Chinese Metafilter Meetup in Beijing 2006

December 20, 2006 6:54 PM

Sino-MeFi Summit 2006 (aka the Beijing Meet-up):

Is it a go? Tonight? Tommorrow night? When? Where? How? Why? Discuss.
posted by Pollomacho to MetaFilter Gatherings at 6:54 PM (34 comments total)

Hello? I want some candy canes!
posted by Pollomacho at 9:19 PM on December 20, 2006

I would like to go but every time I fly to Beijing I lose a day. Since I don't have that many days left, I'd rather to stay at my side of the dateline. And I don't like places where today is tomorrow or the other way around. I've even canceled a newspaper subscription when their the Sunday edition started reaching the streets by Saturday afternoon.
posted by nkyad at 9:56 PM on December 20, 2006

You can always just go the other way and then today stays today until it eventually becomes yesterday.
posted by Pollomacho at 10:03 PM on December 20, 2006

Oh, dude, stop it! I've got one of those queasy arriving-before-you-leave things coming up in the next couple of days, and my head already hurts.

I'm free tonight after 8 or 9. Have not much preference for venues, other than "not Sanlitun" and "not out in the ass-end of nowhere." Since I live a couple of minutes away from the cafe-bars on Nan Luogu Xiang, I'll selfishly suggest those, since that's basically where I always am anyway. Am totally open to suggestions.
posted by bokane at 10:06 PM on December 20, 2006

I second bokane because we're neighbours, he paid for this account, and I work a late shift tonight so would prefer somewhere close to home. And, it's like, so happening in the Xiang, man.
posted by Abiezer at 10:10 PM on December 20, 2006

*tugs Abiezer's forelock*
posted by Wolof at 10:26 PM on December 20, 2006

But I've been declawed!
posted by Abiezer at 10:29 PM on December 20, 2006

I heard that's not all they took.
posted by Wolof at 10:31 PM on December 20, 2006

No damn monkey steals my peach!
posted by Abiezer at 10:35 PM on December 20, 2006

You guys know any good places near Gulou, that might be easier for those of us relying on public transport.

(I know of a crazy chuanr place tucked away in the houtong there, but I don't know if they let white folks in off the street unaccompanied as it's in a house. Best chicken necks in town!)
posted by Pollomacho at 10:36 PM on December 20, 2006

There's some new bars on that square between the drum and bell towers, but only ever tried the one, for some very dodgy Uighur folk meets the Carpenters. Might be worth a shot though.
posted by Abiezer at 10:41 PM on December 20, 2006

Abiezer refers to 疆进酒, I think. The Drum and Bell bar, right next door, isn't half-bad either, and has Guinness for those of us who prefer it. Can't remember how it is on price; suspect it's probably RMB 15-20 for a Tsingtao. Have never been to Jiangjinjiu, so don't know whether it'd be preferable.

On the topic of food, Azucar in 烟袋斜街 has got really nice Taiwanese-style beef noodles. I'd never go there for the 'bar' aspects of the place, but since it's kind of on my way home (if I overshoot home by a subway stop), I'll occasionally stop off there for dinner.
posted by bokane at 10:46 PM on December 20, 2006

疆进酒 it was. The Guinness would be the clincher for me. Why don't you two shameless meat eaters gorge yourself on the flesh of innocents, then I'll turn up later for the drinking and harangue you in annoying veggie style. Fun all round!
posted by Abiezer at 10:49 PM on December 20, 2006

Word. 一三五 五二四零 九五零八.
posted by bokane at 10:54 PM on December 20, 2006

OK, I am cleared with the boss for tonight. Name a place and I'm there!
posted by Pollomacho at 10:56 PM on December 20, 2006

You two sort it out, then I can call bokane when I get out of work and come find you.
posted by Abiezer at 11:05 PM on December 20, 2006

OK, I sent emails to the other interested parties from the last thread. Hopefully they can weigh in as well.

I suggest we pick a nice, well designated landmark as a meeting point (like the bell tower square) for:

A- retarded people like me that aren't terribly familiar with that particular part of town; and

B- out of towners/newcomers that aren't terribly familliar with that particular part of China
posted by Pollomacho at 11:14 PM on December 20, 2006

Remember, SinoMefites, we expect pictures, as many as the Chinese gov't will allow on the internet... just none standing in front of tanks, ok? (But SERIOUSLY. Pictures. Mandatory.)
posted by wendell at 12:12 AM on December 21, 2006

We have tickets to the HuGuang Guild Hall tonight. I think we're out of there around 9:00, but am not sure.

We are at the Radisson SAS in Chaoyang. How far from the action are we? Is that too late? Would it take an extraordinary amount of taxi time/money to get there?

I'll follow up via email with Pollomacho...
posted by daveleck at 12:13 AM on December 21, 2006

Bell tower square works fine for me as a meeting point - my phone number's available above (cunningly enciphered in the local moon-man language) in case anybody has any trouble finding it.

Shall we say the Drum and Bell, with the option of moving on elsewhere if it turns out to suck?

Have sent out emails... When's good for people?
posted by bokane at 12:15 AM on December 21, 2006

daveleck - it's not too terribly far away; looking at the Radisson SAS website, cab fare should be within RMB 20, at a guess.
posted by bokane at 12:18 AM on December 21, 2006

My hand chicken's number in moon language for earthlings: yo san si san liu wu er san yo si liu

We can start around 9ish and run until... I've got the pregnant wife to return to at home and work in the morning so I may turn into a pumpkin before the festivities are complete.
posted by Pollomacho at 12:40 AM on December 21, 2006

No worries; I've got various shir to ban tomorrow, so in theory at least, I won't be out too late. That Abiezer, though; he's a caution.
posted by bokane at 12:43 AM on December 21, 2006

Greetings!

I'd love to come join you guys, but I probably can't make it until after 9 PM. Think that time might work? Drum & Bell tower works for me - I _think_ I can find it.

I've sent out some email with my phone number in it...
posted by blindcarboncopy at 12:59 AM on December 21, 2006

Cool - after 9 should be fine, I reckon.

if you're getting a cab, just tell the cabbie to go to Gǔlóu. If he doesn't know it, then get a different cabbie.
posted by bokane at 1:02 AM on December 21, 2006

OK here's the executive summary then it seems:

Drum and Bell Bar (conveniently between the Drum and Bell Towers) next to jiang jin jiu.

9:00 PM ACST

-No Tank Standing, late comers welcome!
posted by Pollomacho at 1:19 AM on December 21, 2006

We want photos.
posted by Wolof at 1:49 AM on December 21, 2006

Well, disaster struck and we couldn't make it. The hotel put us in a taxi to go to the opera, but we wound up on a three hour captive tour of Beijing. The cabbie had no idea where the theater was, but didn't want to lose face by admitting it. We could barely communicate with him, as our Mandarin is extremely minimal and his English was non-existent. The cabbie finally ran out of gas and put us in another taxi to head back to the hotel. We didn't have to pay anything, but our 300 RMB theater tickets are mere souvenirs at this point. By the time we got back to the hotel, it was too late and too stressful to head out to the bar. Sorry we missed it...
posted by daveleck at 6:05 AM on December 21, 2006

Wow. That's awful, and it's clearly your hotel's fault since they put you in the taxi, so I hope you can bludgeon into some serious reparations.
posted by languagehat at 6:23 AM on December 21, 2006

[still wanting to do something in Hong Kong / Shenzhen / Guangzhou]
posted by trinarian at 8:35 AM on December 21, 2006

Dude - that's all kinds of suck.

We'll see the rest of yis next month, yeah?
posted by bokane at 12:41 PM on December 21, 2006

Wow, that's really terrible! Sorry you couldn't make it, I hope you at least got to see Beijing on the beautiful, clear night.
posted by Pollomacho at 5:18 PM on December 21, 2006

What a nightmare daveleck.
The bar turned out to be all right I thought, but the Guinness was late-night daylight robbery.
posted by Abiezer at 10:06 PM on December 21, 2006

*waits for the pics*
posted by gomichild at 10:30 PM on December 21, 2006