1. Search by Google with the phrase: Beijing tour or Beijing tours, you can see many tour operators on line. Compared with the price, and their tour Itineraries: you can send an e-mail to them by choosing 3-5 tour operators, request them to give you some advice about your travel.

2. If you want to choose your hotels by yourself, maybe you can search the hotels on ctrip or elong. Perhaps it will be much cheaper than other foreign hotels allocations, such as booking, Expedia

3. Use TripAdvisor when you look for a hotel, also ask the tour operator, how much the room rate is, maybe you can find a good price from them. If you want to know more about the hotel you are interested, you can seek for the hotel official website, and then send an e-mail to the hotel, and ask a good price for you.

4. If you need an airport transfer with English-speaking guide, you'd better choose a tour operator, they can arrange all for you.

5. Compared with a bus tour, a private tour will be much higher, but you can arrange the trip by yourself. If you are a small group, you can ask for a discount price for a private tour, sometimes it will good value for money.

6. If you have some friends who had a travel in China, you can get some advice from them. Also if you have friend coming from China, it will be a great idea for your trip.

7. Read some books about china culture. Also you can find the useful information on internet. It will help you choose the tours you desire.

8. Choose an available time. You see there are some important festivals, like National Day, Labor Day, you should not choose these periods to travel in China. Many Chinese will choose these holiday to go on their tours, so the attractions crowed so many people to make your tours jammed, you can not have a good time when you do so. Further more, the price for air tickets, hotels, train tickets will be much higher than usual.

9. For the payment, you'd better choose to pay upon your arrival.

10. About the tours, do not choose the lowest price and the highest price, a middle price maybe good for you.

When preparing to go to Beijing, whether for student exchange or traveling purposes, it's a good idea to have a look over the different types of accommodation available. This article will focus more on the dorm accommodation found at Beijing Language and Culture University ( BLCU ) for students, but tourists planning to stay in the university area in Beijing may also want to look into BLCUorms as a cheap form of accommodation.

TJ and I did a quick check over which BLCU dorm buildings were good, or at least were decent, to stay in. It did not take long for us to work out that Dorm 17 is the most popular and most difficult to book, one of our BLCU classmates stayed at Dorm 17 only because he booked and paid for it the semester before. [ Note: The cost of accommodation in each dorm varies ]

The actual process of booking the dorm room involve:
1. Calling up BLCU accommodation department
2. Explaining it to staff (mostly in Mandarin, although some of them know a bit of English)
3. Making a payment (1 month)
4. Showing them your proof of payment when you get there

I did it the easier way by just rocking up and asking for a room. It seemed to me that the BLCU dorm accommodation is a lot more like a "first come first serve" basis because they'll always say they're "fully booked" but somehow magically find a room when needed.

These are the pros of Dorm 17 from my experience. Please take into account that I never actually stayed in dorm building 17.
• It's newer (clean)
• The fuyuans are nicer
• It's "off campus"
• The rooms are bigger (although this is questionable)
• Closer to Wudaokou and train station
• Private gate keepers (students not staying there are meant to sign in and sign out)
• Buzzing with international students

The downside of Dorm 17 would be that it's the dorm farthest away from Building 1 (BLCU main study building), this means waking up extra early in the mornings to get to class or even buying a bike (highly recommended). I also question the rumor that Dorm 17 has bigger rooms because I discovered some super-huge dorm rooms in dorm building 4 (I snuck peeks while walking past open doors).

TJ and I were tossing up between Dorm 4 (old international student dorm) and Dorm 6 (near the basketball courts). TJ arrived at BLCU before me and had settled in Dorm 4 , so when I got there I checked out one of Dorm 4's rooms, and then decided to check out one of the rooms in Dorm 6 too. The major downside was that Dorm 6 did not have elevators.

Before my final decision, I went around checking out the apartments nearby (some of which also do not have elevators). There were apartments still under renovation, rooms for rent, people looking for an extra roommate etc. My conclusion was that living off-campus would not be beneficial for someone staying short term (up to 6 months), so I went back to Dorm 4 . By that time, a lot more international students had arrived and the available rooms in the building was running out fast!

There's a huge number of apartments around Wudaokou and BLCU because of the many schools in the area. There's also quite a lot of hotels within walking distance which you could stay in temporarily if need be. The cost of staying in an apartment is reliably cheaper than staying in theorms, but theorms can be more convenient and less troublesome (especially if you have a bad landlord).

At first, I did not understand why fuyuans at BLCU always get you to check out the dorm room before you agree to move in, but it did not take long for me to realize that EVERY dorm room I went to was DIFFERENT . Most of the rooms are standard in size (sorry, I never took a photo), with bathroom / toilet in each room. TJ had a smaller room compared to mine because her had a balcony , but some other friends did not even have a balcony like TJ 's or the extra space I had.

I did not think the rooms at Dorm 17 were bigger than compared to my dorm room though, and I'm sure that there are larger rooms than the one I had … You just need to know which ones they are!

Pros of Dorm 4
• Very central (convenient)
• Hope internet café / restaurant downstairs (you can leech off it in the stairwell on the 1st & 2nd floor, sometimes the 3rd floor)
• They do not lock the doors when it's past curfew
• Some of the fuyuans are nice
• Newly installed security cameras
• Buzzing with international students

On a side note, the "24" on the 'Hope Cafe' sign does not mean 24hrs a day! They'll stay open for as long as people are there, but sometimes close quite early (1-2am).

The furniture found in each room is the same: wardrobe, 2 study tables, 2 beds, mini fridge and TV. I like the fact that there's a lock on the wardrobe as well as the drawer of the study table. But do not expect all furniture to be functioninging 100%.

If you decide to stay in Dorm Building 4, try and avoid the first floor !! It's been told that there was a death in one of those rooms at the beginning of 2007. Also, the dorm rooms on the first floor seem to be made to mold and get quite stuffy when the heaters are turned on in Winter.

Beware, the elevators in Dorm building 4 can jam up. You might not want to stay on the top floors on the off chance you get stuck inside the elevator (it's happened to a friend!). I was on the 3rd floor which was close enough to ground floor use the stairs when the elevators were off or out of function. It's not fun climbing 9 floors after a long night out introxicated with sore feet.

And last of all, I just want to mention that I had a look at the single dorm room in building 8 . Just seeing the room made me glad that I was in a shared room because it's very small, and the room looks very lonely. But of course, there are downsides of a shared dorm too (bad roommate, no privacy etc).

– – – – –

PS BLCU Scholarships students are put into Dorm 1 or 2 (I'm not sure if there's other buildings). That means communal showers and toilets ( http://www.selinalai.com/2008/05/squat-toilet-troubles

The Beijing Opera, with its distinct Chinese opera masks, is one of China's most recognizable cultural icons. Combining Music, Dance, Theater, and Martial Arts, it has existed for over 200 years depicting Historical Events and Literature with beauty, style, and dynamic performance. It is most prominent in Beijing, but almost every Province in China has some form of Opera theater. With its elaborate costuming, complex musical orchestrations and seemingly limitless Make-up and Mask designs, the Beijing Opera is seeing revitalization in popularity with both young and mature audiences.

What is now called the Beijing Opera originally came from a combination of several sources. In about 1790, four great theater troupes from Anhui came to perform for the Royal Family. They welcomed arias and melodies called Xi Pi. Around 1828, performers from Hubei came to the same area and staged combined shows adding their local pieces of music called Er Huang. These performances were for the Royals but soon were to become more mainstream during Emperor Qianlong's reign as well as support from the notorious Empress Dowager Ci Xi. During this time, thousands of pieces of repertoire were developed covering the historical events, classic novels and stories of China as well as revisions of Western stories.

There are four basic categories of characters in the Beijing Opera style.

· SHENG- The main Male actors in a performance. Either civil or military, there are several different aspects of training for the various lead male parts.

i. LAO SHENG- Senior Male roles, middle aged man with beard of black, gray or white. A soft or pleasant voice with dignity.

ii. XIAO SHENG- Junior male role or young man. No beard and a high sometimes shrill voice that may, on occasion, crack denoting immaturity and addiction.

iii. WU SHENG- Acrobatic male roles or bars that require much activity. Military plays or civil plays that demand high standards of acrobatics. Performs the stylized martial arts fight scenes with sword or spear. Not usually trained as opera singer.

iv. WAWA SHENG- Kids and children roles. DAN- Female roles of several categories.

i. QING YI (Ch'ing I) – Lady of good character. Quiet gentle disposition. Graceful streaming movements in "water sleeves" costume. Elegant but not vivid. Singing voice is high pitched.

ii. HUA DAN (Hua Tan) – Flirtatious young girl role. Usually not as high a social standing as Qing

Yi. Coy and quick movements. A very difficult part to play. Attractive eye movements and continuously changing facial expression. Vivid costume featuring handkerchief to flutter in her hand. Strong voice but more speaking than singing.

iii. GUI MEN DAN (Kuei Men Tan) – Young unmarried girl. This role may turn into Qing Yi or Hua Dan. Mischievous but not as much as Hua Dan. Immature reactions and movements.

iv. DAO MA DAN (Tao Ma Tan) – Female Warrior role. Trained for acting and singing but
performances highly skillful martial movements often with feathered headdress. Still a very feminine role. The now famous role of Disney's "MULAN" was based on Hua Mulan who disguised herself as a man to prevent her father from being conscripted into the military. She served for 12 years during the SouthNorth Dynasty and was decorated as a national hero.

v. WU DAN (Wu Tan) – Female Acrobatic roles. Steps in on any role that requires high acrobatic ability. Purely an acrobat but role can demand a talent actress to make for a successful performance.

vi. CAI DAN (Cai Tan) – Female Comedians. Serves to add relief to stressful scenes in serious plays. See also CHOU ROLES.

· JING- Painted face male roles. These parts are known more for courage and resourcefulness than for scholarly intelligence. Often a high-ranking general or warrior / official. Jing players are usually extroverts. A robust, sometimes gruff, bass voice. Full of swagger and self-assurance. There are many common color schemes associated with Jing roles but some of the more common are easily recognizable.

v Red- Good character and virtuous person.

v White-Treacherous and guile

v Green-Lack of self-control, rash, stubbornness

v Black- Brusque character

v Blue- Wild maybe a Robber

v Gold / Silver- Used only for Gods and Spirits

The facial painting patterns also give information about a character. There are hundreds of patterns and designs for many situations and roles.

There are 3 main types of Jing roles:

i. DONG-CHUI- (T'ung Ch'uei) Also know as Hei Tou (Black Face) this role is a good singer and usually a loyal General

ii. JIA ZI- (Chia Tze) – A very good actor for more complicated characters.

iii. WU JING- Fighting and acrobatics. Seldom plays a predominant role.

· CHOU- Comedy Roles. Dim but likable and amusing characters. Sometimes slightly wicked despite a rascal or a scholar / Prince who would not command much respect. There are two basic types of Chou roles:

i. WEN CHOU- Civilian roles. (Jailer, servant, merchant, scholar)

ii. WU CHOU- Minor Military roles but skilled in acrobatics

Of special mention should be the popular role of SUN WU KONG -The Monkey King.

This is a famous story of a Monks journey from China to India to collect scripts to bring back to China … He is usually accompanied by a Pig for comedic effect, a not-so-learned monk to mediate the many quarrels and the Monkey King. This is played by a Wu Sheng actor. Known for the bent knees and an arms forward stance that imitate monkey movements. He has mastered Longevity, the 72 transformations of his physical body and can do somersaults in the clouds. Sun Wu Kong is followed by a troupe of monkeys who behave in the same manner but have individual personalities (greedy, naughty, sleepy, etc.). The Monkey King continues to be one of the most popular story lines in all of Chinese Opera Theater.

The Opera Theater form suffered during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) when all traditional pieces were banned. New versions became stories relating "Class Struggle". The "Eight Model Plays" were a very popular theme, as were stories concerning Communist Activities, Anti-Japan sentiment, and the Civil War against Nationalists. The traditional stories were allowed to be shown in 1978 but by then they appeared out of date and the productions lacked historical and theatrical knowledge. Audiences lost to more contemporary forms of entertainment were hard to replace with the exception of those who were children when the Beijing Opera was at its peak. Many who lived through the Cultural Revolution preferred the newer versions and still favor those melodies.

Campaigns exist to bring back this lost art from as well as other Theatrical Arts. The Plum Blossom Award, sponsored by the Chinese Opera Journal, gives awards, judged by the Journal, to new artists. The actors and actresses must be under 45 years of age and come from all over China. These and other competitions are seen on the CCTV, China's main television network and radio stations, particularly during the New Years special concerts. There is even been designated a Beijing Opera Month.

In recent years, performances worldwide of Beijing Opera theater have brought this remarkable art form to broader audiences. It has served as ambassador to the West providing many new opportunities for people to enjoy a performance style that rivals any of the Grand Operas and Symphonies of Europe and North America.

According to recent reports, some of the fireworks seen during the opening ceremonies of the Olympics were computer generated. Since Beijing Olympic Broadcasting is the only network allowed to film the Olympics, foreign services were forced to accept the doctored footage. The scene of the 29 footsteps above the Bird’s Nest was the section that was faked, according to The Beijing Times. Computer graphics artists spent a whole year creating the 55 second clip. In order to make it look realistic, they added a slight smog to the entire scene and forced the move shakily, as if it were being filmed from a helicopter.

The Chinese claim that they were forced to generate the fireworks due to the danger the helicopter would face if it were filming the scene. Most viewers were unaware of the fake fireworks due to NBC announcers refusal to state outright the truth. The following is a transcript of the NBC announcers during the faked segment of footage.

Matt Lauer: “You’re looking at a cinematic device employed by Zhang Yimou here. This is actually almost animation. A footstep a second, 29 in all, to signify the 29 Olympiads.”

Bob Costas: “We said earlier that aspects of this Opening Ceremony are almost like cinema in real time. Well this is quite literally cinematic.”

They hint at the fireworks not being real, but they never come out and say it. When Matt Lauer says “This is actually almost animation,” they come close to mentioning the CGI fireworks, but they just ignore the point after this and continue with their commentary. This is quite upsetting, especially with other allegations floating around that NBC moved the US entrance last so that they would get more viewers earlier in the show. These scandals have marred the most spectacular opening ceremonies to date, and will cast a shadow over the rest of the Games.

Located by the moat, south of Xuanwu District of Beijing, Beijing Grand View Garden was built as an antique garden in 1984 for shooting the TV show “A Dream of Red Mansions” (written by Cao Xueqin), which is just like a wonderland on the earth for its rare flowers, trees and birds as well as pavilions, bridges, corridors, halls and pagodas. The architects acclaim that the red-ology (a study school of A Dream of Red Mansions), the Chinese classical architecture art and the gardening art are perfectly combined in the garden. The litterateurs consider that Beijing Grand View Garden created a new mode that vividly integrates motion picture setting with the gardening art perfectly, and the antiquarian regards its as a Red-ology Art Museum, which breeds the potential Chinese cultural heritages.

The Garden covers an area of 125,000 square meters with the construction area of 8,000 square meters and the water area of 24,000 square meters, and the architectures, plants, hillocks and waters as well as all kinds of decorations in the garden are strictly arranged in accordance with the details and the styles as described in “A Dream of Red Mansions”, of which the famous five buildings include Enjoyment Red Courtyard, Hengwu Courtyard, Brocade-Adorned Courtyard, Bamboo Lodge and Autumn Freshness Studio. In addition, three nature scenic spots (the Verdant Pavilion, the Lotus Fragrance Pavilion and the Rice Fragrance Village), a Buddhist temple and a palace are available in the garden. The Patronage Palace is the main building in the garden, where the concubine Yuanchun pays a visit to her parents according to “A Dream of Red Mansions”, and the visitors can appreciate the Patronage Performance here at regular time.

The Red Chamber Temple Fair is hed in the garden from 1st to 6th of January (according to Chinese lunar calendar system) every year, whose contents include art performances, folk flower fair, flavored snacks and folk activities, and the most special one is “Concubine Yuanchun Patronage Performance”. A number of art performances are available in the garden during the Mid-Autumn Day as well, which usually last for 4 days.

Besides the natural scenic spots, cultural relics and folk customs, the “Red-ology Art Exhibition” is available in Beijing Grand View Garden, and it is composed of six sections, namely, “Cultural Relic Collection of Red Chamber”, Cultural Art of Red Chamber, Grand View Garden, Family Background and Life of Cao Xueqin, Research on Red-ology Academy, all of which are arranged elegantly and tastefully.

Most people ask me about my experience at BLCU ( Beijing Language and Culture University ):

" Did you enjoy yourself? "

" Did you learn anything? "

" Would you go back? "

" Is it safe? "

etc.

And my automated response is a big "Yes!", Without a doubt I loved every moment I had in Beijing. From the smelly torrential rain, to the street vendors and even the kids pooping / peeing in public. There's no doubt I have very fond (both good and bad) memories of Beijing and my student life at BLCU.

Well, lets take a look at what BLCU is like and you can make your own conclusions.

Teaching

The teaching style in Beijing / China seems pretty standardized with slight variations depending on each teacher. The style, although standard to many of the Koreans and Japanese students attending classes as well, is definitely not what a western educated person like myself is used to. To be quite honest, during the short 6 months I spent studying at BLCU, it was probably the hardest I have ever studied in my lifetime.

A typical class at BLCU would consist of:

• The teacher randomly calling students up to the front of the class to do dictation or write sentences on the board.
• Everyone was expected to read the new chapter and be able to recite it at the end of class, sometimes even performing the dialogue in front of classmates.
• ZongHe (comprehension) taught us new chapters, new words, new gramma, new exercise and more homework.
• During KouYu (speaking) we would take turns to tell the class a story
• LangDu (tones) involved reading and reciting famous literature slowly but very accurately (to the point we would be repeating the same tones over and over … and over again),
• TingLi (listening) had us in a daze struggling to listen to records and trying to answer questions which we could not even understand.
• Dear old YuFa (gramma) bored us to tears with exercises like fill-in-the-blanks and crosswords

Campus

In regards to the campus life, I'm quite sure many universities around Beijing and even China are all quite similar.

• Attend classes with fellow international students
• Socialise and explore with fellow international students
• Eat with fellow international students
• Get drunk with fellow international students
• Sleep with fellow international students
• Sleep at the norms for international students

Okay I admit, I might be generalizing a bit … I know that there are international students who befriend many local students (vice versa). It all just depends on what you do, but these are the generalizations I made as a student at BLCU .

BLCU is actually the smaller university in the Wudaokou area so there's a lot less students and amenities compared to the other universities (especially Peking and Tsinghua). The one time I went to Beida (Peking University) left me at awe at what an amazing campus it was. The buildings, Weiming lake, pagodas, bridges etc made you feel like you were in city of its own.

Tsinghua on the other hand, although just as impressive as Beida, has a more modern / westernized style of buildings. I can not say too much about Tsinghua, but like BLCU , it is much closer to the Wudaokou area and subway line (which in my opinion is a huge advantage over Peking campus).

Students

Wudaokou is well known as being the international students hangout, and regardless of which university (Peking, Tsinghua or BLCU) you attend, you will be surrounded by foreign students when in the area.

It's difficult to say what proportion of the population is foreign and from which country (the university website might have some statistics?). And from my experience, international students do not interact much with local students (except the canteen) because class classes are different and in different locations on BLCU campus.

So was it worth going to BLCU? Yeah definitely, I fulfilled my expectations and more! And the main reason for that was that I actively went out and made sure I fulfilled them (plus it helps not to have high expectations ~).

Planning a holiday to China is one of the most exciting things you could do. The whole idea of a vacation is to go to a place which is completely different in every aspect from your regular life. China is the epitome of eastern culture, which is completely different from the west in every single aspect. Thus, going to China for a holiday would mean not only a wonderful break from the regular way of life, but also a great insight into the way of life of the other half of the world. And there is no better place to start than Beijing. This great city, home to the Great Wall of China, one of the seven wonders of the world, is a city that is laden with history, culture and values completely different from those which we live by at home. Also, it would be economically a much better option than choosing to go to any other country.

When you are planning a trip to Beijing the best option would be to go for Beijing tour packages as most of them cover every single aspect which is necessary while planning a vacation. Not only do you get to see the entire city, but also other logistical details – such as food, stay, luggage, visa, and so on are covered. You also get tour guides who would help you conversing with the natives in their language. It would be completely hassle-free, and the only thing which you would have to focus upon would be yourself. It is crucial though, that you pore over every single detail of the package, and ask the right questions before booking straightaway. It would be always advisable to read in between the lines and ensure that there is absolute transparency. For instance, do try and find out more about the hotel accommodation. Check the reviews online before booking by what the promotional messages tell you. It would save you from plenty of unnecessary problems later on.

The capital city of China – one of the largest countries in the world, and the latest revolution in the world of industrial progress – has plenty of exciting things to offer. Beijing tour packages are of several kinds – there are simple sightseeing packages which take you to the important tourist spots like The Great Wall, the Beijing Opera, the National Centre of Performing arts, and so on. These also cover the important gardens, temples, and lakes. There are also Beijing tour packages which enable you to visit the most famous monasteries, and sacred temples that enable you gain deep insights into eastern philosophies. These tours are more spiritual, and would certainly be a wonderful break from the usual fast paced life that you lead. A lot of people who have gone on such spiritual tours have returned transformed, and have been able to develop a totally different perspective in life. You would be able to come back with your mind completely refreshed, and would be mentally much more at peace.

When preparing to go to Beijing, whether for student exchange or traveling purposes, it's a good idea to have a look over the different types of accommodation available. This article will focus more on the dorm accommodation found at Beijing Language and Culture University ( BLCU ) for students, but tourists planning to stay in the university area in Beijing may also want to look into BLCUorms as a cheap form of accommodation.

TJ and I did a quick check over which BLCU dorm buildings were good, or at least were decent, to stay in. It did not take long for us to work out that Dorm 17 is the most popular and most difficult to book, one of our BLCU classmates stayed at Dorm 17 only because he booked and paid for it the semester before. [ Note: The cost of accommodation in each dorm varies ]

The actual process of booking the dorm room involve:
1. Calling up BLCU accommodation department
2. Explaining it to staff (mostly in Mandarin, although some of them know a bit of English)
3. Making a payment (1 month)
4. Showing them your proof of payment when you get there

I did it the easier way by just rocking up and asking for a room. It seemed to me that the BLCU dorm accommodation is a lot more like a "first come first serve" basis because they'll always say they're "fully booked" but somehow magically find a room when needed.

These are the pros of Dorm 17 from my experience. Please take into account that I never actually stayed in dorm building 17.
• It's newer (clean)
• The fuyuans are nicer
• It's "off campus"
• The rooms are bigger (although this is questionable)
• Closer to Wudaokou and train station
• Private gate keepers (students not staying there are meant to sign in and sign out)
• Buzzing with international students

The downside of Dorm 17 would be that it's the dorm farthest away from Building 1 (BLCU main study building), this means waking up extra early in the mornings to get to class or even buying a bike (highly recommended). I also question the rumor that Dorm 17 has bigger rooms because I discovered some super-huge dorm rooms in dorm building 4 (I snuck peeks while walking past open doors).

TJ and I were tossing up between Dorm 4 (old international student dorm) and Dorm 6 (near the basketball courts). TJ arrived at BLCU before me and had settled in Dorm 4 , so when I got there I checked out one of Dorm 4's rooms, and then decided to check out one of the rooms in Dorm 6 too. The major downside was that Dorm 6 did not have elevators.

Before my final decision, I went around checking out the apartments nearby (some of which also do not have elevators). There were apartments still under renovation, rooms for rent, people looking for an extra roommate etc. My conclusion was that living off-campus would not be beneficial for someone staying short term (up to 6 months), so I went back to Dorm 4 . By that time, a lot more international students had arrived and the available rooms in the building was running out fast!

There's a huge number of apartments around Wudaokou and BLCU because of the many schools in the area. There's also quite a lot of hotels within walking distance which you could stay in temporarily if need be. The cost of staying in an apartment is reliably cheaper than staying in theorms, but theorms can be more convenient and less troublesome (especially if you have a bad landlord).

At first, I did not understand why fuyuans at BLCU always get you to check out the dorm room before you agree to move in, but it did not take long for me to realize that EVERY dorm room I went to was DIFFERENT . Most of the rooms are standard in size (sorry, I never took a photo), with bathroom / toilet in each room. TJ had a smaller room compared to mine because her had a balcony , but some other friends did not even have a balcony like TJ 's or the extra space I had.

I did not think the rooms at Dorm 17 were bigger than compared to my dorm room though, and I'm sure that there are larger rooms than the one I had … You just need to know which ones they are!

Pros of Dorm 4
• Very central (convenient)
• Hope internet café / restaurant downstairs (you can leech off it in the stairwell on the 1st & 2nd floor, sometimes the 3rd floor)
• They do not lock the doors when it's past curfew
• Some of the fuyuans are nice
• Newly installed security cameras
• Buzzing with international students

On a side note, the "24" on the 'Hope Cafe' sign does not mean 24hrs a day! They'll stay open for as long as people are there, but sometimes close quite early (1-2am).

The furniture found in each room is the same: wardrobe, 2 study tables, 2 beds, mini fridge and TV. I like the fact that there's a lock on the wardrobe as well as the drawer of the study table. But do not expect all furniture to be functioninging 100%.

If you decide to stay in Dorm Building 4, try and avoid the first floor !! It's been told that there was a death in one of those rooms at the beginning of 2007. Also, the dorm rooms on the first floor seem to be made to mold and get quite stuffy when the heaters are turned on in Winter.

Beware, the elevators in Dorm building 4 can jam up. You might not want to stay on the top floors on the off chance you get stuck inside the elevator (it's happened to a friend!). I was on the 3rd floor which was close enough to ground floor use the stairs when the elevators were off or out of function. It's not fun climbing 9 floors after a long night out introxicated with sore feet.

And last of all, I just want to mention that I had a look at the single dorm room in building 8 . Just seeing the room made me glad that I was in a shared room because it's very small, and the room looks very lonely. But of course, there are downsides of a shared dorm too (bad roommate, no privacy etc).

– – – – –

PS BLCU Scholarships students are put into Dorm 1 or 2 (I'm not sure if there's other buildings). That means communal showers and toilets ( http://www.selinalai.com/2008/05/squat-toilet-troubles

Can you remember a time in your career when you defied the odds, kept calm under pressure and performed like you planned or dreamed? Even if most of us can think about a time when we were at our best, we probably did not do it under the watchful, hopeful eyes of millions of people worldwide in the Beijing Olympics.

As I watch Usain Bolt, winner of the Men's 100M final sprint in Beijing, do his chest-thump before he even crosses the finish line in world record time of 9.69 seconds, I think I know exactly what he is saying to himself. He is saying, "Is me dat!" I know this, because I too am Jamaican by birth.

Translated for my American friends, that chest thump and outspread arms, means, "I did that".

Some of the broadcast media in print and on air have called it bragging. Those of us who know the history of Jamaica and the spirit of the Jamaican people, know that it is not about bragging. It's about reinforcing to one's self that barriers exist only where one sees them. It is about acknowledging one's own achievements, whether the rest of the world notices it or not. It's a kind of self assuredness that says, "I am in control of my destiny and I can do this, whether or not the world thinks it possible." It's what I call a personal high five.

Author Colin Channer in a pre-Olympics article for the Wall Street Journal, explored the spirit of the Jamaican people and how it manifests itself in a sprinting tradition that goes back for decades. Channer says, "The Jamaican love of sprinting, something you see when a hundred 12-year-olds take off across a dusty field after school, a phenomenon as spectacular as seeing a herd of antelope fleeing across a plain, is rooted in the notification of flight, in the perception of defiance and aspiration expressed in the grammar of the body. "

Of course as a career development professional, I can not help but be inspired by athletes like Usain Bolt, with limited resources and an abundance of heart, perform under tremendous pressure. Rather than focus on his chest-thump and outspread arms, I wonder what kind of career advice we can glean from such a performance. We still get nervous in job interviews, when we have to do presentations at work or when we get assigned an important account or project at the office. I am certainly not speaking for everyone, but I know I do. Here, on the other hand, is a professional athlete at the top of his game who is performing with the whole world watching. It certainly gives me pause to check myself as I put the pressures of my own care and workplace stress in perspective.

The key point to remember is that when we see Jamaican sprinters, like Usain Bolt, perform well on the world's stage, we are actually witnessing the end result of hours of personal preparation and practice and centuries of high expectations from the residents of the tiny Caribbean island. What we see in a few seconds of brilliance takes place years after Bolt made the personal decision to put himself, his body and his credibility on the line to achieve a personal best and execute this amazing race.

Bolt's body, by the way, is 6 feet 5 inches tall; well outside of what tradition has deemed good for sprinting. If that does not deserve a personal high five, I do not know what does. It is not unusual for Jamaicans to excel like this. Remember that this is the same island that produced the Jamaican Bobsled Team and had the nerve to participate in the Winter Olympics, long before other residents of tropical regions thought it was possible.

Looking at Usain Bolt doing what he does, makes me think that career nirvana is indeed possible for all of us who are willing to do the hard work to prepare for our own big show. My hope is that Bolt will keep his wits about him and remain true to the radical Jamaican roots that encourage people to break records and push beyond the limits.

It may not be the Beijing Olympics of 2008, but we owe it to ourselves to do what it takes to be ready for own big show. When we do, we should know that it is perfectly legitimate to give ourselves a personal high five.

There are several couples of international trains running from Beijing, China to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Travelers need to understand how the international train system works before getting a train ticket from Beijing to Ulaanbaatar.

The K23 is the name of the train schedule that runs from Beijing to Ulaanbaatar and stops. The K24 is the reverse way back from Beijing to Ulaanbaatar. The K3 runs from Beijing to Ulaanbaatar and continues into Moscow. The K4 runs backwards from Moscow to Ulaanbaatar to Beijing.

Purchasing an international train ticket could be performed at the train station directly. However it is difficult for passenger to purchase tickets on the spot since they are urgently needed. It is recommended that passengers book their tickets through travel agencies that are commissioned to sell international rail tickets.

International rail tickets can be booked through agencies 40 days in advance. A deposit is required for pre-booking but it will be returned to the passenger. After pre-booking, passengers should pay the ticket price in full at least seven days advance of their departure date. If this is not done, the booking will be cancelled and the booking fee deposit will be lost.

In order to book an international ticket, passengers need a valid passport and visa to the destination. This is a requirement, no exceptions. A transit visa may also be required if the train travels through more than two countries. So, if a passenger chooses the K3 from Beijing, China through Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia ending in Moscow, Russia, they will need a transit visa.

If a passenger needs to return a ticket, it can be performed at the railway station. The return of tickets may not be allowed if the passenger booked their tickets through a travel agency. Confirm the regulations of the agency before booking. If the ticket is returned 72 hours in advance of the scheduled departure time, 80% of the fare is returned and no service charge is refunded.

If the ticket is returned or changed less than 72 hours ahead of the scheduled departure time, 80% of the seat ticket fare of 20% of the sleeper fare will be refunded. No service charge is refunded. If the ticket is returned or changed less than three hours after the train leaving the station, 80% of the seat ticket fare will be refunded but none of the sleeper fare. No service charge is refunded.

There are a few baggage rules when traveling by international rail. Adults are allowed at most to take a 35 kilogram carry-on bag per adult traveling for free. A child under the age of 12 is allowed at most to take a 15 kilogram carry-on bag for free. The total width, height, and length of each bag cannot exceed 200 centimeters.

If the bag is overweight, the part of the bag that is over the limit must be consigned, or a fine of CNY 100 per kilogram will be charged. The baggage consignment should be handled in the morning before the departure date in the Beijing Railway Station International Train Baggage Consignment Counter in the west wing of the station building.

The custom office is closed on weekends, so passengers leaving on Monday should check their baggage in advance on Friday. The passenger’s passport and ticket is required for the consignment process. To consign a bicycle, leave it unlocked and unpacked.

The consignment charge if CNY 7.5 per kilogram for the Beijing Ulaanbaatar train. Each bicycle is charged a consignment fee of CNY 150. The consignment charge for Beijing to Moscow is CNY 16.8 per kilogram. Each bicycle is charged a consignment fee of CNY 200. The price is adjusted to the changed of the international exchange rate.