with my Environ RAD 16 sunscreen, sunglass and hat on of course! 

We are in Beijing, capital of the People’s Republic of China. Land of 1,3330,044,544 people and second largest economy in the world as of 2011.

Beijing is an amazing city, rich in cultural treasures like the ‘Forbidden City’ and the ‘Great Wall’ but also buzzing with the vibes of modern art, fashion and technology. Cosmetic surgery is a booming industry here especially eyelid surgery and nasal augmentation. Non-surgical breast enhancement with fillers were well established here way before UK and Europe.

There is a vibrant, positive and eager attitude in workers that you meet whether it is in the hotel, restaurant or shops etc. There is immense attention to detail and the desire to do one’s best. I had a manicure and pedicure in a room filled with 40 other customers in a almost conveyor belt fashion but it was the best I have ever experienced and at a third of the usual price.

Whenever I have had a stressful week of operating, there is nothing I find more therapeutic than a good massage to relax the muscles. The problem is finding good therapists in Birmingham. China is the home of the ancient art of massage through ‘pressure points’ also called ‘tui-na’. This is available widely throughout the city so needless to say I am enjoying this everyday. 

However, despite the cultural and economic resurgence since 1978, this is a country that is still slowly emerging from its 30 year history of autocratic socialist system. There is still a strong sense of control by the powers that be. The reason I have not been able to post on facebook and tweet for the past few days is because of the restrictions on its use.

Part of the Great Wall dates back 2000 years and yet is one of the few man-made structures visible from the space satellites. This along with several other examples I can think of, probably reflects well the fortitude and potential of this great nation of people.