What You Missed: Important Beijing Happenings of the Last 11 Days (and Stuff Coming Up)
Welcome back, Beijingers. While officially we came back to work on October 8, and play-faked that make-up day on Saturday, all the smart travelers got back Sunday night and are just stumbling into the office tanned and laden with exotic snacks from remote locales right about now. Here's what happened while you were away, and a few things scheduled for later this month.
Megadeth sells ... but who's buying? American metal band Megadeth played what appeared to be a short set at the MasterCard Center's Huiyuan Space on October 6. The feel of the show, the omission of some fave songs, and some songs with lyrics being played instrumental, not to mention the band waving goodbye after just over an hour gave the whole performance a familiar feeling of official pressure. Turns out that that was just their setlist (minus "Holy Wars/The Punishment Due"), and the feeling of disappointment experienced in Beijing will soon be felt by other fans all over the world.
If you were away Oct 4-6, you chose wisely. The first three days of the holiday were beautiful, and the next three days, not so much. Enjoy Beijing now during its best month of the year (our October issue gives you several ideas how to do that) and for when Beijing's air may not be so fresh in the future, here are eight ways to address the situation.
Shortbread cookies on tap finally come to Beijing. Shoppers rejoice: we've had to listen for years to our friends in Shanghai and Hong Kong brag about how they have access to UK retailer Marks & Spencer stores in their cities. Well, Beijing is about to join that club, by the end of the year, as Marks & Sparks opens its first Beijing outlet at The Place (remember The Place? Big video screen?).
Restaurant hello, goodbye. Readers who left Beijing expecting to return and try chef Brian McKenna's new gastropub Molly Malone's may be surprised to discover that while the restaurant has opened, McKenna has already departed. All this comes after he exited The Courtyard, now known as TRB (as in Temple Restaurant Beijing) Bites. Anyone keeping score? Some rumors swirling around this one, with McKenna stating that he received an offer he couldn't refuse and that he's got something else in the pipeline, possibly with one-man duck dynasty Dong Zhenxiang, a.k.a. Da Dong.
On the horizon: The Beijinger 2015 Pizza Cup takes place this coming weekend, Saturday and Sunday October 17-18, from 11am to 8pm. Over 30 vendors will be offering their take on the Italian classic at Galaxy SOHO near Chaoyangmen. There will be performances and other stuff, including probably beer. Read all about it here, and join us this weekend!
And it wouldn't be October without Oktoberfest. The annual festival of beer and lederhosen is going on at the Kempinski Hotel Beijing's Paulauner Brauhaus through October 25. So ja, beer, lederhosen, lots of fine meats. It's all there. Read about it here.
More stories by this author here.
Email: stevenschwankert@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @greatwriteshark
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Photo: Robynne Tindall
