5 Things to Taste, Smell, Touch, Hear and See This Weekend

Beijing can be overstimulating, to say the least. Let’s be real: Sometimes even our sixth sense gets a decent workout, the one where you know that stick of chuan'r will get you sick for the next two days (but you gobble it up anyway). With such a wide variety of events, restaurants, and gigs to attend, we suggest bathing each of your five senses into one, if not all, of the nourishing goings-on below.
 

Taste

Coffee
Coffee gets you through highs and lows. To give you a full kick to power through the weekend, with those tiny tasks that have piled up throughout the week, pair it with a cheeky shot of vodka and Kahlúa coffee-flavored liquor and you get the delightful and heavenly coffee shot. Great for legally keeping you up and in the party mood until the wee hours, or for fueling your weekend housecleaning. If Temple Bar's coffee shots are an exhausted mineshaft, head to the renewed and restored Great Outdoors on Fangjia Hutong (yes, there is still a bar on Fangjia that's open and kicking). We heard the master of the bar, Paul, has just learned a new way to make the tiny and mighty drinks that go for as little as RMB 20. 
 

Smell

Dongwai Xiaoguan Hot Pot
We waited all year, and finally: 'tis the season of hot pot! And not just any hot pot, but seriously gut-wrenching, borderline painful Sichuan hot pot. While the hardest task of this heavenly dish might be retrieving your cooked food from the broth in one piece, the little sticks in this chuanchuanxiang-style hot pot make it easy, so you can concentrate purely on digesting spices and not sneezing when those fiery fumes get into your nose. Take it as a trial run for our Chili Eating Contest on Dec 2. 
 

Touch

Clothing Exchange and Pop-Up Styling
Ugh, with every changing season, there comes a realization that either you have nothing to wear and the reminder that you have so many clothes you don't even wear, asking yourself, "why did I get these in the first place?" Either way, it often leads to a shopping spree only to find yourself with a pile of questionable outfits and an even more questionable bank balance. Beijing Fashion Library and AuJu is throwing an exciting 'swap and style' party at Dada, which will be turned into your friend's house where you come to borrow clothes. Dig your fingers into wool, cotton, denim and other fabrics, while you browse through someone else's clothes, make swapfriends and ask organizers Audrey and Juno for styling tips. You'll also find vintage or discontinued designer clothing lines. Dada. 1pm. Free (RMB 20 registration fee if you want to bring your own clothes to swap).
 

Hear

MØ
Tango is at it again! The beloved Beijing venue frequented by local and world-class artists is bringing yet another exciting act: The former punk turned pop-punk (never cut your roots) singer from Denmark MØ has been making waves with her collaboration with Major Lazer. Yes, 'Lean On' is on the song list for her Beijing performance. Get a strong punch of girl power and raw vocals this Saturday. Tango 3/F. 9.30pm. RMB 300 (RMB 350 at the door). Alternatively, see the rest of this weekend's nightlife here and music here.
 

See

Beijing International Short Film Festival
Beijing has been spoiling us with cinema in the last few months. From women's to European, and then to Germany's film festival (just FYI, Germany is still a part of Europe, just with a great enough cinema culture to deserve a festival of their own), Camera Stylo, UCCA, and Chao hotel among other venues now host the Beijing International Short Film Festival until Nov 20. Dedicate your Saturday to cozy onesies at Camera Stylo, who will screen 10 movies from the UK, France, the US, Germany, and more (don't worry, each film lasts just 15-30 minutes). 4pm start. Free. Camera Stylo.

For more events and activities like these, head to our Blog here or our Events section here.

Images: DIY Mag, courtesy of the organizers, Tracy Wang