Ask Beijing Today

Email your questions to: weiying@ynet.com

I tried a Bachata dance class last weekend and I’m sort of in love with the dance. Where can I find quality instruction around Liangmaqiao?

Check out Phoenix Dance Company located at Room 1701, Building 4, 15 Zhenzhi Jie, Maizidian, Chaoyang District. It is now providing a beginners Bachata course every Friday from 8 to 9:30 pm. Taught by international professional instructors, the class is conducted in both Chinese and English. This class is a drop-in class, so no partner is required. Visit phoenix-dance.com for more information.

I designed a silver necklace that I want to make as a present for my sister’s birthday. It is very detailed and cannot be made by a machine. Is there a customized silver workshop somewhere in town?

Story of Silver may help you out. You can find it at Qijiayuan Diplomatic Residence Compound, 9 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District. Customized silver jewelries can be handmade by skillful craftsman using fine silver wire. They can work on any level of fineness of silver including the most popular, sterling (925) silver. Contact them at 13391710089.

(By Liang Meilan)

Ask Beijing Today

Email your questions to: weiying@ynet.com

As the traffic in town is getting worse, I plan to buy a motorcycle for commuting. But I don’t know if I have to apply for a license for that. I already have a license back in the US. Do I need to take a training course and pass an examination before I can ride a motorcycle in Beijing?

You do need a license to ride a motorcycle here. Since you have a US license that has not expired, you only need to take a small exam on traffic regulations in China before getting a Chinese license issued by the Vehicle Administration Office. You have to present your passport, temporary residence permit, your original US license, a Chinese translation of the US driver’s license and a physical exam form. The fee is 50 yuan. You can choose to take the exam in either English or Chinese. Call the Vehicle Administration Office at 8763 5150 for more information.

I am thinking about buying health insurance in China because I plan to stay here for a long time. I want to get health insurance that isn’t too expensive but will still cover me if I go traveling. I have my own business and I can cover it myself. Please give me some recommendations.

You can try GlobalHealth Asia. It has a team of insurance professionals with more than 25 years of experience in international and health-care management. It has operations in China and provides local support for individuals, families and corporations in their insurance and medical coverage plans. A plan called Global SH 400 Plan might fit your needs. It features full hospitalization and outpatient coverage with an annual limit of up to $2 million (14 million yuan), plus the option to add a maternity benefit and dental plan. Visit globalhealthasia.com for more information.

The cold weather is coming and I need a hat and some mittens; what is a good store that sells knitting supplies?

Beyondknitting.com may help you there. The website was created in 2009 with a commitment to offering high-quality yarns, tools and patterns to help customers create beautiful and long-lasting garments. The goods usually arrive in 10 to 12 days.

(By Liang Meilan)

Ask Beijing Today

I’m working on an installation made of cloth and I just ran out of my US-made dye. Do you know where I can find good dye in town?

Try Qianmen Hua Gong Yuan Liao (Qianmen Industrial Chemicals), located on 177 Qianmen Dajie, Dongcheng District, which offers a wide range of clothing dyes. For more information, call the store at 6303 1480.

My 4-year-old son is coming to town for a month and I’m looking for a day-care center in the CBD that can care for him while I work. I’d prefer one where the babysitters speak English and where there are other foreign children.

There is a day-care center in the CBD called The Familier, popular among Korean and Japan families. Besides looking after children while their parents work, the center also has activities that parents and children can do together to promote bonding. Call 5869 2904 for more information.

I need to order a few more pairs of contact lenses before coming to Beijing. Is it possible to order them in Beijing? If so, does anyone know if it’s more expensive than in Western countries? Would I need an eye test or can I just give them my prescription?

Contact lenses are more expensive in the Chinese mainland. If you can bring more pairs from home, do it, or buy them in Hong Kong if you have a layover there. The good news is it’s easy to order them in Beijing: just give your prescription to someone at an eyeglass store and they will find the appropriate lens for you.

(By Liang Meilan)

Ask Beijing Today

Email your questions to: weiying@ynet.com

I heard that China has ordered SIM-card buyers to register their real names beginning September 1. I have a friend who just arrived in town and was able to buy a SIM card off a newspaper stand without showing any identification. Can she get into trouble doing that?

According to the new regulation, newspaper stands are now prohibited from selling SIM cards. Your friend can report the incident to the newspaper stand authority at telephone number 8315 0667, and she will be granted a full refund. The vendor will get a 5,000-yuan fine for engaging in an unlawful act.

I’ve bought cooking ingredients on Taobao several times and I love how convenient shopping has become. But I need to find a shop that offers a wider range of goods, because I often have to visit three to five vendors to get everything I need. Do you have any recommendations?

Try visiting womai.com, a professional food supplier run by the state-owned China Oil and Foodstuffs Corporation. It sells both domestic and imported food, which have undergone quality control and inspection.

I visited Chaoyang Park several days ago and discovered that its white-sand “beach” has been closed for repair. I’m planning to hold a beach volleyball match for friends before the weather gets too cold and I’d like to know when the area will reopen.

Good news! The beach area reopened Last Sunday, September 5, after four days of renovation. Because the temperature has begun to drop and fewer people go there to swim and sunbathe, the park authority has rezoned the area. The beach is now divided into two volleyball courts, two soccer fields and one badminton court. It is open daily from 9:30 am to 5 pm. Admission has decreased from 80 to 30 yuan an hour.

(By Liang Meilan)

Ask Beijing Today

Email your questions to: weiying@ynet.com

I’ve just returned from a trip to North Korea, where I fell in love with the food there. I heard that some North Koreans have opened restaurants in Beijing. Can you recommend one that also holds song and dance performances?

Try visiting Yinpanguan Restaurant, a reputable chain that is based in the North Korean capital Pyongyang. Most of its ingredients are shipped from the North, which guarantees the dishes’ authentic taste, but are reasonably priced. You can find it on 11 Fangcaodi Xi Jie, Chaoyang District (Tel. 6581 8603).

I’m a collector of old-movie posters, but my hobby has suffered since I moved to Beijing. I’ve checked out numerous video shops, but no one has the posters I want. Do you have any leads?

Check out Kubrick Book Store at the Museum of Modern Art’s (MOMA) Broadway Cinematheque. There you can also find posters of classic movies, most of which are imported from Japan. It is located at MOMA’s Building T4, North area, 1 Xiangheyuan Lu, Dongzhimen, Dongcheng District (Tel. 8438 8202).

I’m new in town and still have not gotten used to the local food. I’ve been eating McDonald’s almost every day. I’d be happier with Burger King if I can only find a store in town.

There is only one Burger King store in Beijing and it is located at Terminal 3 of the Capital International Airport. It does not do home deliveries. A second branch is being planned at U-Town Plaza in Chaoyangmen, Dongcheng District. You can call the building management at 8561 1600 for more information. In the mean time, unless you’re willing to travel half an hour by subway or car to the airport every day, we suggest trying harder to appreciate local food.

(By Liang Meilan)

Ask Beijing Today

Email your questions to: weiying@ynet.com

I’m in the process of quitting smoking, but the Nicorette gum I brought from my country has just run out. Is there any pharmacy in town that provides it? If not, is there a Chinese equivalent?

Nicorette gum has not yet been introduced in the Chinese market, so you can only buy it from its website, nicorette.com. There will be a high shipping charge. We recommend you try a Chinese lozenge called Niketai, which is made from herbs. The lozenge has a similar effect as Nicolette gum and you can get it from most pharmacies.

Is there a lavender manor in Beijing? I’m designing a wedding shoot for my soon-to-be married friend Laura, who really loves lavender. And I want to find a place with a large area of lavender flowers as the background for her wedding pictures.

There are a couple of lavender manors on the outskirts of the city. The most popular is the newly opened Blues Dreamland lavender manor. There are artificial settings like old railway platforms and a countryside straw pavilion in addition to large areas of lavender flowers. The manor also includes an orchard and some restaurants where the spaces are big enough for wedding receptions. Or you can try an older lavender art manor – Purple Paradise – where the flowers are more exuberant.

Blues Dreamland
Where: Louzizhuang, Jinzhanxiang Village, Chaoyang District
Tel: 6541 9967
Website: xunyicaoyuan.com
Purple Paradise
Where: Tanghe Village, Gubeikou Town, Miyun Country
Tel: 5166 6870
Web site: lovexiangcao.com

(By Liang Meilan)

Ask Beijing Today

Email your questions to: weiying@ynet.com

I have four boxes of old toys that my son has outgrown. I want to donate them to a goodwill organization since children in remote, impoverished areas may still want them. Do you know where I can send them?

The students at Stars and Rain, a Beijing kindergarten for autistic children, are badly in need of toys. The school is holding a collection drive for new or used toys. Any type of toy is welcome, especially those for children ages 6 and younger. Donations can be dropped off at The Bookworm (4 Sanlitun Nan Lu, Chaoyang District. Tel: 6586 9507) or Stars and Rain (Room 1528, Heqiaolizhi, 8 Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District). For more information, call Angela Fan at 15901258016.
 
I have lots of social work experience and want to make a career move into the NGO field. I’ve checked newspapers, listings magazines and the Internet, but rarely see any related job ads. Can you suggest an NGO that does educational and cultural preservation work? I can start out as a volunteer.

Check out the China Education Initiative, which recruits, trains and supports outstanding graduates from premiere Chinese and US universities, assigning them as teaching fellows to two-year posts in understaffed low-income schools. Visit chinaeducationinitiative.org/en or call 6261 3256 to ask about job opportunities.

The Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center is another NGO you might be interested in. The center assists local communities in preserving tangible and intangible cultural heritage through training and capacity building. It is now recruiting a public relations officer and a project manager. For more details, visit its website, en.bjchp.org.

Can you suggest a cooking school that can teach me how to make tofu dishes?

The Hutong, a Chinese culture activity organizer, offers numerous cooking workshops and classes conducted by chefs from various Beijing restaurants. On July 20 it will hold a tofu cooking class and teach how to prepare Eastern and Western tofu dishes. Registration is 220 yuan. Call The Hutong at 15901046127 to sign up.

(By Liang Meilan)

Ask Beijing Today

Email your questions to: weiying@ynet.com

I want to take my 3-year-old son to an outdoor public pool such as the one in Tuanjiehu Park and Chaoyang Park. Do they provide towels? How much does entry cost?

Here are some important things to remember when visiting public pools in the city:

* They sell swimwear, towels and floatation devices, but at higher prices than markets or online shops. 
* They don’t sell sunscreen, so bring your own.
* They sell food, but it is safer to bring your own. Some will allow food and drinks near the pool, but not tin containers. 
* There are lockers for rent at 20 to 25 yuan.
* Chaoyang Park charges 120 yuan per person on weekends and 80 yuan on the weekdays, while Tuanjiehu Park charges 25 yuan.

I’ve noticed more and more Beijing medical and beauty clinics advertising Botox treatments. Are these places reliable and which one has the best reputation in town?

Beijing Today does not endorse the services of any medical or beauty clinic. However, one of the most reputable in town is the cosmetic surgery department of China-Japan Friendship Hospital (2 Yinghua Dong Jie, Hepingli, Chaoyang District, Tel. 6428 2297).

My Chinese friends told me that Beijing is going to host a global kung fu competition this summer. Do you know when and where? I really want to watch it.

The first global kung fu competition is scheduled for August 28 to September 4 and will meet in venues like the National Stadium. The detailed schedule and ticket prices have not been announced yet. Beijing Today will publish more information as it becomes available.
 
(By Wei Ying)

Ask Beijing Today

Email your questions to:weiying@ynet.com

I recently bought a pet rabbit and need to find out where I can get her proper food and other supplies. Her vendor told me to feed her vegetables, but it’s obvious by now that she does not like them.

To keep your rabbit healthy, give her a good supply of hay, which provides fiber that aids in digestion. As a nutritional supplement, get her pellet feed from a reputable pet store. You can check out the one on the fourth floor of 109 Department Store on 109 Xidan Bei Dajie, Xicheng District, Tel. 6332 9472.

Is there a Moroccan restaurant in town?

There are very few restaurants in town that serve Moroccan food. Moro is Beijing’s first Moroccan restaurant, on 8 Xinyuan Nan Lu, Chaoyang District. Its chef, who comes from Casablanca, makes quality chicken tagine and lamb couscous. Its Moroccan tea is also good. Call 8448 8250 to make a reservation.

I’ve been wanting to learn hang gliding in Beijing but have not yet been able to find an instructor. Can you help me out?

There are only two clubs in town that offer training and equipment. One is Beijing Flying-man Aviation Sport Equipment, the country’s top aviation sport club founded 10 years ago. Its professionally run training is conducted at its base in Changping District. Call 400 8081 882 for more information. The other club is Super-wing Paragliding Club, which sells hang gliding equipment on its website, superwing.com.cn.

(By Liang Meilan)

Ask Beijing Today

I’m throwing a housewarming party this weekend and want to serve quality Western desserts. Do you know any bakery that does deliveries?

There is a new place in town called The Lollipop Bakery, run by a Londoner, which sells tasty, luxurious cupcakes. The shop does deliveries for a minimum order of a dozen cupcakes, but you still need to add a delivery fee of 20 yuan. You can email the bakery at cupcakes@lollipopbakery.cn.

I often shoot 35mm black-and-white film and am looking for somewhere that will push process it during development. So far, I’ve only found shops that develop pushed color film.

There are actually a number of shops that develop 35mm black-and-white pushed film, but only a few do the job according to professional standards. One of these is Wanda, located on 20 Meishuguan Dong Jie (east of the National Art Museum), Dongcheng District.

Could you recommend a market that sells spare car parts?

The most well-known and the one we would recommend is the Automobile Parts Market (69 Nansihuan Dong Lu, Chaoyang District), which sells parts for both Chinese-made and imported cars. For more information, call 5110 2222 or visit its website chcqp.chinaec.net.

(By Liang Meilan)