her phone, and unlimited service(plus no charge for incoming calls)...$9.00 a month...NINE DOLLARS for the whole f--ing deal. And if you think the Chinese don't have money, they pay $200 for an IZOD shirt that we pay $60-90 for.

There are no old cars on the streets of Beijing...everything is from about 1998 forward. I did see a 911 with a girl driving it. Whole car was 'Hello Kitty' Pink...that was a sight!

A couple going out to have dinner at a decent place will drop about $20...which includes everything(tip is included). Just like here, I stayed away from the fast food/junk food.

If any of you consider travel to someplace you want to go, I say just do it. Life is short, and enjoy it while you can.

We enjoyed Beijing as well. It's interesting being a western tourist. Lots of rural Chinese will come to Beijing as a once in a lifetime trip, like a trip to the big apple. Our daughter was about 5 at the time, and we must of had 100 people take their photos with her. They had never seem a Caucasian child.

I spent 8 months on a student abroad program to England. Arriving back home the top 2 things to strike me were

1. where did all the fat people come from?
2. when did it get so brown and dry here?

Oh well, all those years in the US Navy and I never got to got into China. The closest was to the border when we would visit Hong Kong and I did buy a "Chairman Mao" hat and one of his books which I'll never read. I noticed that all the men, even laborers wear custom fitted trousers and they seem to last forever! I tended to stand out as my hair was red back then (now grey) and I had a red mustache. I noted most were shorter than me except the folks from way up in northern China who tended to be tall.

Went with the family for xmas break, did notice the thin well dressed women but also noticed all the spitting, that was gross

You want to see well dressed young women go to Berlin.

We are a country of fat pigs and getting worse.

I just returned from Beijing and Shanghai earlier today. IMHO Shanghai is far, far better/more/nicer than everything you listed in Beijing. Shanghai rocks.

NOBODY beats the Bella Figura in Italy.