One for the Road – China: Insider’s Guide to Beijing

by Kelly Amabile on

As a sidebar to this month’s Chinese Buffet series, throughout August, One for the Road will highlight travel guides, reference books and other recommended reads related to life or travel in China.

I know most travelers don’t want to be weighed down with heavy books while on the road, but if you’re ever going to be based in Beijing for at least a week or so, I’ve got to recommend the hefty Insider’s Guide to Beijing, produced by the Immersion Guides team at True Run Media.

It’s a tome,” says True Run General Manager Michael Wester. But he sees that as one of the primary characteristics that distinguishes this guidebook from the rest. “We don’t skimp.” Just lift the 750+ page soft cover book and you’ll see — it’s hard to believe they’ve left anything out! This “Bible to Beijing”, written entirely by folks living in the city, is primarily produced for the English speaking population residing in Beijing. But travelers will surely find this glossy color guide to be a valuable reference as well.

Although it does cover sightseeing, nightlife and the arts scene in detail, the real value lies in all the other “daily life” data it provides: information on renting a home, finding a summer camp for your kid, navigating the health care system and buying the perfect Chinese furniture. If you’re heading to Beijing for an extended period of time — to teach, study abroad or work during the Olympics — definitely consider this comprehensive super-guide to the city.

The fourth edition — the 2008 version — will be available in September of this year. And there are plans to do another update prior to the Olympics, that should be available (only in Beijing) about two months before the Games begin. Right now, the easiest place to purchase the 2007 edition (outside of China) is on Amazon, or directly from True Run Media. The company hopes to have international distribution of the book within the year.

I’ve got more from the Immersion Guides team coming up later today and throughout the week.

One for the Road – China: Top 10 Beijing

by Kelly Amabile on

As a sidebar to this month’s Chinese Buffet series, throughout August, One for the Road will highlight travel guides, reference books and other recommended reads related to life or travel in China.

One of guides I used frequently during my week in the ‘jing was DK Eyewitness Travel’s Top 10 Beijing, a new title in their popular series that was released in Spring 2007. I’ve never really used DK guides before but decided to bring this one along since it wouldn’t take up much room. I also usually steer clear of glossy guidebooks with lots of photos, as they can often lack the detailed content I’m looking for in a travel guide. But if you have done your detailed research ahead of time with the heftier guides, this might be the best traveling companion to throw in your pack. It’s a slim and sleek overview to the city, loaded with practical and useful content.

Because of its compact size, I carried the Top 10 Beijing with me almost very day. The “Around Town” section was most useful to me — there are six suggested walks for different sections of the city, and although I didn’t follow any of them exactly, each served as a handy reference tool when mapping out daily itineraries. In addition to DK’s featured ten must-see Beijing sights (I only visited six of their top suggestions) there are a variety of other creative top ten lists throughout the book — things like music bars, parks, socialist monuments, Chinese movies, teahouses, galleries and street food. The 128-page guide also includes decent mini flip-out maps in the front and rear covers. It’s definitely a guide to consider, especially if you’ll only have limited time in the city.

One for the Road – China: Oracle Bones

by Kelly Amabile on

As a sidebar to this month’s Chinese Buffet series, throughout August, One for the Road will highlight travel guides, reference books and other recommended reads related to life or travel in China.

The one book I knew I had to read before I left for China was Oracle Bones: A Journey Through Time in China. I had read countless rave reviews about Peter Hessler’s narrative non-fiction about life in modern day China, and I had a feeling it would be the perfect crash course book for me to read. My hunch was right — it’s a gem that reads like a novel, weaving a well-told background of ancient history with tales of what life is like for a variety of Chinese living today in cities like Beijing and Shenzhen. The story of Hessler’s friendship with a Uighur named Polat is especially captivating, revealing details of what life is like for a Chinese alien living in the U.S.

I’m glad I waited to read it until the paperback copy came out in early May — it’s still a thick book at just under 500 pages, but the lightweight version worked well reading on the go. I intend to re-read Oracle Bones, as well as Hessler’s first book, River Town, an earlier memoir which chronicles his two years of Peace Corps service in Fuling, along the Yangtze. I highly recommend Oracle Bones to anyone visiting China for the first time — it gave me the perfect framework of what life is like in China, and made it easier to learn more once I began traveling through the country.

Harry Potter Mania Peaks Tonight

by Jamie Rhein on

Back in May Justin posted information about the Harry-est Town in America, meaning which city pre-ordered the most copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. (Falls Church, Virginia won.)

Today is the big day, (sort of since it happens at midnight in the U.S.) when the book goes on sale and people can find out exactly what happens to Harry at the end of the series. Around the world Harry Potter mania has already heated up. This article in the International Herald Tribune explains how the coordination among bookstores is supposed to happen–or is happening–or has happened. Frankly, this article confused me. It’s a time zone thing. If you haven’t noticed lately, there are events in the U.S. you can still go to.

If you’re looking for a Harry Potter party tonight in the U.S., the Scholastic Book Web site has a party finder drop down menu. You can also watch J.K. Rowlings moonlight reading starting at 6:50 pm. I’m not sure what she’s going to be reading–I guess the book.

Since my daughter is on a backpacking trip (see post), she’s not going to a party or watching the moonlight reading even though my husband read her the first three books when we lived in Taiwan and she was in the first and second grade. Perhaps I’ll take my son to my favorite Columbus movie theater Studio 35 for their event even though my son is more hooked into Sponge Bob than he is to Harry. He might get a kick of going out late at night, and since I’ve yet to make it to a midnight Harry Potter party, and this is the last book that will come out, why miss a chance?

Friends of mine are taking their kids to the Harry Potter Fest in Penninsula, Ohio. This will include a ride on the Wizard Express, an appropriately decorated Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad train and a trip to the Blue Heron Bookstore where the party will happen. I’d take my daughter, but she’s in the woods.

One for the Road: The Year of the Goat

by Kelly Amabile on

Here’s a heads up about a unique road trip memoir hitting shelves next month: The Year of the Goat: 40,000 Miles and the Quest for the Perfect Cheese. The title alone suggests that if you can tell a good story, you can write a travel book on just about any topic these days!

In 2003, six months into the Year of the Goat, Margaret Hathaway and her then-boyfriend Karl Schatz left New York in search of greener pastures. Part food memoir and part travel narrative, the book tells the story of the couple’s fascinating food obsessed journey, introducing a cast of characters that they encounter along the way. Readers can follow along with the “goat mobile” as Margaret and Karl meet with farmers, breeders, cheese makers and chefs, learning everything there is to know about the goats and cheese. Slow food advocates should enjoy this one too, since the story focuses on getting back to the land.

It actually sounds quite charming, and even though goat cheese does nothing for me, I’d consider reading this one. If you can’t wait for the book, there’s a nifty DVD called Goat Love that captures the journey on film. Margaret and Karl are married now, so I guess goat love got to them too!