Where can I shop for high end brands like Gucci , Chanel etc in Beijing

For high end brands come to Shin Kong place . Thers are many stores of this category like Armani and Ermenegegildo Zegna etc.
This is very near to three China Central Place Towers and also the Marriot hotel
Address is :

Shinkongplace
Jianguo lu
Chaoyang District

Which is a good place to buy clothes in Beijing

If you are looking for unbranded clothes then Yashow market is a great one to shop

Tip : Start from 1/10th the quoted rate. Unimaginable haggling

Address: Yashow market Sanlitun (Tell any Taxi driver)

Where do I play Tennis in Beijing ?

You can play tennis in Beijing here : Chaoyang Park

Fantastic facilities in Chaoyang Park area.
This is on the eastern gate of Chaoyang Park.
No 1 south road of Chaoyang park
(Chaoyang Gongyuan Nan Lu)
There is coaching also available.
+86010-65918383

How do I get a new number in China and how do I make international calls?

Its a very easy process to get a new number in China and make international calls.

Step 1: Go to a newspaper shop/magazine shop anywhere (there are many in every city) and ask "I want a new number" which will be" Wo yao yige xin haoma"
You will get a China Mobile / China Unicom /any other number. All are same so don't worry on which brand you will start using

Step 2: Activate it , ideally tell the vendor to do it for you . Its a regular process of activation.

Step 3: This will be on the Internet . Go to http://www.rebtel.com/u/0941799488 , register make a 10 USD payment and start calling.

Indian and Pakistani Grocery store in Beijing

There is an Indian grocery store in Beijing and its located behind the Yashow Market in Sanlitun.
This grocery store is bang opposite the Police Station and is run by a chinese lady.
Here you will get all the different Dals , Bhujias , Masalas and all the basics of Indian cooking.

Shanghai and Beijing - Some differences

People are always comparing these two cities.
A few things which I saw were:
BJ is large SH is smaller
BJ is almost as cosmopolitan in comparison to SH
BJ is definately more cold in the Winters (Somebody told me it was -20 for two days this year (2010)
People love to chew thier Mandarin in BJ. Use a lot of Nar and Zher which in SH will be Nali and Zheli which makes the chinese a bit more difficult to understand.
There is much more to be seen in Beijing . the Wall , palace etc. In SH there are only pubs and restaurants
SH is more fashionable
2 tier hotels are more contemporary in SH . I was staying in a hotel called Winterless Beijing in the CBD area of Beijing and it was so cold(in way of service and decor) that it should have been called "Summerless".
There are more organised queues for taxis in SH.

Is it Yes or No ? - The China pecularities

An interesting point about the Chinese language Vs the English Language can be demonstrated by the following sentence structure

Question : You havent had food as yet ? The answer to this if you havent had food will be "No". But if you ask a chinese this question he will answer in affirmitive "Yes" which means Yes I havent had food.

This creates a typical confusion in the minds of the westerners.

Park Avenue Beijing China

Park Avenue Beijing is a beautiful place to stay in Beijing. I looked around many places in Beijing to make my home and found Park Avenue to be the best. The main attractions were the Gym - there is a fantastic Ozone gym , the fantastic park in the middle of the compound which has a great play area for kids too and the proximity to my work place which is in China Central place.

For me another attaraction was the Chaoyang Park view and also the Tennis facilities there. This also makes Park Avenue Beijing one of the better places to stay.

I havent seen a more intersting mix of an international community anywhere else with Germans , English , Mauritians , Indians , Chinese all staying here.