Rumor: Elliotte Friedman - Bruins might be playing in China next year

[Salem13]

Have traveled to China ... with connections, it was a full 24 hours from airport to Beijing. 12+ hours on a plane is *brutal*.

Because of the connection with ORG Packaging, it doesn't surprise me the Bruins would be a team chosen to play in China. There isn't much of a hockey presence there - the Asia League spans a few cities in Japan, Korea, China and eastern Russia, but the quality of play looks, at best, SPHL-level. NBA basketball is huge there, as is EPL soccer. With 1+ billion people, many of whom like sports, in a rapidly-growing economy, China is a big target.

It's always 2 games, because the teams play one "road" and one "home" game to keep their schedules balanced. Bruins and Coyotes did the same in Europe to open the 2010-11 season.

Feel free to elaborate on air, water and food safety.

I have friends who claim a recovery time is needed.

 

[crimsonace]

Feel free to elaborate on air, water and food safety.

I have friends who claim a recovery time is needed.

Air quality in Beijing was, um, well, um ... if you've ever been in an arena where they allowed smoking ... that. There's a constant haze in the air.

Every hotel I've stayed at in China gives you two bottles of water each day. Drink (and brush teeth) with bottled water. Boil anything else. It's not drinkable. A friend did accidentally brush his teeth with tap water and felt terrible for a day. Had no problem with the food safety, but - on the advice of our guide - ate at restaurants that seemed reputable (same when we traveled to Korea). We avoided the street markets and tried to eat at a good sit-down restaurant. The nice thing is, the exchange rate is so favorable, it's VERY cheap to buy things in country. Culture shock really does set in, but the trip is really worth it.

To me, the recovery was largely jet lag. I haven't had a drink in years, but I felt hung over for the entire first day back. It took 3-4 days to fully recover. The travel *to* China isn't bad (other than randomly waking up at 3 a.m. the first several days), but the jet lag is really awful coming back.

 

[BruinsFan1990]

Strongly considering this. Who wants to get their China on with me?

 

[northeastern]

I don't want to lose any home games for that shit

 

[WhalerTurnedBruin55]

Actually really surprised to see the amount of people against the idea of traveling.

I mean, I guess I wouldn't do it JUST for the Bruins, but it would be a pretty neat thing to say you saw the Bruins play a game in China for the novelty.

 

[JRull86]

I just have zero desire to travel to anywhere in Asia save maybe Japan.

 

[Fenway]

What does @Ladyfan think?

 

[finchster]

Had some friends work in China, terrible place to live. However, fantastic place to visit. I might be into this, flight from Moscow I think is 10/12 hours.

 

[Fenway]

Had some friends work in China, terrible place to live. However, fantastic place to visit. I might be into this, flight from Moscow I think is 10/12 hours.

I love trains and I would love to take this. Train travel in the US is an embarassment