BEIJING BLOGGIN': Today's gray, sad and rainy weather matched my mood pretty well...

... after the second rather so-so performance of the German team last night. The success of the first match against Poland seemed to have gone to their heads when they lost to Croatia onThursday, yet during last night's 1:0 win over football midgets Austria the team didn't display the change in attitude, or improvement of form, that they'd promised. Ahead of the match against the universally hailed Portugal, I can therefore only cite the words of the great Loddar Matthäus: "I hope we have a little bit lucky."

Enough about football, then. Too depressing. Over the long Dragonboat Festival, I had my boyfriend over from Friday to Wednesday, and this time we did Beijing. Properly. On the Saturday we visited Beijing Zoo, where we witnessed some rather depressing living conditions for animals (the rugged-looking tiger that did nothing but pace up and down in his tiny prison cell comes to mind), but also a few sparks of hope, such as the newly-erected monkey house, a merry old playground for the furry favourites. The ape habitats weren't the worst either, and the Panda area, while impressive, raised the question of who the animals are- the creatures behind the glass or those in front of it, who would push, bully and box their way through the crowds to wherever any movement of something black-and-white was spotted. All in all, a few hours well spent and definitely a recommended trip.

Sunday we met my crazy friend Ring to go to the Summer Palace. The recreational residence of Empress Dowager Cixi, the Summer Palace and its many culinary and entertainment delights were pretty much financed with the Chinese military budget, which at the time probably would have been better spent on the defense against multiple foreign invaders. In any case, Cixi is not exactly the most beloved of the Chinese monarchs. The Palace, however, is as popular a destination as any, with its fragrant trees, quiet pavillions and its tranquil yet stunning lake. (See below for photos.) Another great afternoon and many a photo opportunity, but at this stage the sun, which had been burning down on us rather relentlessly since we first stepped out on the Saturday, and the invisible yet effective work of what must have been an army of mosquitoes were getting to us. Late on Sunday night, two of my English students accompanied us to the swish, expensive and very comfy Pavillion bar in Chaoyang district. This ambitious bar and restaurant's high standards are sometimes reflected more in the prices than quality of service, but its outdoor area is simply unbeatable. Two giant screens, a gorgeous garden with lush , fragrant greenery, a bar and about a hundred fellow Germans who were as up for the first match as I was made this a great night. Since Germany-Poland was the later match of the night, however, it didn't kick off until 2:45 am local time, and by the time it ended the sun was just rising, giving the whole experience a slightly surreal edge.

The Monday was spent mostly relaxing, with Himself and Myself only finding back to our normal selves in the late afternoon, which we spent shopping and bemoaning the lateness of the previous night. All was forgotten, however, when we went to the Houhai lake area for a lovely Hangzhou-style dinner, a bottle of something sparkly by the shore and a bit more football in a comfy little lakeside spot.

Tuesday was the most adventurous part of the holiday as it was spent at Happy Valley amusement park. Put off at first by the seemingly endless queues of students (trust me to pick the day after exam day to go!), we soon got into the swing of it and began enjoying the mad, crazy and gravity-defying rides- I was upside down more times than I could count, screamed for my life, my love and my mama and, to top it all off, despite wearing a makeshift raincoat, got completely and utterly soaked at the end of the most ginormous water ride I'ver been on. What a day!

Our Tuesday evening was spent with a lovely meal at a nearby upscale Sichuan place and a few sad cuddles in preparation for Himself's departure early on Wednesday morning.

By which time I was covered in swollen, itchy, pink mosquito bites. Buggers must love me.

Bis dann,

Nadine

Sunday - The Summer Palace