Well it was pouring on Day 4 so The Great Wall was out. It’s funny because Max says it’s only ever rained once since he’s been here. Turns out plan B was just as fun. :)

We started the day with Max meeting me in the lobby of my hotel just as I was finishing a dim sum breakfast. We headed off to Sanlitun Village to catch a matinee of Immortals (minus any sex scenes - you totally notice the odd cuts in random parts of the movie, it’s hilarious). When we got out we still had the whole day ahead of us so it was off to The Book Worm, this adorable little shop that smelled like Sundance. Cold, coffee, books, sponsored liquor and excitement. There was even an organized panel discussion going on while we were hanging out. We kicked it with some beers for a bit and read our books as the rain began to recede. 

After the book worm it was off to the silk market to pick up my suit. They killed it. I have to give major props to Greg for sending me off with a few great pictures for them to copy. They got every detail right (Ryan Gosling eat your heart our - I only paid $140 for mine!!). We managed to escape without spending another penny, despite the aggressive sales people. Max and I agree this place is amazing. From a marketing perspective its great to watch these pros use every trick in the book on unsuspecting tourists. Forget reading books, if you wanna study influence, spend a few days at The Silk Market. 

We then got a snack and headed over to Wangfujing. Otherwise known as The Night Market. You really need to check the pics to understand. They have everything you’ve never wanted to eat - on a stick. Grasshoppers, live scorpions, tarantulas, grubs, fish, worms, intestines, and much much more. We opted for dumplings. Much safer. Special thanks to Sonny and Sheri for telling me the best place for Peking Duck and Cha Su Bao on the block (we took pics with the big happy duck). :P

Exhausted, we headed back to my hotel, watched the chaos in the US on CNN. Chatted for a few hours and called it a night. It ended up being a perfect rainy day in Beijing, relaxing yet full, and lots of fun. 

More fun Chinese incongruities - ATMs are called Cash Recycling Machines, and instead of receipts they print “advice.”