What Can You Get Them From Holiday?

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Posted by Lisa | Posted in General Travel | Posted on 21-08-2009

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Summer is now truly upon us, a huge amount of families and individuals will be setting off into the sun to top up their tans and relax by the pool. But a lot of people simply get caught up and confused in what to actually get their family members. So lets take a brief look at some ideas for gifts.

 

Souvenir

A souvenir is probably one of the easiest options and in most occasions one of the most boring. All your friends and family are probably expecting a souvenir so they may not be very happy; it also shows people that you have not put a lot of thought into it.

 

Cigarettes and Alcohol

We all know that one of the best benefits of going abroad is the ability to get cheap alcohol and tobacco. So if any of your family like an occasional smoke or drink then they will be delighted.

 

Edibles

Depending on where you are going you can bring back some great edibles. As an example if you are off to Turkey then your family and friends will be delighted when you bring them back a nice piece of Turkish delight. Also chocolate is always a great winner

 

Fragrances

Another thing that you can get quite cheaply abroad is perfume and aftershave; you can actually save up to 50% on these products compared to the UK or American market. Both the males and the females will be absolutley delighted with such great gifts.

 

Technology

Depending on where you are going, you can end up getting great deals on technological items such as IPods, gizmos and gadgets; there are a huge range of items at great prices. I can guarantee you that the someone you are purchasing it for will be ecstatic.

For great Adopt an Animal and Rag Dolls

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Da Zha Lanr: Old Beijing Bazaar Shopping

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Posted by Lisa | Posted in General Travel | Posted on 05-08-2009

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Beijingers take shopping the same way as athletes take their sports, they can’t be more serious. For several hundred years, Beijingers have been coming back to the same street of shops near the famous Beijing Emperor Hotel to buy their daily supplies and special items.

As an old Beijing saying goes: buy shoes at Nei Lian Sheng, hats at Ma Ju Yuan, fabrics at Rui Fu Xiang, and tea at Zhang Yi Yuan, which are all famous brands on this street, called Da Shi Lan. 

Right near the Forbidden City, it’s very easy to find Da Shi Lan and the shops that have been in business for hundreds of years.

Simply walk south from the Beijing Redwall Hotel, past Tian’anmen Square, and you’ll be there in five minutes.

The oldest commercial street in Beijing, Da Zha Lan began to boom in as early as Ming dynasty 600 years ago. Meaning ‘big fences’, the street might be as unique as it sounds.Nearly 600 years ago, worrying the rampant thefts in Beijing, an emperor ordered fences to be built to prevent the ill phenomenon. Residents in the Da Zha Lan area built fences that were higher and stronger, and thus people began to dub the area ‘big fences’ for easy reference.

Like it was hundreds of years ago, the street today is packed with teahouses, tailor shops, silk stores, theatres, restaurants, as well as handicraft stores. They cluster one after another in ancient buildings that immediately bring you back in time!

The Shops

Nei Lian Sheng

The 160-year old shop Nei Lian Sheng near the Beijing Hwa Apartment Hotel sells handmade cloth shoes. Their shoes are famous for the excellent craftsmanship and unmatchable comfort.

In the past, the major patrons of shoes made in Nei Lian Sheng were offials working in imperial palace nearby. Not only were the shoes made with excellent finish, but the name suggested something that everyone hoped to fulfil: spiralling up to be the top-ranked officals.

Today, workers apply the same techniques used a hundred years ago to make customized shoes. The late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping was a big fan of Nei Lian Sheng and many of his shoes were made here.

Ma Ju Yuan

The hat shop Ma Ju Yuan was built in 1817. Starting from a small stall, the shop came to make the ‘red turf hat’ for the Qing dynasty government.

That was probably why old Beijingers took a hat made in Ma Ju Yuan as a showy object.

In the years that followed, the shop saw countless orders for hats from princes, religious figures, and foreign leaders. Even today, many people prefer to have a hat made to order in Ma Ju Yuan.

Rui Fu Xiang

Established in 1891, the shop sells all kinds of top-quality fabric: cotton, silk, woolen cloth, and so on.

The very first flag of P.R. China, the one raised in 1949 in its nation-founding ceremony, was actually a work of Rui Fu Xiang.

Tailors of the shop make some of the most gorgeous cheongsams you are likely to find in Beijing. Numerous foreign tourisits had fell in love with their products and ordered one of their own here for a showy display back home.

Zhang Yi Yuan

In 1900, Zhang Yi Yuan came into business. Ever since then, the shop has been some of the best tea you can find in Beijing. Each year, they purchased tea leaves directly from tea-growing farmers. They only sell tea grown and processed in a completely natural way.

They put into use some unique techniques to process tea leaves, which are sought after by many seasoned tea lovers. Now there special jasmine tea is sold at a low price and is worth trying.

Da Guan Cinema

Da Guan Cinema, Beijing’s first cinema, was established in 1905. You can even find it in the Guinness Book of Records as the cinema with the longest, uninterrupted cinema in the world.

Today, the cinema is pretty much in its original decor, and you can enjoy a film while sipping tea like people did several decades ago. Every day, increasing number of people flock in for the one-of-a-kind experience of watching movies in Beijing’s first and oldest cinema.

Fresh Air at Last!

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Posted by Lisa | Posted in General Travel | Posted on 17-06-2009

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I have a small house on the outskirts of the city, which I use as when I just want to get away from it all. It’s nothing fancy, it just has a couple of rooms and a bathroom, but I like it very much. I get to leave the noise of the city behind me, and get some relaxation. The garden is also large enough for my kids to play in, and my wife loves it as well.

There is just one little problem: every time we gat there, we discover that we have forgotten something at home, or that we need something for dinner, so I have to go shopping. The nearest shop is not so near, so I have to drive there, which is no fun at all after the long drive from home. I thought about buying a bike, but I’m not quite fit to ride it up and down the hill with all that groceries, so I gave up this idea. Then, my wife told me that a scooter would be exactly what I need, and, I could pass it on to my son when he’s a little older.

I started looking for the ideal scooter, the one that wouldn’t be too fast, or too expensive, and, if possible, that wouldn’t use gasoline. I found a lot of models, but they were either too expensive, or not suitable for a kid. I was about to give up this idea, too, when something caught my eyes.

 The Razor Pocket mod miniature looked like the perfect thing for me. I thought it was too cheap to be any good, but I had nothing to lose by giving it a try. My Razor scooter arrived in no time, and in completely assembled, so I just let it charge during the night, and in the morning I made my first ride to the shop.

Everything was smooth and I was more than happy with my purchase. My kid saw it and wanted to give it a try too. Even though I was a little concerned at first, he seemed to get the hang of it quickly, and he was driving around the garden in no time. Now he’s bugging me to get something bigger, so I can give this one to him. Kids…