Day 8. We left home 9am for Kerry Center to hear Sunday Mass at the British Embassy. Security was tight and we had to bring our passports in case security personnel asked for them which they did. The priest was a funny guy and his sermon was punctuated by laughter coming from the small congregation of people of different nationalities. We met the couple Indie entertained during the flight. They turned out to be Twink's friends.
Lunch was in a mall across Kerry or was it part of the center? Anyway, it was a British restaurant called Papa Johns that served Italian food. We ordered pasta and pizza, what else. The food was a welcome relief from Indie's horrendous spaghetti at Pizza Hut the other night and she seemed to think so too. Our little girl was an instant hit to the Chinese waitresses. A pair of big eyes was a novelty in Beijing.
Indie pretending to read the menu
Father and son
Waiting for the pizzaIndie missed her afternoon nap and and was no longer in the mood for shopping so we headed home. The boys refused to come with us to the grocery so Twink and I went by our twosome. Carrefour, a French international hypermarket, was but a 10 kwai ride from Fuli Cheung. While putting stuff into my cart, I observed the shoppers on the side. Beijing women dressed in a kitschy kind of way, unlike their sisters in Shanghai who exhibited more sophistication in their sense of style. As for the men, I had nothing to say about their clothes, only their manners—spitting on the supermarket floor! But before you make any hasty generalizations, let me clarify that I caught only 3 out of maybe 70 plus males.
Day 9. Warren was back from a 3-day business trip in a distant province. He appointed himself tour guide for the day. He expertly drove through the streets of Beijing which were mostly twice, thrice as wide as EDSA but were congested still since they had more cars than we did. I noticed many Chinese drivers had this special talent for swerving. I was not at all surprised when Twink said road mishaps were staples everywhere in the Chinese capital.
Twink was having Nubs' painting, a gift for our hosts, framed in an older part of the the city. Along the way, we passed by hutongs or courtyards with their distinct tiled roofs, ancient-looking Chinese stores, people riding bicycles. It was fascinating to watch. Even Indie was eyeing the view with curiosity and wonder. The wet market was the Palacios' next destination. Meanwhile, we browsed through charming apparel shops fronting the spot where Warren parked the car. My biggest find was a pair of Frankie Morello jeans with interesting multi-pockets which I got for a steal.
Posing by the shop window
Amid the branded clothes
Indie still had the energy to run
Nubs went crazy over the vases
Beijing traffic
Day 10. It was about time we did something to extend our visas. But first there was lunch in an unpretentious restaurant just outside the Fuli C compound. The menu's English was quite bad and we didn't have any idea what we ordered. Our little gamble paid off. The food was very delicious, cooked paella-style in rich Oriental flavors, of course. The toasted rice at the bottom of the pot was the best part. Yum!
The waitress kindly took our picture
Eating chopsticks!
The little girl had a ball at the playgroundIn an hour, the confirmation papers were signed. So on to step 2 which was to submit these to the nearby police station that issued yet another confirmation of our location, which in turn we had to submit to Immigration the next day. By the way, Twink borrowed a stroller from a friend for Indie's use to save Nubs from further back pains. But the hyperactive toddler would rather walk most of the time and the stroller would end up as a shopping cart which was a big help anyway.
The police station was unbelievably clean and orderly
We proceeded, without the Judge who was down with a cold, to a building filled with Chinese antiques. I fell in love with a red cabinet of many square drawers but it was expensive to ship home so I let it go. Nubs was totally into these things and planned to get into furniture design so he was taking everything in. The pieces came with affordable price tags and anyone who had the capital and the inclination could get rich selling these in Manila at 4 to 5 times the price.
Like Panjiayuan, this place was also a visual attack on the senses
Exquisite detailing in almost everything
Indie certainly did things her own wayNubs and Indie then went straight home; while Twink and I, to a shop with a screaming "moving out sale" sign that we caught sight of while crossing the street. Designer clothes were up to 70% off, at once unleashing my inner shopaholic. The makeshift fitting room was poorly lit and shabby but nothing could stop me from trying my finds on. My top 2 were a 100% pure silk berry Catherine Malandrino dress with pleated hem and a Cacharel strap dress with a classy combination of smockings and pleats.
Day 11. Immediately after breakfast, Nubs, Indie and I set off for a return to yesterday's serendipitous discovery. My husband was not too thrilled with the men's selection and bought only a cap for himself. Luck was at my side again when I saw more sale items not displayed the night before. What stood out among my new finds was a military-inspired A/X jacket that reminded me a bit of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper album cover.
In the afternoon, it was step 3 for visa application at the Chinese Immigration office. The building was very clean with gleaming metal waiting chairs, a far cry from the worn-out ones in our government offices. The lines were long but moving. The sad part here was that we had to shell out another Php3000 plus apart from roughly the same amount we paid for our visas back home. An unnecessary expenditure, really. If only the Chinese didn't cut-down on Visa-allowed days!
Look at the way Indie walked
Entertaining herself while the adults queued at the Immigration officeWe were told to come back in 7 days so off we were to Wangfujing shopping center. It was lined with a good number of shopping malls and the biggest Nike store ever. We had snacks at a BreadTalk outlet. I noticed that Chinese bread was not so great. Thank God the ones sold here were okay. The official Beijing Olympic store was housed in one of the buildings and Indie was only too happy to stand close to the life-size mascots. Shopping was not up to par though; Wangfujing's saving grace were the souvenir shops hidden behind its malls.
Walking along Wangfujing
Wangfujing was crowded at every point
Beijing Olympic mascots
The boy and girl statues were the xiexie kids I was talking about earlier
Wangfujing's shops of Chinese souvenirsDay 12. There was no major sight-seeing or shopping that day. The old boy's cold had turned from bad to worse. It was drizzling but the weather was lovely, reminiscent of Baguio in January. So Nubs, Indie and I went out for a stroll to Century Supermart and the independent Chinese fashion shops close by.
Inside the elevator going downDay 13. The day was unstoppably wet but that didn't keep us from going to 3.3 mall. We had lunch at a restaurant with a funny name but with an appealing opium den-inspired interior. We ordered the paella-like dish again and it was even better this time. Indie, the little tourist, had thankfully developed a liking for Chinese food and ate lots. Then, shopping. As fate would have it, we saw a display of children's raincoats and promptly bought Indie a cute red one with ladybug pockets perfect for the shower outside. Each had purchases of his own. And when we reached the overrun shoes floor, not one adult left without a pair of new sneakers.
Picture-taking in the lobby while waiting for the rain to subside
Indie and Lolo sitting on tall lobby windows 
What could "oilir" mean?
The dim interior was a nice touch
The seats were super comfortable
Wall prints like these were commonplace at 3.3 Mall 
Effort was made even on restroom signsGuided by Twink's taxi book and map, we moved to Nali Mall just a stone's throw away. Along the way, there were cafes and bars that were full of charactrer and ambience. Nali was a cul de sac of cool shops and restaurants intended for a Western market. We had afternoon snacks at a tapas resto owned by a friendly Spanish man then went back to shopping. Twink and Warren, who came from the doctor for Warren's back allergy check-up, followed us there then we all walked back to 3.3 mall where the car was parked. On the drive home, we passed by the Sanlitun area, Beijing's famous bar row which was starting to come alive by then. There was also a string of Russian shops not far from Sanlitun where, according to Twink, they sold affordable clothes and stuff from Russia.
The resto was actually upstairs
The food lived up to the price
Nali Mall had a character all its own
Take note of Indie's new raincoat
Indie demanded that we pose with herDay 14. The day was misty but dry. We all spent the morning watching Chinese movies on dvd. By early afternoon, Nubs, Indie and I were back at the Silk Market area looking for another Tommy and Jimmy store that Twink told us about. We left the shop empty-handed though. But we were a determined husband-and-wife shopping team with an uncomplaining child so we crossed the street and were, consequently, rewarded for our tenacity. We bought from air-conditioned boutiques and Chinese and Tibetan hawkers alike. Indie was again a hit and haggling with the sales girls was made a lot easier. Our best buys included an ethnic cap for Indie, an artsy elephant figurine for my collection and an Alexander McQueen shirt for Nubs.
Tree-lined avenue near Silk Market
The sun was up till 6 but it was not so hot at allThe Judge, Twink and Nubs went to a dinner party that night while Indie and I were left behind. We were very careful about bringing Indie out in the evenings especially on chilly nights. The last thing we needed was a sick child in a place where communication was sure to be problematic.
Day 15. Nubs, Indie and I started the day with breakfast at the nearby McDonald's beside the designer overrun store. To say the food was not so good was putting it mildly. Really.
Taking the overpass to McDonald's
The morning was foggy and cool
Inside the McDonald's storeWe heard Mass at the Southern Cathedral. The church was the oldest in Beijing and I took time photographing its grand facade. Sunday worshippers crowded inside, forcing us to sit on benches outside. It was a low-temperature morning and Indie dozed off on her father's lap.
Sleeping Indie
A Chinese bride and her party waiting for their turn inside the church
I was not in a very good position to photograph the structure from top to bottom
Repairs were being done at St. Francis' footLunch was a brisk walk from the cathedral. We had Japanese noodles then wasted no time getting to our main destination. We passed through several malls and street shops, indulging in a little shopping along the way. It took us 2 subway rides, a lot of legwork and endless energy to brave the throngs of weekend shoppers and commuters. We were extremely lucky the day was cloudy and the heat, more than bearable.
Walking along wide pavements and even wider roads
Everybody looked happy with the food
Little noodle loverAt long last, we set foot on the Forbidden City. People came in droves, not just foreigners, but Chinese tourists from the provinces as well. The yellow tiled roofs were recognizable even from afar, having been the subject of countless photos in books and magazines. The walls were thick and the red gate, colossal. There was a gigantic portrait of Chairman Mao that hung above it. We took souvenir shots then queued to get in. More pictures in the courtyard with the imperial attraction behind us. I checked the souvenir shop and got Indie a reward for being such a trooper during the arduous journey to get where we were. It was a tiny bag with the Forbidden City embroidered on it. Nubs did not want to put Indie into another large-crowd ordeal so we skipped the palace tour and missed out on the wealth of history and architecture inside. Yes, we were fools not to take the tour. Hyper Indie, would have made it anyway.
Outside the Forbidden City
Inside the busy courtyard
Souvenir shot with the Father of ChinaAnd so on to our next destination—Tiananmen Square. It was really just across but we had to take an underpass to get there. There were large groups of Chinese tourists in uniform red caps and they looked color-coordinated with their Forbidden City backdrop. There was not much to see at the Square, of course. Everyone was there for its historical significance. One side of Chairman Mao's tomb was undergoing a facelift for the Olympics and did not make a very pretty picture.
The red-capped tourists
Construction ongoing in the background
A better view here
The Hall of the People to my right
Crossing the street fronting Tiananmen
It was indeed a long day for all of us, especially for the littlest one in the group. But the next day was bound to be longer. It was our much-awaited trip to the Great Wall. On my next post.
Family bonding in our room of 3 weeks
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