Muslim Quarters, Xian City

A must-see section of Xian City. Our Xmas Eve dinner was bread bits soaked in mutton soup, a traditional and popular dish in Xian.

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Merry Xmas and Happy New Year!

For those of us who are seeking any and every excuse to have a drink or two extra this festive season, do remember this:

Alcohol does not make you FAT!

In fact, in sufficient quantities, alcohol can make you LEAN.

Yes, LEAN!!!!!

Lean against walls, car door, telephone booth, and even floors (any floor), but most significantly,

Alcohol makes you lean against beautiful people, who at first may look truly and genuinely ugly!

Enjoy but be safe!

kk

New Hair salon

A new hair salon has just started up in our neighbourhood. You can tell by the name on the signboards the competion in this profession is indeed getting fiercier and more specialised.

If ever you need to engage their specialised services, do make sure you drop in to say hello and share a coffee after you are done.

JT, Add this to your Chinglish list.

Shoes

A pair of Crocodile walking shoes that has been loyally travelling with me to many places from Tokyo to Malaysia and Melbourne, that has been unselfishly protecting my feet from pain and dirt, has finally being taken away from me.

Someone swtiched my shoes, right outside my very own home, one night 2 weeks ago, leaving behind a pair of really stinky runners about 2 sizes bigger. For months, we had no problems with leaving our shoes outside our front door. Then I sent my shoes to a neighbourhood cobbler for 'servicing' about 2 months ago. It looked new. I believe my Crocks did put up big fights against that night stalker. No self-respecting shoes will ever put up with feet that stink so bad!

Last Sunday, Grace took me to roam a mall near Fu Li Cheng where Kristine and Kimberley spent the afternoon at their friend's. A pair of Hush Puppies suedes was reduced 50%, and another 2.5% on top. The final price was still Y499.

I miss Woodbury Commons of our White Plains days!
Remembering those HushPuppies, Merrell shoes at 50-70% off on top of clearance.

110 (Beijing Emergency Number)

After Kristine's stationery shopping at 东郊市场, we decided to walk home instead of the two stops bus ride. As we approach home, we caught up with a slow-walking old man with deeply stooped back in front of us. He wore a brown fisherman winter hat, dark colour jacket (as per top of a suit), white colour wrap-around apron, and soft fabric domestic slippers.

Kristine asked me why that man walked the way he did, with his back stooped low. No sooner after her question, the man fell forward, with his knees curled up and forehead on the ground. Grace and I froze for a few seconds as the man stayed stationary on the ground. No passers by stopped to take a look. This is a busy road under the mid-section of East 4th Ring Road. I went over, knelt down and looked at him. His face was dark tanned and heavily wrinkled. He was still breathing. Sigh of relief. I then asked "Whats wrong?" (你怎么啦？). After a few heavy breath, he spoke out. I could manage just two msgs:

1. I am ill
2. They (presumably his relatives or caretakers) don't care anymore
3. gibberish and gibberish that I could not decipher.

I then ask him if I should call the police over to help him. He replied very clearly agreeing to call the local police for help. I was half expecting him to say he was hungry and homeless and asked me for money. He didn't.

Grace then call 110. Call was swiftly connected. Grace was asked about the problem and the location. The operator was very familiar with the location vicinity. Either the operator was nearby in the same locale, or she could track the mobile phone call location on her Beijing map. She told Grace the local police will be contacted to pick up the old man. Roughly 10 minutes later, a police officer called Grace's mobile to verify the situation and location. Another 9 minutes later, 3 police in a patrol car came. The lead officer asked Grace if she was the one who called. After a brief Q&A, they picked the old man up and drove off.

19 minutes from time of lodging an emergency call to arrival of emergency personnel. I thought that was rather fast. I once had to call for an ambulance for a friend in Melbourne. I recall it took about the same time for the ambulance to arrive.

No camera, thus no photos attached.