Adam and Kat's UK adventure: Hello socks!

I'm away at a conference at the moment - in Beijing. Where it is sunny or warm (wind = cold, but less pollution so you can actually see the sun). And people try to sell you socks on the street. The conference went well, a bit of a shock to the system after 12 months hiding out in the lab. But we had lovely chinese banquets, and less lovely food from the night market where they consider scorpion on a stick edible.

Dad is over here too, so now we are heading off for a week travelling around together. So far I've wandered around town a bit, and gone to the summer palace. Beijing has adopted the car as the preferred mode of transport, no matter what. so the traffic jams are ridiculous - at least to me who has not been in a car at peak hour since i was in Oz. So Beijing follows the Alex law that everything cool is hidden down alleyways or 'hutongs' around here, especially when you are sick of the traffic and noise and pollution, you can escape down the ancient, quiet courtyard lined alleys to funky shops and cafes, with no high pressure sales techniques in sight.

The shopping is fantastic. i have already bought a tibetan bag and some embroidery pieves, a have number of silk and cashmere outfits being made up, and then i get to stock up on scarves and sweaters too.

so here are a few pics...