Scorpion on a stick is no big deal. It is mind over matter. On the hotel, there are about 3000 hotels in Beijing, how close do you want to be to her place? Which circle,etc. I am near the north 4th circle. I would be glad to help just need to know the location. Just be ready for a hard bed. I am dead serious on that. It is still hard for me to sleep at night on the one we have. Every hotel in Beijing has the hard bed as far as I have found out anyway. The 8 days inn is within walking distance of the Square and forbidden city. Clean and neat and about $60 per night for a no smoking room. Just need to specify a room that includes breakfast and internet. Also i do not think the translator will need a room. They can come and go as long as they are from Beijing. Like I said, I have one that does it all. He can translate and is a certified tour guide. That way he has no agenda to make things up just to see you get together. I do not get anything from him if you use him so do not worry about that. If you are a friend of mine he will give a discount. I will contact him only if you are interested. He calls me his godfather. Good kid. With any translator you will pay his/her complete way. All meals, travel etc.
About tipping, that is correct. If you leave a tip and the waiter just keeps it he could get fired. What I did was get a bunch of lipstick and nail polish. Just go to wal mart and get the really inexpensive ones. Give it to the maids and such each day. They loved it. Of course your girl will say it is not necessary. And it really isnt. Just up to the individual. Taxi's are plentiful and cheap. The most expensive one I took was from one end of Beijing to the other and it cost me 66 yuan. or about 10 bucks. Average is from 10 to 20 Yuan $.68 cents to $1.40. My wife is constantly trying to get me to take the bus. I tell her no way, when the taxis are that cheap and get us directly to where we are going. However, she has said I need to exercise more so every night after dinner we go for a walk. It is really pleasant now. the nights are nice. Not hot like the last couple of weeks. the days are cooler also and the humidity is lessening so it isnt miserable. For the past 4 days we havent turned on the air so you are coming at just the right time.
Let me know what you want me to do. Where the hotel and or guide/translator is that you want. Warm weather clothes are in order. Depending on where you are going you might want to slide one very light jacket in. Otherwise listen to your lady. She is just trying to do the best she can, and not really knowing your likes and dislikes on some things she is probably nervous about what to book. And if she is like mine she wants the man to make the final decisions. Lets get together for lunch or dinner. I would like to meet your lady and so would my wife, Mrs. Burk. lol Plus it would be nice to hear English spoken after 3 weeks of nothing but Chinese. lol.
Jimb, thanks for all the great help and you are on we shall at least do dinner. As for the hotel my Zhen has passed the buck back to me hehe. Which does put me in a pickle. I do not want to offend her and book one room, and assume we wil stay there together,yet at the same time if that is her plan then I do not want to offend her and make her think I would not want to share the room. Ha conundrums heh. Also for the translator I am not sure exactly what the plan is for she has never met the translator. I would guess she is local so that eliminates that issue.
As for the hotel I think one relatively close to the maor site seeing things, so we dont have long travels to make. I would rather take one long taxi from the airport and then be close to the rest. So if you can recommend a hotel by name, something decent of course, internet so I can post here, and webcam my sister who is dying to meet Zhen, a comfortable but not luxurious room hopefully western toilet hehe and of course coffee!!
Oh by the way Jim she lives in Handan so I think she may not be familiar with Beijing at all hence the reluctance to book the room.
So a decent hotel close to the sights would be good, at as reasonable a cost as possible obviously, the $50 to $70 range I think would be great. Yes we must get together, and I promise I do speak english hehe. Zhen however does not, so please bring your wife with you and we can have a grand visit together.
As for your friend the translator/tour guide I shall discuss this with my lady and let you know. Also as soon as you let me know about the hotel I will go online and book it.
Thanks very much for all your help and look forward to meeting you in person.
To all the other brothers, again thanks for the advice and kind words they are appreciated.
It is my intent to post here as often as possible while in china. You guys have posted some great stories so hopefully I can do the same.
Regards to all
Brian
PS Jim as for the hard bed hahah no worries mate I spend enough time sleeping on the ground in the military I dont think it will bother me much.
