Sipping the Forbidden Starbucks in Beijing

Beijing, China,

Ancient manuscripts, sacred temples, centuries of tradition, oh and a Grande Latte, extra foam. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, but right in the middle of Beijing's most culturally significant landmark, the famed Forbidden City there used to be a Starbucks coffee store.

If the entire site was kind of kitsch, I probably wouldn't have been so surprised- but it wasn't. The rest of the palace and grounds are kept blatantly free of advertising, fuzzy characters, dinner shows, animatronics or any other annoying amusement schemes. In fact it's worth every penny to get a guided or audio-tour, otherwise you'll end up helplessly confused and undoubtedly lost in the 7,800,000 square feet complex.

Built in 1420 for almost five centuries it served as the home the Chinese Emperor and his cohorts and kin. Following the abduction and overthrow of the last emperor, Puyi in 1924, the palace was turned over to the new Republic of China and with a few bumps along the road, eventually became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. Today, the Forbidden City is the best glimpse back into the cultural, religious and political system that ruled China for generations.

Those palace walls that have stood for 500 years may no longer protect an antiquated system of government, but they do protect paintings, ceramics, and artifacts from the bulldozers of change that surround them. China is a country steeped in slumbering tradition that is moving to modernity at breakneck speed. Perhaps then, it was only appropriate to find a Starbucks in the middle of one of China's historic sites. Kind of a mashup of the country's conflicting past and present. The Chinese saw it differently though and following a popular campaign to oust the "Forbidden Starbucks", both the coffee company and the palace chose to part ways in 2007.

Working Girls of Vietnam

Nha Trang, Vietnam-

Vietnam has some charming people and boy, don't they know it. Actually, it's not just some charming people , it has loads of them. I've never felt quite so claustrophobic in a country as the two weeks I spent there but that's for another story.

I met these two girls while relaxing on the beach at Nha Trang, just north of Saigon. I say relaxing, but that's kind of hard to do in Nha Trang. Most of these lovely people, mostly girls, stroll along the turquoise surf using their charms and smiles to lure a naive tourist into buying one of the many things they peddle; bracelets, necklaces, hat, towels, umbrellas, you get the idea.

Of course this isn't unique. There are few beaches in the world this isn't practiced. Vietnam is a bit different though in that the girls just won't take no for an answer and eventually WILL wear you down with their outright, upfront, completely unsympathetic cuteness. Really, just look at those girls in the photo. How can you not pay a dollar to those two for some General Ho Chi Minh beer cozies.

The setup:

You (the tourist) spread your blanket, oil your skin, and lay down to catch some rays.

Along comes the cunning girl, all smiles with baby in tow. "Hello, where you from?"

"America! woo hoo!""

"Nice. I love Eminem. You want to buy bracelets?"

"No thanks. I don't wear jewelry."

The hook

The girl sits with you. Not a few feet away or behind but right next to you. Sometimes joined by other girls who witness the sting in progress and want to get in on the goods. Suddenly questions start flying like

"What's your name? Married? How many kids you have?" -- these three are required

"Where you stay? How long you here? You like Vietnam? How old are you? Favorite color?" "Want to buy bracelet?"

The close

I defy any of you, given the circumstances (again, look at the photo) to get annoyed at these people. In the end, you talk to them, you share a smile, you hold out and twitch and tell yourself - they will leave soon - but they never do. So, you buy a bracelet for a buck. They smile again, the inquisition is over and they move on down the beach.

In the end, it wasn't so bad. They made a buck, you got a bracelet, a twenty minute conversation with 3 smiling girls hanging on your every word, and a photo for the scrap book. So you cozy up with a good book under the golden sun, just as a small shadow casts over your face

"Hello. What's your name?"