Li Tianyi -- who is now being called Li Guanfeng in an official capacity, which means we'll probably start doing that as well -- is the only of five defendants to plead not guilty in the high-profile gang-rape trial that ended yesterday in Beijing.
A big thank you to everyone who attended Chug-Off for Charity at Great Leap Brewing on Saturday. We raised 5,000 RMB for Magic Hospital, which will continue its excellent work providing happiness to sick, orphaned, and neglected children in Beijing.
The tournament featured 16 teams, but unfortunately we could only have one winner. Congratulations to Go on the Pikies, consisting of Colin (a Dubliner visiting from London) and Tiggi (from Leeds, the manager of Paddy O’Shea’s).
We're going to have a full recap of Saturday's Chug-Off for Charity at Great Leap Brewing in the morning, but for now, just watch this ridiculous, jaw-dropping performance from Colin of Go on the Pikies in the semifinals of our 16-team tournament. The crowd's reaction says it all: a moment of stunned silence followed by interjections of appreciation and jubilee as we process what we just witnessed.
Just a van in flames, nothing to see here. Black plumes like a soul fleeing from the pyre, what of it? Burning in the early Beijing morning, on Friday, burning and dripping flames.
The beneficiary of tomorrow's Chug-Off for Charity at the new Great Leap Brewing is Magic Hospital, a 10-year-old organization based in Beijing that organizes activities to cheer up sick, orphaned, abused, and generally neglected children. They're a wonderful foundation, and to tell you more about it, here's Lesley Sheppard, Magic Hospital's volunteer communications director.
Our good friends at That's Beijing are giving us not one, not two, but five prizes to raffle away at Saturday's Chug-Off for Charity. As with the contestant fees, all proceeds are headed to Magic Hospital. Tickets will be priced at 10 yuan, though if you buy five, we'll throw in an extra one for free. What can you win, you ask?
The Chug-Off for Charity field is set. In addition to the prizes our 16 teams will be competing for, we'd like to add the above belt, which is awesome. Seriously, that thing's worth at least as much as that 300 RMB Great Leap bar voucher the champ will also take home.
Badr Benjelloun -- Beijing Daze curator, IT captain at True Run media, ESL forum operator, former Tangshan teacher, capoeira practitioner, guy who does business on the side, cook, and owner of the best rum bar / Moroccon eatery in Beijing, Cu Ju -- is... um... sorry, we lost our train of thought. Badr does a lot around Beijing. We're very happy he's here.
