Ask Xiao Di
Dear Xiao Di,
I'm in need of some household items such as soap and disposable cups, yet for some reason I am incapable of going to the shop directly adjacent to my apartment building. Can you help me?
Yours, Ferdie in Beijing
Xiao Di writes:
Well, Ferdie, there are several needlessly tortuous options open to you. Perhaps the best in terms of selection, though not the most convenient, would be to take a taxi to Carrefour, which is the closest place to you that stocks what you need, regardless of where you live in Beijing. Otherwise, at a slightly higher cost but without the annoyance of leaving the house, why not try the excellent delivery services available online from retailers such as caolaowai.com.cn or deliverrapid.biz? The best guaranteed quality in this field comes from needless.net, who will source whatever you need by sending someone to get them from a 7-11 in Ogden, Utah, before flying them to Beijing Capital Airport in a Learjet.
Dear Xiao Di,
I have recently arrived in Beijing and would love to sample the famous regional specialty, Peking duck. Can you recommend a good place to get some good, high-quality kaoya?
Yours, Newbie in Chaoyang
Xiao Di writes:
Unfortunately, I am sorry to say that there are no longer any restaurants in Beijing that sell Peking duck. Still, why not enjoy a hotpot or something at Little Sheep?
Dear Xiao Di,
I love gou-rou.com. I think it's great. Probably. Is there any way I could get hold of any merchandise, such as an official gou-rou.com thong, or perhaps a T-shirt for my dog?
Yours, Molly
Xiao Di writes:
Good question, Molly. Glad you asked.
As it happens, you can buy official gou-rou.com merchandise, either by following the link on the site's index page, or at the following address: http://www.cafepress.com/gourou.