Bird's Nest

I'm sure all of you who read this will have heard of the Bird's Nest. It's the home of Beijing Olympics 2008. This is a place my littlest aunt and uncle visit on numerous occasions: on their own, with their friends, with my grandparents, with my cousin and again with me.

This huge steel structure was no hard thing to spot from the car. While we were able to stare at the Bird's Nest from afar, getting a little closer meant walking among a phalanx of colourful but faded sun umbrellas.



When we got to the "square", we snacked on ridiculously expensive ice lollies, joining all the other tourists. It was refreshing to escape under a bit of unclaimed shade and lick a melting lolly.





This triangular shaped architecture was built for all the journalists to use as their office for two weeks during the Olympics period.




Outside the Bird's Nest, you will find nothing but typical snapshots of Chinese city life. I don't know if it's living in a quiet town that's trained me to love the hussle and bussle of cities or what but I really enjoy being in populous areas. There is no sense of loneliness, oh no, that seems to blown away by the gentle breezes.




Above: a farmer sells fruits picked not so long ago on the edge of the road. Later, he'll ride home on his tricycle, hopefully empty of produce.

Below: a man pulling a secondhand TV, probably brought at a bargain price and absorbed by whatever coming out at the receiving end of his phone.




I must have visited the Bird's Nest at least three times. I returned there once at night, still surrounded by just as many tourists. At night, the lights are switched on, no sleep for Bird's Nest again!