March has always been one of my favourite months due to the date of March 17th, St. Patrick's Day. At home, I always donned my green attire, became Irish for the day and joined my friends at my local pub for green beer and Irish songs. March is known as the month which "comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb" and, this March, the lion certainly growled during the first few weeks of the month. The only warm experience I have had in the first few weeks of March is the lovely, leisurely lunch at a wonderful, new Chinese restaurant with two of my Chinese friends, Mandy and Alyssa. That was a very enjoyable way to escape the winds of March. Only at the mid-month point of March has the lamb appeared with the promise of warmer weather allowing me to think about enjoying some outdoor sites. I have been pre-planning some day trips for the weeks ahead and when I visit the parks, shopping areas or my other destinations throughout the city, I must always decide which form of transportation I will use.
      A requirement for any foreigner in Beijing, no matter if they are traveling on foot, by bus or by subway, is to have several good maps. A comprehensive map of the total city of Beijing is needed to find your way around this city and this may be bought at many locations such as the Foreign Book Store on Wangfujing Street where you may purchase good city maps in English and in Chinese. Also, it is very handy to have individual, district maps. These are included in issues of the local magazine, "The Beijinger". These area maps have the major locations of each Beijing district clearly identified and I make a point to collect up-dated area maps of each district from this magazine source.
      The most obvious method of travel in the city is by foot. I find that this method of transportation is not convenient for most ventures in Beijing since every location seems so far to reach by walking. I find that, even when I arrive at the nearest subway or bus stop, which is closest to my destination, it is very far to walk to get to the exact location I need. Many foreigners who are new to Beijing will soon realize that when they are given directions such as: "not far", "very close", or "just a few moments away", it can be a mile or more before the destination is reached by foot. The 'block', as we know it in North America, is a short 'block' however the 'Beijing block' is about 3 or 4 times the distance of a North American city block. Transport by foot is therefore very difficult unless you know exactly how far you need to go before you set out on the walk, especially during the extreme heat of the summer months.
      Bicycle transport is both convenient and fun. I use an electric Yamaha bike as transportation around the area near my home. It is a refreshing ride to the local stores and service areas and the large carrier on the bike is adequate for local purchases. The battery is easily monitored by the 5-stages of small lights in a gauge indicator on the handlebar which indicate the strength left in the battery. When I see that the charge is almost gone, I can easily carry the battery into my home, plug it into a wall electrical unit and it is fully charged in about 4 hours. Many people prefer to ride pedal bikes without electricity and get more exercise in that manner. The Flying Pigeon bicycle, which is the "Rolls-Royce" of standard bicycles, is the favourite of many foreigners who decide to ride a bicycle without electricity. Bikes may also be rented in many area of Beijing. Motor scooters and motorcycles are also favourites of many foreigners in Beijing; however, the larger models are required to be licensed and many serious accidents of foreigners using motor cycles are recorded each year in the city. (continued on next page)