飞机场 Take II
It's 8.40p.m. and in a little over three hours my resident status will be void. There is a grace period but I'm safe in the airport.
I've checked my bags into left luggage for the next 24 hours. With the possibility of my being here for 4 days, there is no rush to explore. It's not like it is my first time here! First job is to find a comfortable place to get my head down. Near McDonalds on the second floor is the quietest but there is no internet connection.

I'm lying on my bed outside the China Mobile lounge, looking out over the 'turtle's' body. A convoy of VIP cars escorted by police have just gone by. I didn't recognise some of the flags flapping on the car bonnets but they were all Asian.
Behind me, the staff of the lounge are recording an advert for TV wishing all customers, past and future a happy new year.

It's getting on for 3a.m. but sleep isn't coming easily. Maybe it's because of the excitement of this 'adventure'. I found a fault in the decor of this spectacular building. Photo below.

The place is quite deserted with tens of empty seats. I'm on the 2nd floor, arrivals. Anyway, I'm just powering up my laptop when a young bloke appears from nowhere and sits right next to me! I moved about 100 meters away. That's one hundred of 'our' meters, not Beijing airport's. One example: McDonalds sign says 50m ahead. I paced it out. 109m. I confirmed my measurement by counting the number of floor tiles which are 75cm square.
I know... This is only Day 2! Imagine me on day 5 or 6?

0545 Thursday. I'm living the dream. The dream of every 'Little Emperor' in China today; McDonald's for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
A young couple are sitting at the next table. She took a photo of their breakfast?