Lamenting the fact that my peers in Canada are done school and I'm still hanging on with one final exam, one that I cannot focus on because the text book is written by a chimpanzee. What do Chimpanzees know about macroeconomics? They can't even trade effectively.
I've done a few food tours this week, including a cool Shanlitun urbaneats one that explores the more upmarket offerings of Yunan and Sichuan cuisine. This weekend I'm heading up to the Wall at Mutianyu to do a gourmet picnic tour with a couple of clients in town. One of whom is an Ivey grad I hear and a managing director in a Canadian bank...small world indeed.
So I was taking a family of four around the hutongs of Houhai yesterday when the mother told me she found out about Hias Gourmet through tripadvisor, which had the Hutong Eats tour ranked on the 3rd of 179 activities to do in Beijing! Jiggawhaat? I couldn't believe it so I googled it myself, and lo and behold it really is.
Now all the reviews have me worried, because I don't think I'm nearly as charming and fun as Adlyn, and am probably giving the hard-earned fruits of her labour a bad name!
I found some incredible pictures of Nanluoguxiang, a gentrified hutong that I walk through during my food tour and wanted to share them with you.
Photos courtesy of ym32 on flickr
The neighbourhood is the perfect place to observe the juxtaposition of new and ancient that is Beijing, with some of the courtyards more than 800 years old. With the eradication of hutongs over the past fifty years, the government has forced multiple families to move in together in what used to be single-family compounds. Today, walking through any alley, you can count the number of electric meters outside to discover how many families live in the cramped space. I've gotten to as many as fifty. This is a must-see when you visit Beijing, and no wonder the culinary/cultural tour is No. 3 on Tripadvisor. No thanks to me. No, seriously.
In other news, I need a new camera. My Nikon has failed me for reasons undisclosable, yes that's a word. I wantnoneed the Canon 50D with wide-angle lens. I would also like a Leica. Lika-leica, get it?? The Holga with which I shot the SH/HZ pics is a dream, but sadly, remains borrowed. I want a vintage twin lens reflex from the antique market also. But alas, my problem remains a rather stubby cashflow, and it doesn't seem to be growing anytime soon. fml.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment