To Be Rich Is Glorious
China Travel, News and Lifestyle
New York Times: New Power in Africa
Aug 28th
New York Times, known for its quality articles and one of my favorite news sources, has launched a new article series about the increasing Chinese influence in Africa.
Engadget Going Retail In China
Aug 20th
Sorry for the quality – didn’t bring my camera.
Today I went for a stroll in the local computer city of Xiangzhou district, Zhuhai (in Guangdong, China) and was overjoyed to find Engadget, my favorite gadget blog, selling stuff over a counter there.
I thought that it would be very new, since it wasn’t yet announced on the blog. And therefore, I thought that the founders would be there to celebrate the launch. Guess what? They weren’t there, not even Thomas Ricker was there. Worst of all, the Engadget Chinese staff (living the closest) weren’t there either. This is really lazy of Engadget, running a business long-distance like this.
When I approached, I realized no one talked English… Engadget is the world’s largest English blog, so this didn’t make sense either. Engadget – you guys suck at business.
I’m really disappointed and shocked. In how stupid some Chinese vendors can be.
Honey, It’s Been A Long Time
Aug 10th
There’s no complete Beijing IKEA visit without staying and eating their Swedish meatballs after the shopping. As I sat down and chunked the meatballs in, I had a nostalgic feeling creeping through my spine. The meatballs were OK, a little on the raw side. I don’t get why we got fries. It should have just come with boiled or mashed potatoes.
The IKEA restaurant in Beijing isn’t just a place for tired shoppers to eat, but acts like a dedicated restaurant. People come from all over town just to eat the food there. Apart from meatballs, they’ve also got several salmon dishes as well as Chinese dishes.
If in Beijing, it’s definitely a worthwhile visit.
Back to Sweden… Sort Of
Aug 9th
A while back I went to the Beijing IKEA with a few friends, it is the second largest in the world dwarfed only by one in IKEA’s home country Sweden.
Entering IKEA felt just as if I was back in Sweden. Everything was the same as Swedish IKEAs. Except one thing. Here, the people were Chinese. 
Products in the IKEA in Beijing cost roughly half of what they would have cost in Sweden. Since most of the products are produced in China, their savings in transport are passed on to the consumer.
Another difference is that in Sweden IKEA furniture is the cheapest you can get, and a popular brand amongst young people. In China, it’s also popular amongst young people, but for entirely different reasons. IKEA in China is more or less a luxury brand and a is used as a fashion statement.
Origus is a Nice Place to Eat When Hungry
Aug 8th
So what do you do when you drink too much one night and feel like shit the entire next day, and then comes evening and you’re starving. Easy – go to Origus.Origus is a Chinese buffet chain serving pizza, chicken, pasta, snacks, salad, fruit, ice cream, cake, soft drinks, beer, tea and coffee. For 43 CNY ($6 USD) you can eat and drink as much as you want. The food is pretty good, but a little fatty. I would recommend you to eat there if you’re really hungry and/or work out.
What! A Chocolate Pizza?
The last time I went to Origus I was really surprised to find a chocolate pizza. It was basically pizza bread with chocolate sauce and cheese on top. Although I don’t think it was very nutritious, I’d have to say it was quite good.
