Cracked

One of my favorite places to visit online is the comedy website Cracked.com. Their team of writers never fail to provide me with a laugh and can keep me productive during a stressful afternoon at work (it's amazing what a quick laugh can do). Hopefully they don't drill me for sharing a bit of one of their articles like they did to a Mexican website who was plagiarizing them last year, but I think they will give me a break since this blog is obviously nonprofit and possibly even providing them with a new reader or two. So without further ado, here is PART of an article written by Cracked's Chris Bucholz about his thoughts while waiting in line at a KFC (warning, contains adult language):

27 Observations About The Goddamn KFC Line I'm In

• Old man, please know what you want before you order. Holy hell. There is a menu the size of a couch right there. It has pictures of the food on it. This is a menu designed to be usable by gerbils. How the fuck can you be standing in line for 10 minutes and not figure out what you want?
• How on Earth can you not know how combos work? That is not a new invention. It's in the Bible. "Land flowing with milk, and honey for only a dollar more." Remember that? Fuuuuuuuuuck.
  
• Oh good. It's the woman with three kids, and an order for 28 more. It would be easiest to just give her five garbage bags full of chicken, but no, let's read through your two-page list of requests. Everyone will enjoy that.
• Please do not let your child use the soda machine. He is four-fucking-years-old. He cannot reach it. And now there's soda everywhere. What a fascinating intersection of gravity, fluid dynamics and stupidity.
• Please yell at your child. Let them know they did something wrong! Would you like me to do it? Put me in, coach. I'm ready.
• OK, this guy's cool. Two piece combo, pays cash, stands off to the side. Yes! That is how a playa orders at KFC! Do you see that, mouth-breathers? Do you see how simple it can be?
• That's great. This guy just saved me like a minute. I'm going to give him a little nod. Let him know I saw what he did there and appreciate it.
• OK, that seemed to freak him out. I shouldn't have done that.
• Every single KFC I've been to is like this. I don't get it. The process of frying the fuck out of something and exchanging it for money is thousands of years old. There's hieroglyphics of it. You'd think the process would be down. How is KFC so bad at this?
• Why is there only one cashier? It's six o'clock. Do they not know that's when people want terrible chicken dishes? Do they not have some sort of chicken genius with a chicken spreadsheet running chicken regression analyses to map out peak staffing needs? Well how about dinner time? HOW ABOUT HAVING MORE STAFF AROUND AT DINNER TIME?
• Seriously. They have three cash registers here. I have never seen those other two used. Are they fake? Part of some sort of elaborate tax dodge? Maybe KFC's a front for something? A better restaurant?
• I should have gone to Wendy's. I don't even feel like chicken now. Damnit, no. I'm halfway there now. I will follow through on one damn thing in my life. This is not Devry.
• I should go grocery shopping is what I should do. I could eat three meals for what I'm about to spend on something that barely qualifies as food. I could cram this popcorn chicken up my ass for all the nutritional good it will do me.
• I should send that in to the Mythbusters.
• Do not ask questions about the chicken! The person in the paper hat with the 25 minutes of training has no answers for you, fool!
• Also, you do not want to spend too much time thinking about the food at KFC. That way lies madness.
• Old Chinese woman, I will beat you with a shovel if you do not hurry up and order. I am not kidding. I can get a shovel. You think I am kidding? I'm not, as previously discussed. Let's set this up.
• Oh I get it now. She's a trainee employee. OK, I feel a little bad for this girl. That right there is a shitty, shitty way to earn $7 an hour. Some people have shitty jobs, but they work outside, or make tips or get to go home not smelling of chicken. Not her.
• I'm going to tip her. I'll do it. It will be so cool. She will be all "That's six-thirty-five please," and I'll hand her a 10 and say, "make it eight."
• What am I thinking? Trying to tip the 16-year-old girl at the KFC counter, like I'm Reginald Q. Sex Offender. Also, fuck that. This chicken isn't even worth $2. I will keep my change, thank you.
• Finally! Finally made it to the front. What? Where are you going? WHERE ARE YOU GOING HALF-WIT KFC TRAINEE EMPLOYEE? DO NOT GO INTO THE BACK. DO NOT ATTEND TO OTHER CHICKEN RELATED TASKS. YOUR DUTY IS HERE, WITH ME. I WILL MURDER YOU WITH MY MIND IF YOU DO NOT BRING ME POPCORN CHICKEN.

Big Table

I picked out the first table for our flat three years ago, and while it looked pretty good in our great room it wasn't very functional. We continued to use the round table up to yesterday when we finally gave in and bought the one we truly desired. During our search at IKEA we had to decide between a four or six seat option, and while the smaller table was more than enough for the two of us we went with the bigger one anyways. Unfortunately the box was about one inch too big for our Suzi so Stefan came to the rescue and helped us get everything home. Now we have a table for six that expands to serve ten. So much space isn't really necessary but the option and look are awesome.

The Hangover

On Saturday afternoon Kathi and I went to the movies to watch The Hangover. The movie had good reviews and made a bunch of money in the U.S. but even after all of that we ended up enjoying it even more than expected. We caught an afternoon showing and by 9pm I was ready to watch the movie again which is obviously the mark of a good time. A lot of action, a lot of craziness and a lot of laughing; The Hangover is a great movie to checkout.

China Odyssey Tours

The travel agency we used for our trip was China Odyssey Tours. We found the agency during a Google search and decided it was an excellent idea to use an official government licensed Chinese travel organization. Our tour was private so just me, Kathi, a guide and a driver in each city. The guides changed at each destination so we always had locals showing us around and everything was very well planned. Our travel consultant for the trip was Leo Huang who we had the pleasure of meeting during our stop in Guilin. Without him our trip wouldn't have included nearly as many destinations so we are very happy with our choice to use China Odyssey! I just thought I would share that information for your future China use.

Eine Hochzeit

Yesterday Maria and Gerald got married. It was a lovely day of family, friends, a Heuriger and best of all.... no work (ok, best of all we have a new family member but the no work thing was pretty cool too). The weather was a bit warm but nice and the evening atmosphere at the reception was very relaxed and personable. It was a great day for a wedding. Congratulations to Maria and Gerald!

Day 18 - The End

Most of Day 18 we had to ourselves because our flight home wasn't scheduled to leave until midnight. Therefore we spent all afternoon walking around Nanjing Road which is one of the world's busiest shopping streets and only 4 blocks from our hotel. Unfortunately it started to rain just before we were scheduled to head back and meet our guide. We ran from one overhang to the next for the 4 blocks but we were still soaked down to our underwear by the time we arrived. Everyone just stopped and stared in the hotel lobby. It was a good way to learn just how hard it rains in Shanghai.In the evening we first visited the Jin Mao Tower where we hung out on the observation floor until it got dark and we could see the lights of Shanghai turn on. Not far from the Jin Mao is another skyscraper but this one was designed by a Japanese company to look like a giant bottle opener. Asians can come up with some really interesting ideas.
After our skyscraper views we went down to the Huangpu River where we could see The Bund across the water. The Bund is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Shanghai as it houses all of the city's old European buildings. Currently it is not good for a walk though as a lot of construction is going on before the Shanghai World Expo opens next year.
Another famous structure in Shanghai is the Oriental Pearl Tower. At 468m high, it is the tallest completed tower in Asia; a rather attractively designed one if I do say so myself.
Finally it was time to start our long journey home so we climbed on the Shanghai Maglev Train. We traveled at 301 km/h (187mph) to the airport and it really felt like we were flying along the ground. During the day the train will travel at 430 km/h (267mph) so I can only imagine how much more awesome that might be.
We had a great time in China and would love to go back someday. Just in case any of you are interested I will make another post in a few days to share some details about our travel agency.

Day 17 - Shanghai

On Day 17 we stayed very busy in the wonderful city of Shanghai. We started our morning off with a visit to the Urban Planning Exhibition Center where we got to experience a bit of the past, present and future of the city. The most impressive floor in the center included a tennis court sized model of the city. With more skyscrapers than New York and another 2000 planned to be built in the next decade Shanghai is a massive city with a terrific mix of East and West.
Next we stopped by the Jade Buddha Temple where we had some tea and obviously saw the Jade Buddhas. Unfortunately you are not allowed to take pictures of the Buddhas but you can trust me when I say that they are very impressive statues. Also around this time we visited a silk factory to learn how the fabric is made. Very interesting.In the afternoon we checked out the Yu Garden and a surrounding market. The garden was built several hundred years ago by a private citizen. He was obviously an extremely wealthy citizen because even by today's standards it would be a great place to live.
In the evening we randomly found a Lawry's so I decided I needed some prime rib for dinner. It was quite a change in tastes (and price) from what we had been dining on the past few weeks but it was a great way to get a taste of the U.S. while in the Far East. After dinner we went to an acrobat show where we were wowed by performers displaying mind boggling skill. I highly recommend stopping by the Shanghai Circus for anyone with future plans to visit the city.

Day 16 - Guilin

On Day 16 we drove back to Guilin where I finally got around to taking a picture of a person in a conical hat. I also realized that I should have stopped more during our bike tour to take pictures of people working their rice fields but such revelations always seem to happen the day after.
In Guilin we saw Elephant Trunk hill, the symbol of the city, before grabbing lunch at a restaurant with a great view. Like most of our meals in China the food was beyond excellent and the servings enough to feed a small army. After lunch we stopped by China Odyssey Tours to visit our travel agent. It was really nice to meet the people who helped make our trip become a reality.
In the afternoon we visited the Reed Flute Cave which is a nearby limestone cave with lights added to create some beautiful scenes. My imagination ran so wild in the cave that I swore I could see a discarded coke bottle balancing up high until our flashlights proved it was just another rock (possibly making our guide think I am crazy). In the evening we caught a flight to Shanghai where we were welcomed with a free upgrade to a business suite.

Day 15 - Li River

At the end of Day 14 we caught a flight to Guilin and on the morning of Day 15 we were put on a boat for a 5 hour cruise along the Li River. This area is very tropical and not far from the Vietnam border. During the cruise we saw several men on little bamboo rafts trying to sell souvenirs; I have no clue how they never fall off their surfboard sized boats. We also saw large herds of water buffalo and of course the beautiful mountain peaks which make this one of China's most famous scenic areas.
In the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region people eat pretty much everything. We learned that dogs, cats, rats and snakes are all common dishes. Kathi and I considered trying snake but we learned that you have to buy the whole animal and it is served in three different dishes so we were no longer sure if we could survive such a meal. Also, snake has to be prepared fresh so they bring out your dinner and kill it in front of you before taking it back to the kitchen for preparation. I am not sure if eating snake would earn you fearful respect or lasting hatred from the rest of the living snakes cousins.
During the cruise you have to use your imagination because they say that there are natural paintings on some of the mountains along the river. We did our best and were able to pick a few of them out but overall we still have some room for improvement.
In the afternoon we took a bike ride through the countryside where we saw many rice paddies, orange plantations and area farmers. It was around 95 degrees out and humid as hell so by the end of our tour I was soaked with sweat and about to fall off my bike. And embarrassingly, every time I saw something black on the road I about jumped out of my pants because there are king cobras in the area. In reality we saw no snakes but we did see some extremely beautiful and unique countryside.Our boat cruise ended in Yangshuo which is where we stayed the night. We were put up in a really nice hotel that was right in the middle of the town's action, yet very quiet and peaceful at the same time. It was nice dividing our time in the evening between walks through the nearby street market and sharing beers on our balcony. This is an area I would love to visit again.

Day 14 - Xian

Day 14 in Xian was busy because we had lots of sights to see and a flight to catch in the evening. Xian was one of the ancient capital cities of China and it's located in the center of the country. It was the largest city in the world about 1500 years ago and it's home to many great sights.
In the morning we visited the Big Wild Goose Pagoda (first picture) which was originally built in 652. It is at the center of a large Buddhist complex which was great to explore, minus the rain. I believe the original purpose of such buildings was to house important religious relics and writings in a nonflammable location.
After the pagoda we visited the city wall which is one of the oldest and best persevered in China. The wall is around 12m high, 15-18m wide and has a circumference of just under 12km. Add in the fact that it is surrounded by a moat and you have yourself one impressive sight. We were supposed to take a bike ride along the top of the wall but because of the weather and our flight related time constraints we had to cut that part of our tour out.
In the afternoon we visited the Terracotta Army. The army dates from 210 BC, it was built to guard the tomb of China's first Emperor and was found on accident by farmers digging a well in 1974. One of the farmers still visits the museum everyday to sign autographs. The location of their well was right at the edge of the army so if they would have dug another 5 feet in the wrong direction this great piece of history would still be buried and lost to us.
Shortly after the Emperor died there was a peasant uprising and they actually broke into the tomb and smashed all of the warriors, so basically everything you see today has been pieced back together. The one exception is this kneeling archer who is the only fully intact warrior that has been found to date. 80% of the army is still buried though so I am sure many more exciting finds will be made including the possibility of preserving some of the original paint (the gray warriors you see now came out of the ground painted but lost their color immediately).

Day 13 - Fly Away

Day 13 got an early start as we were forced back onto the airport bus at six in the morning. Unfortunately our rescheduled flight was not the first of the day, but we finally made it into the air shortly after lunch. It was interesting to fly out of Lhasa as it takes the plane a very long time to get off the ground since the air is so thin. A few hours later we arrived in Xian where we were welcomed by our guide who was eager to get our tour started in order to make up for the lost time, so we visited the Hanyang Tomb before being taken to our hotel. The evening we had to ourselves so we enjoyed a walk around the city where we saw a really interesting neighborhood (I suppose just a normal neighborhood for them). We ate dinner at a local place where we did all of our ordering by pointing and ended up eating dog before realizing what was going on, at which point we switched to something a bit more "normal" by Western standards.

Day 12 - Lhasa Airport

On Day 12 we were scheduled to fly from Lhasa to Xian but as with any vacation built around several flights things didn't go exactly as planned. Our driver and guide drove us the hour to the airport where we sat for 6+ hours until the information desk finally admitted to us what they had told the Chinese passengers hours before, that our flight would not be leaving until the next day because of a sandstorm. After fighting for our luggage and seats on a bus, we were transported the hour back to Lhasa where we were put up in a hotel for the night. This was the only day during our trip that I really hated Chinese people. A canceled flight because of a sandstorm is logical and a free hotel room is nice, but being lied to and then getting stuck on a bus with the rudest people I have met in my entire life was just about enough to put me over the edge. The only thing that kept me calm throughout the evening was the knowledge that we were going to require some Chinese help to get off the Tibetan plateau.

Day 11 - Long Drive

Day 11 was spent driving back to Lhasa which meant 12 hours in the Land Cruiser. Obviously it wasn't a very exciting day but I did take a few decent pictures through the window. I can also finally mention how difficult it was getting to Everest...
Besides the isolated location, we also had to get several permits. The first was required to enter Tibet which got us on the train and into hotel rooms. Permit #2 was picked up in Shigatse and it allowed us to basically get within 100km of Everest. When we entered the final base camp our passports were checked and held until we left and I better not forget to mention that there were at least 10 checkpoints along the way. Since we booked through a state sponsored Chinese travel agency this was very much simplified for us though as our guides did most of the work.
My final picture is of a Tibetan pickup truck (or maybe a Tibetan Gator?). Only the wealthy farmers can afford one and they will stack the things 10 feet high with goods and then let a group of people balance on top. It doesn't sound so bad though when you consider that the common farmers are still plowing their fields with a pair of yaks and everyone outside of the cities are forced to collect yak dung as there are no trees in the area and therefore no wood available for burning.

Day 10 - Mount Everest

Day 10 was much more exciting than Day 9 as we finally made it to Everest Base Camp. The final drive was only 100 km (60 miles) but it was on unpaved roads including a 5200 meter pass so it took several hours to complete.
As Kathi already mentioned, our Land Cruiser was a bit used at 300,000 km with no seat belts and two tires completely warn bald (one finally gave out not far from our destination). It was really exciting when we were heading back down to a valley and our driver decided to take a "shortcut" which meant off-roading down the side of a mountain. It was an interesting drive but I must say the man has skills.
North Base Camp was nothing more than a collection of tents advertised as hotels and restaurants. There was no running water in the area so our lunch was served with water from a nearby stream (very cloudy) but the food was prepared homemade by our nomadic hosts and it was excellent.
The afternoon was spent at 5200 meters (17,000 feet) which means half as much oxygen as sea level. Luckily we were well adapted by this time so we felt fine except for the fact that basic activities could wear you out in a hurry. I still have no clue how a few climbers have made it to the top of the mountain (29,000 feet) without the aid of extra oxygen.
Unfortunately all of the signs in the area use the Chinese name for the mountain (Qomolangma) so I have no pictures with the word "Everest". We made it to the top of the world and back though (or as close as I plan on ever getting) and you will just have to take my word for it.

Day 9 - Shigatse

Day 9 wasn't very exciting as it was really just another day on our trek to Everest. We woke up in the morning in Shigatse which is Tibet's second city and the old home of the Panchen Lama (yes there was more than one kind of Lama). While in the city we visited the Tashilhunpo Monastery and watched a child go to the bathroom right in the middle of a busy sidewalk (surprisingly not all that uncommon). The rest of the day was spent eating in dirty restaurants and getting bothered by beggars before arriving in Tingri which was our final stop on the way to base camp. Our hotel was nicer than expected but our only entertainment was a deck of playing cards and as soon as it got dark it was time for bed because electricity seemed to be scarce in our little village.

Day 8 - Gyantse

On Day 8 we left civilization and headed off towards Shigatse with a stop in Gyantse (our main tourist destination for the day). The drive to Everest was split over three days so we only had to sleep a few hundred meters higher each night in order to reduce the effects of altitude sickness. On the way from Lhasa to Gyantse we went over a 4700 meter pass where we were able to view the sacred Yamdrok Lake. The lake provided an amazing scene but my body's shock at the lack of oxygen at more than 15,000 feet made it difficult for me to walk straight.
In Gyantse we saw the Dzong fortress and the Palcho Monastery. With the surrounding set of ancient walls and circling pilgrims I really felt like we traveled back in time a few centuries during this stop. It was a unique feeling quite unlike anything I had experienced before.
The rest of the afternoon was spent driving to Shigatse which was our sleeping point for the night. We had seen many oxygen outlets up to this point but our hotel in Shigatse was the first (and only) time we had an oxygen machine located directly next to our bed.

Day 7 - More Lhasa

Day 7 was also spent in Lhasa so we used the morning to explore the Drepung Monastery. This monastery is located at the base of Mount Gephel and in the past it was used as a university for the monks. At one time it was the largest monastery in the world, as it housed 10,000 monks.
After Drepung we visited Norbulingka followed by the Sera Monastery. Norbulingka is a palace surrounded by a park which used to act as the summer home for the Dalai Lamas. It is one of the few places that you will find trees in Lhasa. The Sera Monastery was another giant Gelpukpa university monastery but not quite as big or impressive as the Drepung, though here we did get to see the human side of the monks as some were running around and spraying each other with hoses.
In the evening we took a taxi (for about €1) to our new favorite Tibetan restaurant (the Tibet Steak House). After dinner we walked up the street and hung out in the square that lays in front of the Potala where they have a fountain that "dances" with music (think of a mini Bellagio). Finally after the sun went down we were able to enjoy the palace all lit up in the night sky.

Day 6 - Lhasa

Day 6 was our first full day in Lhasa so we started with the symbolic heart of the city, the Potala Palace. You have most likely already seen the Potala (in films such as Seven Years in Tibet) and it is obviously the old home of the Dalai Lama. With Lhasa sitting at 3650 meters (12,000 feet) above sea level, the walk up the stairs to the palace was exhausting. It also didn't help that Kathi continued to have some problems with altitude sickness but she proved her toughness and made it to the top.
The Potala was filled with many different rooms, steep staircases and an unlimited amount of incense (though no electricity or plumbing). The monks that work in the palace are not allowed to wear their robes so they instead where big brown trench coats, and the view looking over the city and its surrounding mountains is spectacular.
In the afternoon we visited the Jokhang and the surrounding Barkhor. The Jokhang Temple is the most holy temple in Tibet Buddhism, it even predates the Dalai Lamas. The Barkhor is an area of narrow streets around the Jokhang which is constantly being circled by Tibetan pilgrims for religious reasons, but it is better known by Western tourists as a huge street market. We didn't shop much in order to avoid some of the constant "looky looky" calls but I did make one stop to buy a little Buddha.

Day 5 - Tibet

We woke up on the morning of day 5 to see that the landscape had completely changed overnight as we were now more than 4000 meters up on the Tibet Plateau. There were no more trees or towns, just a mixture of grasslands, mountains and yaks. By lunchtime Kathi's body was rebelling a bit against the altitude change but luckily she felt much better after eating. In the evening we finally ended our train journey and arrived in Lhasa. We were welcomed to the city by the site of the Potala Palace in the distance and went to bed excited for the next day's sightseeing.

Day 4 - On A Train

At 9:30 in the evening on day 3 we were put on a train for a 47 hour journey to Tibet, therefore all of day 4 was spent riding the rails. We had a soft sleeper compartment which we shared with a retired European couple (one French, one German) who had lived in the U.S. for a 10 year period during the 1960s and they ended up being excellent roommates. We were very relieved to be matched up with them because the compartment was quite small and the trip was a make or break situation depending on who you ended up with. The sights to be seen from our window during the first day consisted mostly of small villages and lots of green farmland.

Day 3 - The Great Wall

Day 3 started off with a short drive to the outskirts of Beijing where we visited the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum (the Sacred Way). This area is home to the tombs of several Ming Dynasty tombs but we just walked along the path that is protected by several statues. It was a very quiet and relaxing change from the pace of the city.
After lunch we visited the Great Wall of China which was even more impressive than I expected. The section we visited was built on top of a series of mountains and we took a ski lift just to reach the top, so I can only imagine the difficulties they had building the wall. Though I must say, the wall probably killed more Chinese people during construction than it saved by its existence.
In the evening we had a bit of time to kill before catching our train to Tibet so our driver was nice and drove us to the Bird's Nest where we got to see the home of last year's Olympics. With the Water Cube located right next door and a large open space between the two it would have been an extremely exciting place to be last August. It was also interesting to see the large groups of Chinese tourists who are still visiting the area that brought their country to the front of the world's stage last year.

American Weekend

I'll take a short break from China to post about our weekend. Saturday was America's Independence Day and once again we experienced no fireworks, but I did make Kathi watch Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest live from Coney Island. The competition was won by American Joey Chestnut who ate an amazing 68 hot dogs in 10 minutes. Yes you read that correctly, he ate 68 hot dogs (and buns) in 10 minutes. What shocked me the most though was Kathi still being hungry after watching such an eat off. To keep up with the weekend's American theme we went to the Bruce Springsteen concert at Happel Stadion last night. While we were really only familiar with a few of the songs that were played, we still had a good time watching a group of 60 year olds rock for two plus hours. They displayed a larger amount of energy than I could muster.

Day 2 - Beijing

Day 2 was our first day of sightseeing and we started off the morning by visiting Tiananmen Square. There's not much to see in the square for a Western tourist (as we don't much care about Chairman Mao's tomb) but its size at 100 acres (40.5 hectares) is extremely impressive.
Right across the street from Tiananmen Square is the Forbidden City which is the old Chinese imperial palace and it's even larger than the square. It is surrounded by a moat and a wall and was one of our favorite sights in China. With tons of buildings and squares it would be easy to get lost in the city for a day. One of the weird facts we learned about the place is that the area that housed the Emperor, his wife and concubines was served by eunuchs which are castrated men. With these the only other men being around, whenever a women was impregnated it was known that the Emperor must be the father.
After lunch we visited the Temple of Heaven which is a complex of Taoist buildings that were used by the Emperors for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvests. When these ceremonies would take place a procession would lead the Emperor across the city from the Forbidden City to the Temple. During this procession all common people were supposed to stay inside and not make a sound.
In the evening we went out for a dinner of Peking duck which is a famous Beijing dish that consists of thin, crispy duck slices that are severed with little Chinese pancakes; really yummy. After dinner we caught a Kung Fu show that was interesting but a bit too touristic for our tastes. We really wanted to see the guys mess some things up instead of just ham it up for the crowd.

China - Day 1

We have safely returned from our trip so now it's time for posts and pictures. We were gone for a total of 20 days with 18 of those actually spent in China so I have decided to make 18 posts over the next few weeks, one for each day of our vacation:Today's is more of a warm up post as day 1 was largely spent catching up on sleep and getting used to the time difference. After long flights to Dubai and Beijing we finally arrived in China where we were welcomed by our local guide (and had our temperature checked before we were allowed off of the airplane). It was immediately obvious that there is a pollution problem in the country as the air was thick with smog, but at the same time we were impressed by the very modern and clean roads. After checking into our very nice hotel (where we were given a free room upgrade) we had the evening to ourselves so we walked around the neighborhood a bit and ended up eating at a fast food restaurant called Kung Fu that featured Bruce Lee's image all over the place. We were not sure what we ate but it was good and I followed up dinner with a chocolate milkshake from a nearby Dairy Queen; I was liking Beijing already... By the way, Happy 4th of July! Play safe with your fireworks Americans.