non-smoking restaurants in Beijing?

[Chinese Wife!!!]

Today she was looking for an apartment for us through an agency and the agency said that not every apartment building will allow "pets or foreignors."  So we may have to pay a little extra money to find a place where I am allowed. I hope they don't make me wear a flea collar.

We went through an agent and now the landlords we have in Shanghai love the idea- I'm their first American and they are shopping for more now. Rent on time, less b!tch!ng on repair items, cleanliness (the Chinese cooking with oil thing was mentioned by THEM). Even though a new apart.- it sat vacant for 3 years and had paint spatters everywhere. I've done extensive cleaning and several minor repairs on my own. Although carrying the 7 feet of hose for the washing machine through LAX probably caused the search of my bag.

I guess I am saying the the agent may try to stress the advantage of having an American there. Richard

[beijingjenny]

I haven't heard the "we are pests" song, but sounds hilarious. I'm more accustomed to being a foriegn devil.

 

I've never run across places that forbid foreigners though they no doubt exist (a remnant of the old days when it was law). I would disagree though that all Americans would be model tenants. I can see some would be but I know some foreigners whose party habits, for one thing, haven't made them very popular. Depends what kind of experiences, if any, a landlord has had I guess.

 

It occurs to me TGI Friday's would have salads. I've seen them on the menu though it's kind of out of my price range. There's a few around, one no doubt in Chaoyang, and one I can see from my window here at the Friendship Hotel (yes, I live in a hotel... comes with working for the government...). I stand by that I've eaten salads (and even raw veg plates - da feng shou - at simple restaurants) and not got sick. But some people might, so you have to decide for yourself.

[oregonknl]

Actually, I have eaten raw veggies in China, and probably will again, but still, is sort of like driving through a mine field .... eventually..... So I don't recommend it..

 

I absolutely won't eat raw veggies any where near a flight time.... ( at least 12 hours) ---gotta' plane to catch? Don't need those kinda' problems !

[Guest Fionas_Fiance]

I told Fiona that I said she works in the Chaoyang and she corrected me, she says she actually works in the Haidian. I guess she went to school in the Chaoyang district. I hope the USCIS is better at reading a G325a than I am! What a dolt.

 

She also gave me the complete lyrics for the pest song:

 

> The song is

> " wo shi yi zhi haichong, wo shi yi zhi haichong

> zheng yi de lai fuling, zheng yi de lai fuling

> yi ding hui jiang ta shasi, shasi

 

> translation is

> "I am a pest, I am a pest

> the forthright laifuling will definitely kiss him, kill him"

 

> laifuling is the brand for the pest killer, him means pest

 

Apparently this was a commerical for a pesticide, the pest

sings the first line and some announcers sing the second.

Then I guess the bug gets sprayed and dies! :-(

 

I think she picked this up in school somewhere. Her fellow

students found it fantastically amusing to envision the pest

as a foreignor.

 

What are they teaching those kids, anyway?!??!?

[Jeikun]

Reading about salads reminds me... Do the Chinese fertalize with "Night Soil"?

 

In south Korea it's legal to use human waste as fertilizer for food meant for human consumption. They call it "Night Soil" lovely, hmm? (Hence my manditory hep B shot). Do they do this in China? If so I would say... no to the raw veggies unless I had personally washed them myself.