Buddy, can I bum a smoke? A week of freeloading in Beijing
But it's my last one! (That's doubtful.)
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They say nothing in life is free but for one week cigarettes were for me. For seven days, I randomly asked people in Beijing to give me a smoke and nary one said no, even though more than half of them did not know me.
A sign of generosity in our city? That cigarettes are dirt cheap? Or that they hoped by giving me one I would go away?
I will leave such analysis up to the think tanks For now, here is the raw data, broken down by date, place of acquisition, profession and nationality of supplier, and brand.
Next mission: Buddy, can I bum some gum.
(Note: Do not, I repeat, do not try this at home. I mean, unless a lot of strangers wander into your apartment, who would you bum the smokes from?)
| Sunday | |||
| Sports stadium | Patron | Chinese | Hong He |
| Sports stadium | Patron | Chinese | Bai Sha |
| Sports stadium | Ticket scalper | Chinese | ? |
| D Lounge | Importer | American | Marlboro Red |
| D Lounge | Manager | Australian | Zhongnanhai .5 |
| Monday | |||
| Union | Chef | American | Bai Sha |
| Bookworm | Manager | S. Africa | 555 |
| Bookworm | Journalist | American | Zhongnanhai .5 |
| Bookworm | Editor | English | Zhongnanhai .8 |
| Worker Stadium | Taxi driver | Chinese | Hong He |
| Tuesday | |||
| The Den | ? | American | Marlboro Red |
| Union | Waiter | Chinese | ? |
| Q Bar | Tourism rep | Austria | Hong He |
| Q Bar | Wine seller | German | 555 Mandarin |
| Wednesday | |||
| The Den | Marketer | Australian | Zhongnanhai .5 |
| Nola | Beer seller | Australia | Zhongnanhai .8 |
| Salud | Manager | French | ? Zhongnanhai .8 |
| Thursday | |||
| Le Petit Gourmand | Manager | French | Zhongnanhai .8 herbal |
| Le Petit Gourmand | F&B guy | American | Zhongnanhai .8 |
| Paddy O’Shea’s | Manager | Irish | Benson & Hedges |
| Paddy O’Shea’s | Patron | Hand-rolled | English |
| D Lounge | Music promoter | Swedish | Zhongnanhai .5? |
| Friday | |||
| None | |||
| Saturday | |||
| Union | Chef | American | Bai sha |
| Union | Patron | Australian | Zhongnanhai .8 |
| Union | Factory builder | German | Winston, snuff |
Curry to go: Purple Haze Bistro to move to Dongsiliutiao
Update: The new Purple Haze Bistro is slated to open December 20 at 1 Dongsiliutiao, at the corner where Chaoyangmen Beixiao Jie crosses Dongsiliutiao. Good proximity to Palette Vino and The Bomb Shelter.
Expect a similar menu and a cozy hutong feel – if the photos I saw last night are any indication. Speaking of last night: A good vibe there with a jazz band playing and four-fifths of Black Cat Bone enjoying a few drinks nearby.
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Better get your curry in a hurry because it looks like Purple Haze - the one in China View, not the one across from Workers Stadium North – will be moving to Dongdan Dongsiliutiao within the month. It sounds like the culprit is unresolvable issues with the property management, namely, the nonprovision of essential equipment needed to make the kitchen run efficiently. Frankly, I never found this spot – known as Purple Haze Bistro – to have the charm of the original and look forward to checking out the new venue.
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