Hello me old China...

Desperate for a nice cup of tea and a foot massage and not one to stay in one place for too long (or oolong for that matter), I have packed my kit and headed to the far east...Beijing or bust!!! Dazzling colour and excitement aside, Beijing abounds with temptations of the past and more than just casual promises of the future.  People here live their lives in public and a slow meander through Beijing's many green spaces or historic Hutong (alleyways), where unusual openings entice one to explore what's hidden behind walls, is a great way to experience life as it unfolds away from the main roads. While one can't escape the ever present sight of television antenna or satellite dishes, even in the oldest lanes, the Hutong are everyone's back yards.  One shouldn't be surprised see people strumming a guitar and singing with a hundred of their closest friends, watching television,  or even dressed to the nines dancing the Evening Three Step in one of the treed squares dotted through the neighbourhoods.  I am going to enjoy this great city...just as I am enjoying a deliciously refreshing Pale Ale #6 from the Greal Leap Brewery in Doujiao Hutong.  The balanced hoppiness and good alcohol content make it a beer to savour and soak up the atmosphere that is Beijing.