Photo of the day: Russian Beijing Tourist Map

Our photo theme this week: It Came from the Convenience Store. Various and sundry “only-in-China” goods that can be found at any corner xiaomaibu.

Low-key the best thing I copped at a convenience store this year. Picked up this Russian Beijing tourist map at Friendship Store, a small, family-owned shop selling everyday groceries and toiletries alongside a broad selection of items catering to workers at the Russian Embassy across the street. Definitely the best place in Beijing to pick up obscure vodkas, cured salmon, and mayo (Chinese mayo is… not mayo), at least until the Friendship Store was unceremoniously ousted from their lease a few months ago as part of a larger citywide “cleanup”.

Anyway — this map, which I can’t read, will live forever in my heart as a throwback to simpler times, when Obama was president and I could walk 5 minutes whenever I needed to pick up cheese or Stalin wine.