The current situation on the ground:

• Today, a new Olympic-centric rule goes into effect that effectively removes half of the vehicles from Beijing’s roads by prohibiting cars with even and odd numbered license plates from driving on the same day.
  (Hint: More people are pissed off about this than you read in the news.)
• Hundreds of factories around Beijing and Tianjin have been ordered closed to further reduce air pollution and will remain “turned off” until the end of September.
• The internet censors who man the Great Firewall are burning the midnight oil — websites of all flavors are randomly down, garbled and outright blocked more frequently than normal. This is a major grievance.
• Quasi-security check points are emerging around the city. Some reports of people being hassled, but nothing really substantiated.
• Areas of the city (specifically Gonti, Sanlitun) geared more toward ex-pats are being turned into zones that are cryptically called “limited access.”
• Visa extensions until October for student visas are more than 6500RMB (1000USD). Visas are being revoked randomly depending on the make of your jib. Clean cut, shaven = greater odds of not being denied entry.
• For a Chinese L-Visa (tourist) you need proof of return air ticket and evidence that you have at least $3000 (that’s USD not RMB) in financial assets to ensure you can “afford” to be in China.
• Construction efforts are reaching fever pitch, with parks emerging overnight from debris fields — complete with grass and grown trees. This is a freakishly surreal sensation; waking one morning to a neighborhood that’s magically changed literally overnight.
• Every pirated DVD shop and brothel has been shut down. There isn’t a single one left.

Speaking of surreal, the weather is nice when it’s not raining. When it is raining it’s still pleasant. Smog is down considerably. Gray skies are blue.

Astounding to few, but Beijing residents know otherwise.

You gets the feeling that the entire city was forcibly dragged through a make-over TV show and spat out with new clothing that doesn’t quite fit as snugly as it should and walks as though it really doesn’t belong wearing it.

Let’s hope that they don’t slide off too quickly.

The eye-soar in Sanlitun known as “The Village” — under perpetual construction since my arrival — is starting to look done.

And much to my surprise, lo and behold, an Apple store!

This is mainland China’s first official Apple retail outlet.

The store is two stories — first floor is the show room. Apple lets us play with all their products with minimal documentation or sales pitches. Just a table with the stuff for our grubby hands to fondle. The second floor is a multi-lingual “Genius Bar” where free advice and tech support can be had.

Do note that Apple products are considerably pricer when purchased in China than America. For instance, a 15″ MacBook Pro costs roughly RMB 17,500 (2,600 USD) compared to the $2,000 (RMB13,600) it costs back in the States.

Also note that the majority of Apple products are manufactured in Shanghai. Go figure.

Pictures of the store and the Village area galore:

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