Beijing is full of random awesome. These are a few things that amused me, with photos. They include the Beijing Bikini, the ubiqutious pet dogs, weird toilet signage and plywood car protection. There are many more charming quirks to the city, but this is what stood out for me.

There’s a Tibetan Temple down the street from my hutong in Beijing. This is less incongruous than you might thing. Yonks ago a Lama built the temple. The Emperor and modern government has interpreted it as a tribute (implying that Tibet is a dominion of China) and kept it preserved ever since. I went there to try and meditate, which was actually a bad idea.

Beijing is a hip town. There’s this district called 798 (Qi Jiu Ba) which used to be, I think, an arms factory, supplying the Viet Cong among others. Now it’s a large space devoted to art. There’s galleries, shops, restaurants, it’s really a fascinating place.

China is pretty great. Really hip, Beijing at least. The corner bodega/kade has more beer and cheese than I’ve ever seen in SL. Ate fat oysters and scallops and infinite legs of lamb for like $10. Heard about a Brit who was beat for three years in jail. Drank some hawthorne infused whiskey sour at one of many local hipster bars.

I want to visit my friend in China before he comes back. Free place to crash and all. So, I applied for a visa to China, from Colombo. I’m not sure I’ll get it, but this is process to at least apply. For official but incomplete info, check out the Chinese Embassy website.

Somewhat random, but these photos are amazing. It’s just another day at the office. Hang out with my money, hang out with my phone, hang out with my cars, beat some dudes up, hang out with my money, hang out with my car. Also, hang out with my pet bear. And my handbag.

India is now the world’s top importer of arms. Not the top spender mind you, that’s still the US by far, but India is the top importer. Also, don’t get China’s drop in the importer rankings twisted. They’re just making their own weapons at home.

China is Sri Lanka’s new big brother, which is kinda creepy but kinda fine, cause China and Chinese people are cool. I want to visit and a friend was going, but her visa got denied. Not her visa though, apparently no single Sri Lankan tourist can just go to China. We have to go in groups of five. Presumably with minders. Uncool.

Until now, the only Chinese people I’ve seen around Sri Lanka have been diners, laborers, prostitutes or dignitaries in the papers. Every now and then something will drop from the sky (like the Lotus Theatre) but the Chinese aren’t like Indians. You don’t see them at House Of Fashion or really engage in conversation. Recently, however, some friends (of a friend) came down from Beijing and we got to hang out. They were quite cool.

If I had a blogger idol it would be Han Han – Chinese super-blogger, race car driver, and all around dreamy guy. My friend is down from Beijing and he says China is a land of paradoxes. It’s both more free and restricted than you would imagine. I think Han Han is the riddle within the enigma. He’s recently written three essays, On Revolution, On Democracy, and On Freedom. They’re quite interesting.