At the end of it, I decided to stay for a while. Maybe a year. It was just a nice feeling I get from the people. They are nice, friendly, and genuinely treat you like a friend, no matter if you are rich, poor, local, or expat.

It is a nice warm feeling that makes you want to stay, and I've stayed for more than 3 years now.

As the cultural center of China, the government is very keen on protecting all the palaces, old "Hu Tong"-style buildings, and the city gates. In its quest to prepare itself for the Olympic Games in 2008, they have been have been putting up road signs in English, educating taxi drivers, and pushing massive compaigns so that the local service industry could deal with the foreign tourists.

If you'd like to learn about China and the many events that made China the way it is today, Beijing is the place to go.

Do find time to read up about all the historical events that happended in the capital city, and you will definitely find your time here more enjoyable.

Things to see: Chairman Mao's memorial (his final resting place), Tian An Men Square (1987 bloody student protest), Forbidden Palace (Seat of Power during the Qing Dynasty, Movie: The Last Emperor), Great Wall of China (Only human architecture visible in space), Summer Palace (Summer hangout fit for emperors), Temple of Heaven, Lama Temple.

Quick Tips:

Most of the younger generation speaks proper English, so try to get to know a few on the Internet, and they will help you out when you are in Beijing.

There is a very friendly expat crowd in Beijing and a few good magazines that are edited by foreigners living locally. Try asking for "That's Beijing" or "City Weekend" at your hotel or better restaurants. They have helpful listings with phones numbers that you can call at a pinch (emergency, embassy and money transfers, etc.), and it's an informative read about the happenings and interesting things in Beijing.

Only eat at restaurants that look clean and decent. You don't want to risk going to a local hospital in Beijing. But if you do need to see a doctor, you should go to Beijing United Family Hospital. It is the only Western hospital in Beijing that is run to international standards.

Best Way To Get Around:

Taxis are amazingly cheap (USD or so to get anywhere in the city), and drivers are tourist-friendly. The only problem are the traffic congestions that have been happening since 2004.

A good alternative is a combination of the subway with taxis. Do check with the concierge on the best route, and you should be fine.

You could also hire a driver (that comes with a car) for USD-50 a day to take you anywhere. That could save you loads of potential frustration in communicating with the local taxi drivers, taken for roundabouts, and getting lost in the "Hu Tongs".

The first thing you'll appreciate is the bilingual menu. It clearly identifies the dish according to what's in it rather than the abstract translation of some Chinese name (example: ants climbing up a tree). Also, they have a spicy rating of 1 to 5 next to it. Since this restaurant focuses on the spicy fusion Sichuan food, it is a good guide for the less adventurous. The menu also has a smiley face system next to every dish to indicate if they are foreigner-friendly. (Imagine the horror seeing chicken feet in a harmless-sounding dish called Phoenix Claws in Hong Kong.)

Since one of the bosses is an Englishman who has been living in Beijing for over 5 years, he frequently updates the menu with creative Western-style cooking with local flavors (like spicy gong bao chicken cubes flavored pizza) and prepares the dishes to better fit the tastes of Westerners. Oh, and do try the local beer if the food gets too spicy for you. It is a surprisingly good combination.

You can call the restaurant staff to tell the taxi driver the location of the restaurant. They are able to speak some English.

There is porridge, which comes in corn, rice, or red/green bean flavors. The ingredients are simply boiled in water. The locals don't like drinking water. They prefer it with a hint of flavor to it, so they invented porridge.

Try the mini pork buns, just mini versions of the big buns in Hong Kong. They are minced meat filled buns that come in tens. They steam it in this round bamboo tray. They are very nice and come bite-size. Munch away! They are a safe bet for any who isn't a vegetarian or a Moslem.

Some extras to go with the set meal:

Tofu brains - Don't panic yet... It is just soft tofu served with a salty sauce. Some people like to put some chilli sauce in to spice it up. I recommend trying it without adding the chilli.

Fried Liver - A dish for Indiana Jones. It was fine for me, since I'm Asian. Basically, they fry up some pig's liver and large intestines and mix it with a paste made from cornstarch and water. It is tasty, but not for the faint-hearted.

To round it all up, have a soybean drink, the same as the ones that comes in the supermarket. It is a healthy, protein-enriched, organic drink that comes without any flavoring. You can add salt or sugar to it according to your taste. It is highly recommended.

After this, you can ask everyone you know if they have ever heard of a full Chinese breakfast!!

This is basically a breakfast snack on the go, so you usually see it next to the bus stop or subway station exits.

How they make it is by rolling the dough into a fat swiss roll kind of shape. Then they turn it over to the sides and flatten it to get that flattened "bull's eye" look.

Then it goes on the frying pan for a while. Then the guy will break an egg and, using a special technique, make a hole in the now almost-done "dough" and pour it in.

Then he flips it over so that the hole gets sealed up by the now almost-cooked egg. After it is fully cooked, he picks it up and puts it into the stove to bake it a bit and takes it out, and it is nice and crispy.

It is served after applying a nice spicy sauce and maybe an occasional piece of veggie leaf (depends on different vendors).

Highly recommended snack. Remember, they only sell it in the mornings! Just 1 RMB each!