Would you like some food with that oil?

Alright, I finally figured out what's going on with accessing my blog.  Apparently this blog site is one of the things that is being blocked by the central firewall in China.  So I can write posts, but I have no way of being able to view them.  (Apparently, if you're in Tibet, you can't even post.)  In other words, if there are tons of typos, or things don't make sense, sorry - I have no way of knowing until I get back to HK and can view my blog again.  =) 

I think the greasy food is starting to get to me.  For some reason, restaurants in Beijing use about half a cup of oil when cooking each dish + a big heaping scoop of MSG.  They also tend to use less meat and fresh veggies when compared to Cantonese food, so I need to hunt down some multi-vitamins asap.  My body is starting to feel really weighed down with all the oil I've been inhaling.....

It's not all bad though.  For those fellow lamb lovers out there, lamb is super cheap here.  I've been eating skewers of them (a lot of Muslim places make great lamb shish kebobs) for only 2 yuan each - something like $.40CAN.  Seeing that lamb is so expensive back at home (at least more than $10CAN if you just buy it at the supermarket) I've been eating it wherever I go.  It's also a great place for carb addicts - Northerners prefer noodles and bread to rice.  Probably because the climate here isn't great for growing rice - or vegetables/fruit.

Haven't been doing TOO much shopping.  Well, I've been going to shops but haven't been doing much buying.  Went to the Xiu Shiu silk market yesterday which is located right behind the US embassy.  Also checked out the Ya Bao Clothing market and walked all the way up to Sanlitun, which is the major bar area in Beijing.  I though it looked pretty close on the map, but ended up walking over 2 hours before I got there.  (The friends I had dragged with me were not too pleased by the end.......oops......=)  Between all the walking I've been doing ('cause I'm too cheap to take cabs) and all the bottles of water I've had to lug home from the supermarket (I'm going through close to 4L of water a day) I think I'm counteracting some of the grease.......or so I keep on telling myself.

Btw - also signed up for a tai chi class.  It starts at 6:10am.  Yeah, you can stop laughing now.....I'm not that sure I can get up either........will keep you posted.....