Believe it or not, I just went to China! I don't think I can still believe it. I earned a free trip to China with 40 other teachers from across the U.S. because next summer I am taking a group of my Spanish students to Spain on an educational tour through
EF Tours. Because it's my first tour with them, they wanted to give an orientation trip to see firsthand how things would be run and what to expect, also to make us all better group leaders on our own trips. It was an amazing trip! Not only will I be better prepared for sure, but it was awesome to see China and what it's really like. I've never really wanted to go to Asia before, but sure glad I did! It was fun to meet new people, other fellow teachers, and make new friends. Fortunately there were lots around the same age as me.
Ok, so it was a really quick trip. We went July 20-25 and that includes flight times both ways. Thus we were only there in China about 3 and 1/2 days! The flight was the longest one of my life! I thought Europe was bad, well, this was much, much worse. It's worth it though! 12 hours each way, plus a 3 hr. lay over in San Fran, then another 2 hr. flight back to SLC. Fortunately I staked out a whole emply row on the way there and just sprawled out and slept the whole time. On the way back, though, I was smashed again the window. Fellow Salt Laker's.....
Beijing is 14 hrs. ahead of Mountain time, so we got there on a
Wednesday evening. We got settled in at the fancy Holiday Inn and then went out for a fancy dinner. Everything is served on a lazy susan. So Chinese food is good, but I prefer American Chinese. It was fun to try new things, but I never really loved any of it. They eat some pretty weird stuff (pig ear chunks, bottom left).
My chopstick skills really improved though! I would have to say the dumplings were by far my favorite. Good stuff right there!
Thursday morning we went to Tiananmen Square. There were Chinese people everywhere! Plus, they all had their umbrellas (they want to be fair so they avoid the sun as much as possible), which kept hitting me in the face. I'm just the right height apparently....
Tiananmen Square is where the student protests took place back in '89. It's interesting because our tour guide didn't actually know what happened here until she started leading tours a few years ago (she is 25 years old). No one in China knows what happened here, even still. The government keeps it a well kept secret. There is one line about it in history books. Sad.
We then went to the Forbidden City, where all of the previous Emperors of China have lived. It is a huge block of buildings and amazing architecture. It was so weird, it didn't seem real. I was actually in China!
There are no trees inside as they could provide protection to invaders or grow taller than the palace, which would be taboo. However, this is a section of gardens with some vegetation.
The next event of the day was the Summer Palace. This place is beautiful, and would be even more so if it wasn't for the smog. We took a dragon boat over to the mainland where the palace was and explored a bit.
We ate dinner at a Sichuan restaurant (spicy Chinese). They also had some entertainment - a dancer who changed his mask with a slight shake of the head. It was pretty amazing, too quick to even notice.
On
Friday we had meetings all morning about our upcoming tours with pertinent information. It was actually really helpful, but killing me....I wanted to get out and explore! This company, EF (English First), actually started out with English schools. They added educational tours later down the road. So we went to one of the EF schools there in Beijing.
They gave us a brief orientation and then they divided us up into different classrooms to interact with the kids. I was with these 3 cute kids.
Angela was my favorite.
The kids just asked us questions in English like, What's your favorite food? What do you like about Beijing? etc. Then we responded. My favorite question was from one of the boys, "What's wrong with you?" Bahahaha! Pretty sure he had no idea what it actually meant. They were really cute.
That night we went to a Kung Fu show. My idea was a bit different than what it actually turned out to be. I went to see the movie Karate Kid the night before I left for China. Thus, I was expecting an actual Kung Fu fight, you know like WWF or something, Chinese style. Nope. It was more like a ballet with Kung Fu moves mixed in every now and then. It was surprisingly still good, just not what I expected.
We got some rad pics afterwards.
Saturday was probably my most favorite day of them all, for 2 reasons and 2 reasons only. Reason #1 We got to workout/dance with the Chinese in the park. As you may or may not know, the Chinese like to get their morning daily exercise. They dance free style in the park...
or work on their Tai Chi. Very relaxing. Haha, notice the size difference. I'm standing right next to her!
Oh and did we join them! I picked up a few worthwhile dance moves. It was super entertaining. I could have stayed there pretty much all day I think.
In the same park we checked out the Temple of Heaven.
I picked up an authentic Chinese hackysack on the way. Yes, we tested it out. Works surprisingly well.
I really like the dozens of old men playing whatever they were playing.
Best discovery of the day - an exercise park in a roundabout in the middle of the road. Nothing like some new sweat to coat the already existing humidified sweat! A good pre-workout for the real workout.
The
real workout......The Great Wall of China! Booyah! For some odd reason we chose the obviously dumb idea to get to the top of the Great Wall, hiking up hundreds of steps in 90+ degree weather and at least 70% humidity. Just imagine with me if you will.... Forget it! I don't need to imagine it! I experienced it! Pure misery. Never in my life will I do that again. Take the tram I tell you!
The view was well worth it though! The Great Wall is amazing! Unfortunately the smog extends its deathlike grip all the way out here so you can't see too far. I'm sure you can imagine though....
We had a great time exploring and climbing even more steps. Definitely something you want to experience!
Reason #2 We took a toboggan/bobsled down from the Great Wall. This might be my favorite part of the whole trip. Who puts a bobsled on the Great Wall?! Awesome!
Random Info.....
For some odd reason (being a tall white American maybe...) everyone wanted to take pictures with me. Not only the Chinese, but also the Nigerians :) It felt nice to feel famous for a few days.
I guess trying to blend in didn't work very well.
The signs are entertaining to say the least. Take this for example..... No trumpet playing?
No burning cars?
No shrapnel? No drowning flowers? No sitting on benches? Bahahaha!
The styles are interesting as well. The women like to sport the short nylon socks
while the men just can't seem to stay cool enough. Forget just taking your shirt off....You gotta maintain
some fashion.
The kids don't seem to enjoy wearing diapers or underwear for that matter. A slit in the bum (doesn't everyone have one?...as my brother pointed out) seems to suffice and makes using the bathroom a simplicity.
Speaking of using the bathroom, try using this guy! Squat toilet. Actually not as bad as it looks. Yep, I tried one out. You can't have adventures if you're not willing to try new things!
These guys are definitely my favorite. I really wanted a ride in one. It's interesting....traffic is horrendous with cars everywhere and yet you have these guys and bicycles just putting away on the side of the road. I don't know how they don't get hit.
A "resort" in China consists of a murky fungusy pond filled with fish next to a restaurant. You drive out to the country to one of these guys from the city, catch your fish of choice (carp, carp, or more carp) and have the restaurant fry it up for you. Not my idea of a resort.
Quick drive-by of the Olympic venue. The Bird's Nest!
Last but not least, my new friend Mary! We had a good time together as I'm sure you can tell....
