2025 - Oct 11 - Mr.  Liu Shuli's Jingshi Watch Store at 492 Dongsi Bei Da Jie

After another great (included--and see much later in this post)  breakfast at the Orange Hotel Liangma He hotel,  I figured a good walk was in order

So I walked straight from the hotel (about 4 /12 km--no photos) to my friend Liu Shuli's watch and clock shop (Jingshi Watch Store/on the left first photo) at 492 Dongsi Bei Da Jie--but he was away. 

I saw a watch I wanted and asked the staff how much. They used Wechat to call Mr. Liu for a price, I think mentioning an older foreigner from Canada expressed the interest.

He called, saw through the two-way Wechat video feed that it was me, and very kindly declined any payment (we've been friends for more than 10 years, now--so here's the watch: first photo taken on Oct 11th 2025. The other two taken Nov 18th/2025 in Peace River.

I wish I'd had the presence of mind to shoot Mr. Liu's face on Wechat--you'd have known from his very friendly grin how much fun we were having talking to each other. And I can see it as I write this.

It was hugely thoughtful of him--my friends in China constantly amaze me with their generosity. I have vintage rocket second hand examples in my collection--but I love this.

That's the watch content for the day, beyond later spending time with Mr. Li of the China Horologe Association, although most of that was purely social.

The photos from here start with my walk back to the hotel (another 4 1/2Km). It was an overcast could-have-been gloomy morning, but the temperature was comfortable, and I like Beijing, so I was a very happy camper.

I shot photos as I walked (mostly businesses and hutong/alley shots).

Passed by a restaurant and shot this menu...10RMB is about $2.00, , and keep in mind that plate sizes are generally "enough for two",

I was getting hungry, and it was about noon so I stopped at a Pizza Hut,  curious to see how China's Pizza Hut compare compared to what I'm used to (very well, it turns out--slightly different spicing but delicious and *very* fresh--and super friendly service) and then I took more photos on my way back to the hotel (including the daytime riverside shots).

Instead of pizza, I opted for the 20 RMB chicken burger/about $4. With the drink about 10 RMB ($2.00) and the fries at 12RMB ($2.50) --rough tally about $8 CDN so not bad at all.

The only thing between me and my hotel was a walk along differing section of the Liangma He but one that led me right back to my hotel.

And the rest of my day?

Well. I'd mentioned breakfast. It's included in the $92 CDN I was paying for the hotel I was in . Here's what i had before I went for that walk, and what I could have had...

Did i mention that the hotel includes a 24 hour open laundry - new, modern machines and free to use, laundry detergent included.

So, after I returned from Mr. Liu's watch store, I just relaxed and spent the afternoon hanging by the Liangma He in front of my hotel, taking photos of people enjoying the river in some different ways than the earlier selection, while occasionally checking on my laundry.  

The evening was an evening river walk with Li Wei, followed by a delightful dinner with international students from the North China Electric Power University (dessert shots only because we were too busy talking and eating), followed by more night photography on the walk home.

Plainly, it was a very good day :-) and I had a new watch to represent for it!