I made a very short trip to Beijing with my boss last Thursday and we were back to SIN on Sunday morning. We were there to give our agent a product and operation training and since both my boss and myself had been to Beijing before, taking in ancient sights before, we decided not to extend. We even change our flights from departing 1600 hours initially to depart 0010 hours on Sunday.
However, we made it a point to see the upcoming Olympics unusual architecture while we had a free day on Saturday.
First, is the Peopl's Big Cultural Centre where the Pekinese named it the 'water boiled egg' (direct translation from mandarin). It looks like an egg half submerged in a pool of water. As there aren't any high rise building in the vicinity, this 'egg' is really huge and we took about probably 10 mins to complete walking round it.
Next we went Liu Li Fang when the whole street is lined with anicient houses on both sides and almost all of them sells chinese paintings, calligraphies, etc, etc. Then, I chanced upon 1 tea shop and saw many Da Bings !!!!!! So many grades of them and I got myself 1.....alamak... so expensive... RMB 400.... I have not finished the one Lao Niang bought for me but that Da Bing has since become Xiao Bing and so it is advisable to stock up..
Next we were brought to see the Olympic Stadium, affectionately known as 'Bird Nest' (direct translation from mandarin too) to the chinese people. It has not been completed yet and therefore we cannot get to go near it and so we can only watch from afar.
Last on the list is the swimming complex, the bubbly like blue squarish icon which the bubbles will illuminates different colours in the night - Shui Li Fang. You can see from the picture below that the surrounding is still under construction and no one and no where you can get close to it. So we were brought to an overhead bridge near by to see this icon and take pictures too.
We also went to Wang Fu Jing, the gigantic shopping street with massive shops and brands sitting pretty on both sides..... and oh... this is Bing Tang Hu Lu........ taken in a food street...
Another pride of the chinese, the world largest standalone terminal, Beijing International Airport Terminal 3. I think some countries' international airport (all terminals added together) is not as large as this T3 itself. And it really put our own T3 to shame !
Not only that every custom officer, every airport working staff in Beijing T3 greeted everyone single passenger with a smile and a thank you. How amazing is that ! And I seriously felt so embarassed that we always boasted about out very own Changi airport. Look at people here, it was just 3 years ago that I last visited Beijing and there are just simply tremendous changes within these 3 years, especially the tourism trade.
Our people at Changi airport really ought to learn from Beijing. No point being efficient all the time. That human touch, that smile on your face, that hello, that thank you, is going to make a even more lasting impression on every foreigner than your efficiency.
Do not what's he is thinking about while drinking his milk... refused to look at us even though we try to distract him.
Giving me that rascal look when I tried to take his picture..
