On Monday 9 September 2013 our friend Barry invited us for the signing ceremony of a venture he is involved in: a Finnish company ROVIO signing an agreement in China World Hotel with 123 Education for the cooperation on a chain of kindergartens (5 now in Beijing). Rovio, the company behind hit game Angry Birds, announced a new venture to condense Finnish educational success into a game product. The project was announced in Beijing, where company representatives were joined by Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen. See the PM arriving and giving his speech.
The Angry Birds Playground title will initially be used in schools in Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu, but is intended for worldwide export. It is based on the Finnish curriculum in maths, language, interaction, music, arts and crafts, and physical and social education. The program was developed in conjunction with Helsinki University.
The former Australian Ambassador to Beijing also attended the event

From there I jumped on my bike, suit and all, heading to the Belgian Embassy.
The occasion: Kris Peeters, Minister-President of the Government of Flanders, who heads a business and an academic delegation from Flanders to China, Chengdu and Chongqing.
The Ambassador of Belgium Michel Malherbe and the Vice-President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Mr. LI Jianping also spoke to the crowd of about 150 in the garden of the Belgian embassy.
The reception was organized by the Flemish Department of Foreign Affairs and Flanders Investment & Trade.