My stomach was rumbling, and seeking a word of advice from one of my friends seemed like the best move.
Welcome to a new world where those who have opted to starve their bodies of the better things in life for hours or days on end can happily sit right beside their friends and acquaintances.
For many people the words fasting and self-denial conjure up negative images, ones of pallid, listless bodies and of hard-to-bear sacrifice that are out of tune with the zeitgeist of the me generation.
As with some of the greatest ideas, it all began in the most mundane of circumstances, a class reunion.
Pilgrimage to an architectural masterpiece that honors books and the planet
The Internet, apps and the many other technological trappings of 21st century life are doing nothing but turn us all into selfish, asocial automatons. Right? Wrong
Many are using these apps not only to save money, but also to bond with each other at a time when it seems the technology is driving us apart.
As more and more Chinese use car-hailing apps as a convenient and economical alternative to taxis, private car owners who have signed up with software companies are not only earning a few extra yuan but making friends, too.
In the live music scenes of Beijing and beyond, expatriate rockers discover receptive audiences and a vibrant atmosphere that encourages originality and experimentation.
There are probably few people who know as much about Beijing's music scene as Jeroen Groenewegen-Lau. Over 15 years, he has watched the music scene in Beijing grow.
Following the 2010 quake and fledgling Belt and Road Initiative, Yushu is courting tourists to improve Tibetan nomads' livelihoods.
Expeditions to China's wild, wild West, beyond realms tourists trod, divulge the secrets of an extreme expanse that's equal parts tribulation and majesty.