Stuff I wish I'd Written

Google "Ikea in Beijing", and you'll get a variety of articles, most notably one by a reporter in LA. I wish I had written this story first, and to be fair, I actually had it tucked away in my mind as a blog post.

My first trip to an IKEA in China was to the Beijing Store. There it stood like a Scandinavian beacon, off one Beijing's utilitarian rings roads. And it made sense that a no-nonsense, lets see how we can live-in-the-smallest place possible and have fun and a sense of style at the same time kind of shop would set up in a place where people actually live in tiny spaces, albeit often without iconic IKEA style.

But, what was overwhelming to me was how many people just came to hang out. Babies asleep in the cribs, parents sitting beside them. Lovers cuddling on the Ektorps. Grandmas playing cards in the comfy chairs in the cafe. They came to make a day of it. The next time I took pictures!

(I especially like how the cafe is making an attempt to break into the Asian market. Along side Sweedish classics like baked salmon and Sweedish meatballs, comes Preserved Vegetables. Only the sign indicates "Pre-served", preserved or served in advance I don't want any!)