The People's Living Room (Cameron)

We did not see any single detached homes in Beijing. Apartments are tiny, and we speculate that this explains the large numbers of people just hanging out in random places all over the city: it's nicer than sitting alone in a bleak little room. (Evidently the internet hasn't caught on in a big way for everyone yet.)

Old men play Chinese chess, young men play cards. Children learn calligraphy with huge brushes, dipped in water and applied to dusty sidewalks. But many people just sit and talk, or even sit alone.

We ran into more than one outdoor karaoke party. A kind of hacky sack game involving a heavily weighted and oversized badminton birdie is quite popular. Public parks have inscrutable exercise devices, and seem to be used more for group tai chi.

Near the centre of town is Houhai Lake, about 1km in circumference and totally surrounded by bars. This begs the question: How many old men were swimming in the lake at midnight last Friday? About 25. Most of them were tightly clustered, perhaps to avoid being struck by the dozens of small boats providing romantic cruses.

Public washrooms abound, especially in poor areas. We suspect that a lot of people don't have plumbing, so these are the communal facilities. I used one once, and it wasn't that bad.

Most people are far from wealthy, but they seem happy, and there is a palpable joie de vivre that I don't see at home. We had many smiles, and could get help when we needed it. One woman went to inexplicable lengths to ensure that we would get off at the right bus stop to visit the Summer Palace. A cab driver bought me a popsicle and gave me a big hug. A security guard shook my hand instead of patting me down. At least a dozen people have taken pictures with us.

I'm sad to leave Beijing. During my travels in Europe I was always surprized how quickly I could become attached to a place, and the same is true here. We know our way around, can say a few words, and are subway and cab experts. We're old hands at the hostel, and know the staff at our favourite restaurant down the street. Bye bye Beijing, I'll miss you.