Beijing has officially welcomed its first snow of the season, but the skies still seem to be a bit gloomy and by gloomy we mean smoggy. But all is not grim in Beijing, after all the local basketball team, the Beijing Ducks, is undefeated led by former NBA star Stephon Marbury and Beijing beggars are so rich they don't need government help. If that doesn't make you smile, don't worry; there are plenty of things coming up before the year's end. Read on to find out more.

Notable News

1) Beggars refuse help
Everyone in Beijing knows that there are a lot of beggars. Some are dressed in ratty clothes, some claim to be paralyzed and others just lie there. Many residents of Beijing seem to be under the assumption that these beggars are not the normal run-of-the-mill beggars, rather they are professional beggars. The assumption now has been given weight by recent reports from various district rescue centers. For instance, in Dongcheng district 90% of beggars refused government help because they could make more money begging. Some beggars claimed to make as much as 1,000 RMB per day. So if you are hurting for money this Christmas and don't care about losing face, then there are always options available.

2) English tests for taxi drivers and subway workers
"Hellr..how do do...where you'a go...pengyou...err...friend." By 2015 you could well be hearing this every time you take a taxi in Beijing because city officials are pushing for every Beijing taxi driver to know at least 300 words of English by 2015. Apart from taxi drivers, 90% of subway workers should be able to pass a basic English test. Yes, truly, Beijing is becoming an international city, one "hellr" at a time.

3) Caught between a rock and a smoky place
If you thought the air in Beijing was bad then take a deep breath at the city's Capital Airport. Six months ago airport officials closed all of the airport's 36 smoking lounges to comply with new Chinese regulations and to try to make the airport a healthier place. However, since then smokers have "vociferously" complained through email, blogging and phone calls for the smoking lounges to be reopened. Furthermore, many passengers openly defied the smoking ban and a group of smokers even broke into a locked smoking lounge to indulge themselves.

As a result airport officials have been forced to reopen 12 of the smoking lounges to appease the smokers. One researcher even suggested that nicotine deprived smokers might get stressed out and pose a danger to flights. Apart from the immediate effect on other airport passengers, it brings up a bigger question. Can smoking rules even really be enforced in China?

4) Beijing to crack down on 'black jails'
Every year thousands of petitioners come to Beijing hoping to air their grievances with government officials. Sadly, it seems that many officials don't want to be bothered by petitions and even hire private security firms to detain petitioners in 'black jails'. Apparently, higher up officials are now clamping down on the use of these 'black jails'. Recently the Beijing Public Security Bureau lunched what will be a six month campaign to crack down on privately run 'black jails'. Hopefully this will improve the situation.

5) Bullet trains back on schedule
After a deadly bullet train crash this summer, China suspended many trains from operations to conduct safety inspections in an effort to restore confidence in high-speed train travel. It seems that the safety concerns have been fixed and as of Dec 12th all previously recalled high-speed trains will be back in operation. So, if you are looking to escape Beijing to Shanghai over the weekend there are more trains to do so now.

Events

1) Little Marbles at Yugong Yishan
The Swedish indie/folk band Little Marbles has been described as adorable, positive pop starlets. With songs in both Swedish and English they have struck a chord throughout Europe and are now making their way to Yugong Yishan on December 15th so you can enjoy their folk tunes. Tickets are 30 RMB and the night will get going at 21:00.

2) will.i.am and John Legend hittin' up Beijing!
A few months back we reported on the possibility of will.i.am coming to Beijing and now it is reality! As part of a cultural exchange between the USA and China pop, hip-hop legends will.i.am and John Legend will share the stage with Chinese performers at the National Indoor Stadium on December 17th. Tickets range from 180-1,680 RMB and can be bought here. The show starts at 19:30.

Openings

1) Get your burger on
If hamburgers are your thing and you happen to live near Shunyi, then rejoice because award winning burger joint Let's Burger has just opened a new location on Pinnacle avenue near Pinnacle Plaza and the Shunyi Villas. So get out there and burger!

2) New Sanlitun Soho eateries
It seems there is always something new coming to the Sanlitun Soho and this week is no exception. A new bakery, Cream Paul, has opened up along with a environmentally friendly sandwich shop called Lohas Sandwich and Juice. So get on over and give them a try. 

Warning：The use of any news and articles published on eChinacities.com without written permission from eChinacities.com constitutes copyright infringement, and legal action can be taken.

Keywords: Beijing watchdog will.i.am concert in Beijing Beijing black jails Beijing beggars