After 2 hours of check-in, immigration, and security, we are on our flight! No ticket errors this time around- thank goodness! We are going to leave early- in the next 5 minutes.
Our window in Detroit is very narrow for customs, immigration, and reboarding. Hopefully you hear from us, but if not, it's because we're sprinting to our gate!
So close to HOME :) Can't wait!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
I love China because...
Abby - everybody is super, super friendly
Thomas - I'm a celebrity here! Everybody wants pics.
Sam - everyone goes out of their way to help you
Nathan - the basics of ancient guidelines still apply
Tina - everything is so different, stuff is really cheap- it's fun to bargain!
Kelsey - of its diverse culture and the new experiences I've had
Ana - the people are extremely kind and welcoming. And the rafting!
Joe - the people are so welcoming
John - of the calf workout since you walk everywhere (just kidding!) because you can get cool stuff really cheap everywhere
Maddie - the food and shopping
Mr. Kline - of the good people and good friends
Cam - of the great people
Katie - of the style of eating
Miss Anderson - of the rich cultural history and beautiful sights
Thomas - I'm a celebrity here! Everybody wants pics.
Sam - everyone goes out of their way to help you
Nathan - the basics of ancient guidelines still apply
Tina - everything is so different, stuff is really cheap- it's fun to bargain!
Kelsey - of its diverse culture and the new experiences I've had
Ana - the people are extremely kind and welcoming. And the rafting!
Joe - the people are so welcoming
John - of the calf workout since you walk everywhere (just kidding!) because you can get cool stuff really cheap everywhere
Maddie - the food and shopping
Mr. Kline - of the good people and good friends
Cam - of the great people
Katie - of the style of eating
Miss Anderson - of the rich cultural history and beautiful sights
Last day in China. And the Netherlands. And Romania. And Canada. And...
It's hard to believe that we got off the train this morning. What a day it has been! We were all bummed that we were going to go through yet another full day after the train. We hiked all the way up the Great Wall, now we can't shower? So gross, but I guess we're used to it?
But then, a glimmer of hope. Our tour guide, Angela, picked us up at the train station and said we would be eating breakfast at our hotel. So we could leave our bags at the desk and not take them on the bus all day. Is it possible that our rooms might be ready? YES! At 9 o'clock, all but two rooms, currently being cleaned, were ready! As Thomas said, "This is the best surprise of the entire trip!" Many of the kids agreed. Apparently a shower trumps being on a Chinese game show- who knew.
We met in the lobby at 10 to head over to the Expo. Everyone was still a little tired, but at least refreshed. We took the bus over to a subway drop off. Shanghai built a brand new subway line just for the Expo- which few people use. It was nice to go through security and not have a large crowd! The subway has two stops: one at Puxi and the other at Pudong. Puxi has the smaller section of the Expo, which houses the corporate pavilions as well as many of the Chinese theme pavilions. We took the subway to the Pudong side, which had Zones A,B, and C- the country pavilions.
We arrived around 11 and the park opens at 9- it was already hopping. The Expo sees 400,000 to 500,000 people each day. It was crowded, but only really bad in certain areas. We arranged a meeting spot at 5 o'clock, then everyone took off. So-and-so was going this way with this person and the next thing you know, I'm breaking the rules & I'm by myself.
I love everyone on this trip, but, to be fair, I had a wonderful time exploring on my own. Some of the students wanted to visit certain country pavilions and go inside. I just wanted to see EVERYTHING and enjoy the unique architecture. I walked around the entire Pudong area and took pictures of all the cool buildings. I got to see the Asia, Europe, and the Americas sections. The entire time, I was stared at and stopped by people to take pictures with them, as were many of the students. Kelsey and Tina counted over 100 pictures taken- either with them or without asking! The Expo is such a popular place for tourists, yet they still love Americans!
Well I turned this into a little game. As I met new people and talked with them, I was from a different place each time- I'm a terrible person. Today I was from the US, Canada, England, Australia... then I cut the bad accents and spoke horrendous German and Spanish. It was rather entertaining for me, anyway!
After all the walking, picture taking and messing with people, I figured most of the day was gone- it was only 1:30! I had seen each building, but certainly thought it would take much longer! I decided to make the loop yet again, but this time went into the larger, multi-country pavilions that did not have lines. My goal was to keep on walking and not stand in lines at all today. I went to the Central/South America pavilion, the Africa pavilion, and the Pacific Islands pavilion. After another two and a half some hours, I got a late lunch/early dinner.
Now I'm not going to lie, I really didn't do my research going into the Expo. I didn't know much about it. I knew about the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis and the debut of the Arch. I also knew that this is the place where the waffle cone was accidentally invented. Sad, but true- this is how ignorant I was. I wasn't really looking forward to it because I knew nothing about it or what to expect- the only thing I heard about were the lines.
Today I was pleasantly surprised. Was this my favorite thing ever? No. Favorite part of the trip? No. But it far exceeded my expectations. I loved the construction and the national pride. New Zealand was a fan favorite- it was a beautiful building covered in vegetation with their stage right out front for anyone, standing in line or not, to see. It was a constant party. Spain's pavilion was covered in woven wooden mats- very unique. Saudi Arabia spent $1 billion on their pavilion. I thought the lines for the US, Canada, and Great Britain were bad, then I saw the lines for China, Japan, and Saudi Arabia- it had to take at LEAST 3 hours to get into those buildings. The line for Turkish ice cream was ridiculous, but that was one line I wouldn't pass up since it was recommended by the Travel channel. I have never had anything like it.
The students absolutely loved the Expo. The girls bought a lot of jewelry at the Africa pavilion. The boys waited in line and got to check out the USA pavilion ("It was good- but extremely liberal!"). Other favorites included Canada, the Netherlands, and Russia. It will be fun to hear more stories and experiences when everyone returns home!
We are in for the night. Many of the girls are spending the last of their yuan (RMB) on foot massages at the hotel! My only regret on this trip: I didn't bring a pedometer!
Our wake up call is at 6, breakfast at 6:30, and departure for the airport at 7. Our flight leaves Shanghai at 10 AM and we get into Cleveland at 2:45 PM- only a 4 hour and 45 minute flight! ;) I'll keep telling myself that. It's been a wonderful trip, but we are all exhausted and ready for the comforts of home. Have a wonderful day- we'll see you in a few (x10) hours!
Other random pieces of information about the Expo:
- Only 5 buildings will remain standing after the Expo- the Expo Axis, Theme Pavilion, the Expo Culture Center, the Expo Center, and the China Pavilion. The rest will be dismantled by their respective countries and brought home. The land will be used as a business center.
- I have never seen so many people push and shove in my life. Lines don't matter and if a small child were in the way, so what?
- It was hard to take your time and learn about each country when people were in a hurry to get a stamp from that nation for their fake Expo passport. Cute, but it made each line even deadlier.
- The Netherlands building was the shape of a tulip.
- You could ride a bike through the Denmark pavilion. They also had a replica of the mermaid statue.
- Switzerland "built" the Alps on the top of their building. You could ride a ski lift around the top.
- Romania's building was a giant green apple.
- Finland's pavilion was a popular spot- they had saunas inside.
- Belgium was even more popular, thanks to the beer bar inside.
- Shortest lines? North Korea, Iraq, Iran, and some of the European joint pavilion countries (Georgia, Montenegro)
- Japan's pavilion looked like a giant purple jelly bean with purple trumpets sticking out of it. There is no other way to describe it.
- The mascot of this Expo is referred to as "the Chinese Gumby." He really is Gumby, but blue instead of green.
But then, a glimmer of hope. Our tour guide, Angela, picked us up at the train station and said we would be eating breakfast at our hotel. So we could leave our bags at the desk and not take them on the bus all day. Is it possible that our rooms might be ready? YES! At 9 o'clock, all but two rooms, currently being cleaned, were ready! As Thomas said, "This is the best surprise of the entire trip!" Many of the kids agreed. Apparently a shower trumps being on a Chinese game show- who knew.
We met in the lobby at 10 to head over to the Expo. Everyone was still a little tired, but at least refreshed. We took the bus over to a subway drop off. Shanghai built a brand new subway line just for the Expo- which few people use. It was nice to go through security and not have a large crowd! The subway has two stops: one at Puxi and the other at Pudong. Puxi has the smaller section of the Expo, which houses the corporate pavilions as well as many of the Chinese theme pavilions. We took the subway to the Pudong side, which had Zones A,B, and C- the country pavilions.
We arrived around 11 and the park opens at 9- it was already hopping. The Expo sees 400,000 to 500,000 people each day. It was crowded, but only really bad in certain areas. We arranged a meeting spot at 5 o'clock, then everyone took off. So-and-so was going this way with this person and the next thing you know, I'm breaking the rules & I'm by myself.
I love everyone on this trip, but, to be fair, I had a wonderful time exploring on my own. Some of the students wanted to visit certain country pavilions and go inside. I just wanted to see EVERYTHING and enjoy the unique architecture. I walked around the entire Pudong area and took pictures of all the cool buildings. I got to see the Asia, Europe, and the Americas sections. The entire time, I was stared at and stopped by people to take pictures with them, as were many of the students. Kelsey and Tina counted over 100 pictures taken- either with them or without asking! The Expo is such a popular place for tourists, yet they still love Americans!
Well I turned this into a little game. As I met new people and talked with them, I was from a different place each time- I'm a terrible person. Today I was from the US, Canada, England, Australia... then I cut the bad accents and spoke horrendous German and Spanish. It was rather entertaining for me, anyway!
After all the walking, picture taking and messing with people, I figured most of the day was gone- it was only 1:30! I had seen each building, but certainly thought it would take much longer! I decided to make the loop yet again, but this time went into the larger, multi-country pavilions that did not have lines. My goal was to keep on walking and not stand in lines at all today. I went to the Central/South America pavilion, the Africa pavilion, and the Pacific Islands pavilion. After another two and a half some hours, I got a late lunch/early dinner.
Now I'm not going to lie, I really didn't do my research going into the Expo. I didn't know much about it. I knew about the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis and the debut of the Arch. I also knew that this is the place where the waffle cone was accidentally invented. Sad, but true- this is how ignorant I was. I wasn't really looking forward to it because I knew nothing about it or what to expect- the only thing I heard about were the lines.
Today I was pleasantly surprised. Was this my favorite thing ever? No. Favorite part of the trip? No. But it far exceeded my expectations. I loved the construction and the national pride. New Zealand was a fan favorite- it was a beautiful building covered in vegetation with their stage right out front for anyone, standing in line or not, to see. It was a constant party. Spain's pavilion was covered in woven wooden mats- very unique. Saudi Arabia spent $1 billion on their pavilion. I thought the lines for the US, Canada, and Great Britain were bad, then I saw the lines for China, Japan, and Saudi Arabia- it had to take at LEAST 3 hours to get into those buildings. The line for Turkish ice cream was ridiculous, but that was one line I wouldn't pass up since it was recommended by the Travel channel. I have never had anything like it.
The students absolutely loved the Expo. The girls bought a lot of jewelry at the Africa pavilion. The boys waited in line and got to check out the USA pavilion ("It was good- but extremely liberal!"). Other favorites included Canada, the Netherlands, and Russia. It will be fun to hear more stories and experiences when everyone returns home!
We are in for the night. Many of the girls are spending the last of their yuan (RMB) on foot massages at the hotel! My only regret on this trip: I didn't bring a pedometer!
Our wake up call is at 6, breakfast at 6:30, and departure for the airport at 7. Our flight leaves Shanghai at 10 AM and we get into Cleveland at 2:45 PM- only a 4 hour and 45 minute flight! ;) I'll keep telling myself that. It's been a wonderful trip, but we are all exhausted and ready for the comforts of home. Have a wonderful day- we'll see you in a few (x10) hours!
Other random pieces of information about the Expo:
- Only 5 buildings will remain standing after the Expo- the Expo Axis, Theme Pavilion, the Expo Culture Center, the Expo Center, and the China Pavilion. The rest will be dismantled by their respective countries and brought home. The land will be used as a business center.
- I have never seen so many people push and shove in my life. Lines don't matter and if a small child were in the way, so what?
- It was hard to take your time and learn about each country when people were in a hurry to get a stamp from that nation for their fake Expo passport. Cute, but it made each line even deadlier.
- The Netherlands building was the shape of a tulip.
- You could ride a bike through the Denmark pavilion. They also had a replica of the mermaid statue.
- Switzerland "built" the Alps on the top of their building. You could ride a ski lift around the top.
- Romania's building was a giant green apple.
- Finland's pavilion was a popular spot- they had saunas inside.
- Belgium was even more popular, thanks to the beer bar inside.
- Shortest lines? North Korea, Iraq, Iran, and some of the European joint pavilion countries (Georgia, Montenegro)
- Japan's pavilion looked like a giant purple jelly bean with purple trumpets sticking out of it. There is no other way to describe it.
- The mascot of this Expo is referred to as "the Chinese Gumby." He really is Gumby, but blue instead of green.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Back in Shanghai!
We made it safely back to Shanghai. At breakfast right now, then off to the Expo. No idea what to expect for today!
The Great Wall and Strange Roommates
It was so nice to sleep in this morning and enjoy the nice hotel! We slept until 9, had breakfast, then were off by 10. The weather was perfect for the Wall- cloudy and cool. It took 1 hour 30 minutes to get there, even though rush hour was technically over- that's what happens with 5 million cars on the road!
The Great Wall is breathtaking. You see pictures of it and you try to imagine exactly how it would look, but it still impresses you. Contrary to popular belief, it cannot be seen from space with the naked eye. However, this ancient military structure still draws people from all over the world. I wish I could put into words how grand it is.
Construction began in 221 B.C., after China's principalities united. New sections were linked together and old sections of city walls were joined as well. It was necessary to maintain the wall for military reasons, but over time, it started to wear out. Only the section constructed during the Ming Dynasty, the second to last dynasty, is well preserved.
We took a group picture at the base with a Chagrin Falls banner. Then, there were 2 hours to climb. We had the opportunity to hike the highest, steepest point of the Wall. All but 4 students opted for the steep hike. Toward the beginning, it was so crowded! Teens, children, the elderly- everyone was climbing! Some areas were about 30 feet wide, others just a yard. There were ramps in some spots and some very steep stairs on others, where you practically crawled.
As we trekked higher and higher, we got further into the clouds. It wasn't raining, but you could feel the mist on your skin. There were fewer and fewer people making it. It's lonely at the top! Mr. Kline left everyone in the dust- he went up then right back down. I made it in about 45 minutes, then waited for about 10 minutes for Mrs. Guan, Abby, Ana, Maddie, and Katies. We all took pictures and signed our names on the stone. Two guys came up right after that- they had trombones strapped on their backs. We had a nice little impromptu brass concert! Everyone loved it! Right after that, Nathan, Cam, Tina, and Kelsey made it. We asked where the other boys were and they decided to hike on the other side of the Wall. We took a group picture, then had to book it down the mountain in 45 minutes! It is hard work going up the Wall, but much scarier going down! A couple people were slipping, but we all made it in 40 minutes.
We went to lunch at a restaurant located close to the wall. It had a factory where they made vases, jewelry boxes, and pretty hand-painted bracelets.
Next we went to a jade carving factory. We got to see how they carve the stone and determine the quality. Some of the work was VERY ornate and takes a very long time to make. We had fun looking at the jewelry and pricing the large jade sculptures- some were $200,000! It was fun to see the whole process from start to beautiful finish.
On the way back from the Wall, we had the chance to stop at the Olympic Park just north of the city. We saw the Water Cube (swimming pool) and Bird's Nest (track). The architecture is amazing. I don't know how anyone would figure out how to design it and put it all together!
We had a lot of time before our train left at 9:46, so we decided last minute to see a kung fu show. I didn't get everyone's review, but overall the students enjoyed it. They did all kinds of moves and hung from fabric and wires. I thought the little kids in it were the most impressive- they didn't do handsprings- they flipped over on just their heads!
We ducked out right before the final scene to make our train on time- and barely made it! One of us got held up at security, then the tickets were odd: two rooms have 4 Chagrin students and are in one car. The rest of us are all spread out! I am currently writing from the top bunk with two odd Chinese men trying to sleep. Abby left to sleep in the cafe car with Cam and Maddie, who are on the top bunks in the room next door. Oh well. My room smells kind of funny, but at least it will be quiet? What a strange end to the day.
In the morning we will go to breakfast then head out to the Expo. We've heard that some buildings have lines 4 to 5 hours long, so it will be an all-day event for the sleep and shower-deprived students. Hopefully they'll be in good spirits!
Can't believe tomorrow is the last day. We've been looking forward to this for so long, now it is coming to an end! I think everyone is ready for home though.
Hope you all have a great day!
The Great Wall is breathtaking. You see pictures of it and you try to imagine exactly how it would look, but it still impresses you. Contrary to popular belief, it cannot be seen from space with the naked eye. However, this ancient military structure still draws people from all over the world. I wish I could put into words how grand it is.
Construction began in 221 B.C., after China's principalities united. New sections were linked together and old sections of city walls were joined as well. It was necessary to maintain the wall for military reasons, but over time, it started to wear out. Only the section constructed during the Ming Dynasty, the second to last dynasty, is well preserved.
We took a group picture at the base with a Chagrin Falls banner. Then, there were 2 hours to climb. We had the opportunity to hike the highest, steepest point of the Wall. All but 4 students opted for the steep hike. Toward the beginning, it was so crowded! Teens, children, the elderly- everyone was climbing! Some areas were about 30 feet wide, others just a yard. There were ramps in some spots and some very steep stairs on others, where you practically crawled.
As we trekked higher and higher, we got further into the clouds. It wasn't raining, but you could feel the mist on your skin. There were fewer and fewer people making it. It's lonely at the top! Mr. Kline left everyone in the dust- he went up then right back down. I made it in about 45 minutes, then waited for about 10 minutes for Mrs. Guan, Abby, Ana, Maddie, and Katies. We all took pictures and signed our names on the stone. Two guys came up right after that- they had trombones strapped on their backs. We had a nice little impromptu brass concert! Everyone loved it! Right after that, Nathan, Cam, Tina, and Kelsey made it. We asked where the other boys were and they decided to hike on the other side of the Wall. We took a group picture, then had to book it down the mountain in 45 minutes! It is hard work going up the Wall, but much scarier going down! A couple people were slipping, but we all made it in 40 minutes.
We went to lunch at a restaurant located close to the wall. It had a factory where they made vases, jewelry boxes, and pretty hand-painted bracelets.
Next we went to a jade carving factory. We got to see how they carve the stone and determine the quality. Some of the work was VERY ornate and takes a very long time to make. We had fun looking at the jewelry and pricing the large jade sculptures- some were $200,000! It was fun to see the whole process from start to beautiful finish.
On the way back from the Wall, we had the chance to stop at the Olympic Park just north of the city. We saw the Water Cube (swimming pool) and Bird's Nest (track). The architecture is amazing. I don't know how anyone would figure out how to design it and put it all together!
We had a lot of time before our train left at 9:46, so we decided last minute to see a kung fu show. I didn't get everyone's review, but overall the students enjoyed it. They did all kinds of moves and hung from fabric and wires. I thought the little kids in it were the most impressive- they didn't do handsprings- they flipped over on just their heads!
We ducked out right before the final scene to make our train on time- and barely made it! One of us got held up at security, then the tickets were odd: two rooms have 4 Chagrin students and are in one car. The rest of us are all spread out! I am currently writing from the top bunk with two odd Chinese men trying to sleep. Abby left to sleep in the cafe car with Cam and Maddie, who are on the top bunks in the room next door. Oh well. My room smells kind of funny, but at least it will be quiet? What a strange end to the day.
In the morning we will go to breakfast then head out to the Expo. We've heard that some buildings have lines 4 to 5 hours long, so it will be an all-day event for the sleep and shower-deprived students. Hopefully they'll be in good spirits!
Can't believe tomorrow is the last day. We've been looking forward to this for so long, now it is coming to an end! I think everyone is ready for home though.
Hope you all have a great day!
Monday, July 12, 2010
"Chairman Mao was a very, very great man"
Our tour guide, Jack told us that Beijing is at least a 4 day, 3 night trip in order to fill everything in. We are here for two days and one night. Needless to say, we are all tired after a busy, busy day.
Jack picked us up at the train station this morning at 7:30. We were a little slow moving, a preview of how the day was going to go. We went straight to a restaurant to have a traditional Cantonese/Hong Kong breakfast. It would have made a great dinner. The porridge was like a thick chicken and rice soup, we had dumplings, BBQ pork filled steam bread, and one really great bread that tasted like a cinnamon muffin. There were other things that I can't remember because there was no way I would eat it for breakfast :) Many of the students started talking about cold milk and Apple Jacks. Nathan suggested that "the next time we all come to China, we all need to pack one of those Fun Packs and share Smacks and Froot Loops!"
Cathy (Yaxin) Guan met us at breakfast. It was wonderful to have her with us today! She did not have any of the students for class, but has many of their younger brothers and sisters. She was very helpful and everyone loved her. We are excited to go to the Great Wall with her tomorrow!
Beijing means "north capital." It also has many nicknames, including "first capital" and "first traffic jam," which we learned rather quickly. The traffic here is insane- almost every road has 8 lanes, but they're all packed. People pull U-turns, drive the wrong way, and basically do everything you were taught not to do. Jack said there are 5 million cars on the road, but I would not be surprised if there were more. He also said that the average commute in Beijing, to work and back home, takes 4 hours! This happens because of the number of cars and how expensive it is getting to live in the city.
When we arrived, it was nice and cool, refreshing compared to last week's heat wave. It was a cloudy day, not ideal for taking pictures; however, it was not all the clouds because it was hazy too close to the ground. The smog here is really bad, making the visibility horrendous. You can't see for a distance and the tops of some buildings are tough to make out.
The first stop was Tian'amen Square. It is the largest city center in the world- larger than Times Square in NYC and the Red Square in Moscow. It is impressive. In one direction, there is The Great Hall of the People, which houses chambers of the government and boasts a 10,000 person banquet hall. Directly across the square is The National Museum of China. There is a lot about the 3 Beijing dynasties, Yuan, Ming, and Qing, as well as other history dating back thousands of years. Mao Tse-Tung's (sometimes Zedong?) Mausoleum looks like it is bigger than the Lincoln Memorial in DC. The Monuments to the People flank the entrance. Across from the Mausoleum is Mao himself- his portrait hangs from the front of the Tian'amen Tower. The square also has panoramic TV screens where you can learn about the history of China, as well as a remnant of the innermost part of the city gate. In the center of it all, there is a monument for Mao with some of his poetry on the side. As Jack said, "Chairman Mao was a very, very great man." They certainly seem to think so!!!
We moved through the entrance of the Tian'amen Tower to get to the Forbidden City. As you walk through, you are supposed to touch one of the 81 gold doorknobs for good luck. Why 81? 9 is a lucky number, so the doorways have knobs in multiples of 9 to keep bad luck out.
The Forbidden City was forbidden to the commoners, thus the name. The emperor, the royal family, and high-ranking government officials were allowed within the walls. It is, literally, a city. It keeps going and going- all that for one family! Construction started in 1406 and was completed in 1420. There are two things that make this unbelievable: 1) that they could build something so grand and expansive during the start of the 1400s and 2) that they could build something so grand and expansive in just 14 years. Every corner we turned and doorway we walked through, I just thought "WOW!"
We had the opportunity to see several sections of the City. I don't have a guidebook (and internet is 50 RMB in the hotel), so I cannot tell you the names of everything. We saw the main hall where the Golden Throne was located. The emperor sat there for ceremonies. Oh my goodness- you have not lived until you attempt to push through the crowd to see it! I have never seen so many angry little old ladies in my life! I was worried I was going to run over a small child from one of the school tour groups. Thankfully, I stand head and shoulders above everyone, so I still got a good view.
We also saw the inner palace, which was strictly for the emperor, the empress, the emperor's concubines, and the emperor's servants. In order to be a servant, the men had to be eunuchs, so the emperor knew that they would be loyal to him. Each emperor had at least 20-30 concubines! The emperors who did not accomplish much of anything during their reign had too much "leisure time" and are rumored to have had 3,000! The emperor had his own study quarters and room, the concubines had their own section, and the empress had her room connected to the wedding room, where their ceremony took place. All rooms had intricate details, many from the Qing Dynasty, like carved furniture, beautiful silk fabrics, and ornate glass and jade sculptures.
The last spot was the garden. The garden has trees that are hundreds of years old and little pavilions for each of the four seasons. Again, the detail was spectacular- such bright colors & great carving.
There were all kinds of other facts, but I'll spare you. I was a nerd today and couldn't get enough! Most the students, however, seemed pretty miserable 20 minutes in. It was difficult to get them to get up and move to the next place or to take interest in what was being said. Many were upset with how much walking it was- which makes me worry about the Wall tomorrow! We were all tired from the train and all DESPERATELY wanted to shower, but you do what you have to do.
After lunch, we knew that there would be too much time before hotel check-in as well as dinner. We needed something else to do, so I tried to ask Jack about the silk market that some of the students mentioned. I didn't know what it was called exactly and Jack didn't get what I was trying to explain, so we ended up at a silk mall- which we saw yesterday in Shanghai. I felt so bad for him and for the kids because of their genuine disinterest in seeing how it is made again. Some students loved shopping again, but overall, group morale was low. We were very tired at this point, wanting to shower & sleep.
We moved on and went to the Temple of Heaven. The temple and stairs around it are round to represent heaven, but the walls around the temple are square because they are on earth- Chinese culture uses the circle to represent heaven and the square for earth. It was really cool to see, but the history behind it is so bizarre. They used this temple to ask the god of the heavens to bless them with a good harvest. The emperor stood in the middle of a stone at the top of marble stairs. They made their plea to the god, then burned sacrifices around the stairs. Precious items like silk and jade were burned in cauldrons; animal sacrifices were burned on an altar. Everything was burned because the smoke would get to heaven faster. It's weird, if you ask me.
The temple itself was great- there is a picture of it when you look up "Beijing" on Wikipedia :) So much colorful paint and gold leaf detail! There is a blue tile tablet inside that says Tiantan, heaven, and has a prayer on it. The temple is surrounded by an echo wall. If you say something into it, the echo will wrap around the wall back to you. It was too crowded for that to work today.
We still had a little bit of time to kill, so we stopped at a tea house. This was awesome! We were given a formal tea ceremony for free. This explained the process of the ceremony, but basically was a good way to pitch the products. It worked! We got to sample 5 very different types of tea. Everywhere else we've been, people keep telling us what to buy because it's the best, but the students never get to try it. We all had a lot of fun and learned something new! With our tea & gifts, we left for dinner.
FINALLY we were able to go to the hotel. Oh was it worth the wait! The Jiang Xi Grand Hotel is grand indeed! The students faces lit up when they saw how nice it was :) We're bummed that we're only here for a night, but it was great to call it an early night so we could all get long showers and lounge around in the comfy robes and slippers! Hopefully everyone gets the rest they need for tomorrow morning!
Late departure- 10 AM- then Great Wall all day. We're hoping to add the Bird's Nest and Water Cube (Olympic Park) on the way back from the Wall tomorrow night.
Enjoy your day :)
Jack picked us up at the train station this morning at 7:30. We were a little slow moving, a preview of how the day was going to go. We went straight to a restaurant to have a traditional Cantonese/Hong Kong breakfast. It would have made a great dinner. The porridge was like a thick chicken and rice soup, we had dumplings, BBQ pork filled steam bread, and one really great bread that tasted like a cinnamon muffin. There were other things that I can't remember because there was no way I would eat it for breakfast :) Many of the students started talking about cold milk and Apple Jacks. Nathan suggested that "the next time we all come to China, we all need to pack one of those Fun Packs and share Smacks and Froot Loops!"
Cathy (Yaxin) Guan met us at breakfast. It was wonderful to have her with us today! She did not have any of the students for class, but has many of their younger brothers and sisters. She was very helpful and everyone loved her. We are excited to go to the Great Wall with her tomorrow!
Beijing means "north capital." It also has many nicknames, including "first capital" and "first traffic jam," which we learned rather quickly. The traffic here is insane- almost every road has 8 lanes, but they're all packed. People pull U-turns, drive the wrong way, and basically do everything you were taught not to do. Jack said there are 5 million cars on the road, but I would not be surprised if there were more. He also said that the average commute in Beijing, to work and back home, takes 4 hours! This happens because of the number of cars and how expensive it is getting to live in the city.
When we arrived, it was nice and cool, refreshing compared to last week's heat wave. It was a cloudy day, not ideal for taking pictures; however, it was not all the clouds because it was hazy too close to the ground. The smog here is really bad, making the visibility horrendous. You can't see for a distance and the tops of some buildings are tough to make out.
The first stop was Tian'amen Square. It is the largest city center in the world- larger than Times Square in NYC and the Red Square in Moscow. It is impressive. In one direction, there is The Great Hall of the People, which houses chambers of the government and boasts a 10,000 person banquet hall. Directly across the square is The National Museum of China. There is a lot about the 3 Beijing dynasties, Yuan, Ming, and Qing, as well as other history dating back thousands of years. Mao Tse-Tung's (sometimes Zedong?) Mausoleum looks like it is bigger than the Lincoln Memorial in DC. The Monuments to the People flank the entrance. Across from the Mausoleum is Mao himself- his portrait hangs from the front of the Tian'amen Tower. The square also has panoramic TV screens where you can learn about the history of China, as well as a remnant of the innermost part of the city gate. In the center of it all, there is a monument for Mao with some of his poetry on the side. As Jack said, "Chairman Mao was a very, very great man." They certainly seem to think so!!!
We moved through the entrance of the Tian'amen Tower to get to the Forbidden City. As you walk through, you are supposed to touch one of the 81 gold doorknobs for good luck. Why 81? 9 is a lucky number, so the doorways have knobs in multiples of 9 to keep bad luck out.
The Forbidden City was forbidden to the commoners, thus the name. The emperor, the royal family, and high-ranking government officials were allowed within the walls. It is, literally, a city. It keeps going and going- all that for one family! Construction started in 1406 and was completed in 1420. There are two things that make this unbelievable: 1) that they could build something so grand and expansive during the start of the 1400s and 2) that they could build something so grand and expansive in just 14 years. Every corner we turned and doorway we walked through, I just thought "WOW!"
We had the opportunity to see several sections of the City. I don't have a guidebook (and internet is 50 RMB in the hotel), so I cannot tell you the names of everything. We saw the main hall where the Golden Throne was located. The emperor sat there for ceremonies. Oh my goodness- you have not lived until you attempt to push through the crowd to see it! I have never seen so many angry little old ladies in my life! I was worried I was going to run over a small child from one of the school tour groups. Thankfully, I stand head and shoulders above everyone, so I still got a good view.
We also saw the inner palace, which was strictly for the emperor, the empress, the emperor's concubines, and the emperor's servants. In order to be a servant, the men had to be eunuchs, so the emperor knew that they would be loyal to him. Each emperor had at least 20-30 concubines! The emperors who did not accomplish much of anything during their reign had too much "leisure time" and are rumored to have had 3,000! The emperor had his own study quarters and room, the concubines had their own section, and the empress had her room connected to the wedding room, where their ceremony took place. All rooms had intricate details, many from the Qing Dynasty, like carved furniture, beautiful silk fabrics, and ornate glass and jade sculptures.
The last spot was the garden. The garden has trees that are hundreds of years old and little pavilions for each of the four seasons. Again, the detail was spectacular- such bright colors & great carving.
There were all kinds of other facts, but I'll spare you. I was a nerd today and couldn't get enough! Most the students, however, seemed pretty miserable 20 minutes in. It was difficult to get them to get up and move to the next place or to take interest in what was being said. Many were upset with how much walking it was- which makes me worry about the Wall tomorrow! We were all tired from the train and all DESPERATELY wanted to shower, but you do what you have to do.
After lunch, we knew that there would be too much time before hotel check-in as well as dinner. We needed something else to do, so I tried to ask Jack about the silk market that some of the students mentioned. I didn't know what it was called exactly and Jack didn't get what I was trying to explain, so we ended up at a silk mall- which we saw yesterday in Shanghai. I felt so bad for him and for the kids because of their genuine disinterest in seeing how it is made again. Some students loved shopping again, but overall, group morale was low. We were very tired at this point, wanting to shower & sleep.
We moved on and went to the Temple of Heaven. The temple and stairs around it are round to represent heaven, but the walls around the temple are square because they are on earth- Chinese culture uses the circle to represent heaven and the square for earth. It was really cool to see, but the history behind it is so bizarre. They used this temple to ask the god of the heavens to bless them with a good harvest. The emperor stood in the middle of a stone at the top of marble stairs. They made their plea to the god, then burned sacrifices around the stairs. Precious items like silk and jade were burned in cauldrons; animal sacrifices were burned on an altar. Everything was burned because the smoke would get to heaven faster. It's weird, if you ask me.
The temple itself was great- there is a picture of it when you look up "Beijing" on Wikipedia :) So much colorful paint and gold leaf detail! There is a blue tile tablet inside that says Tiantan, heaven, and has a prayer on it. The temple is surrounded by an echo wall. If you say something into it, the echo will wrap around the wall back to you. It was too crowded for that to work today.
We still had a little bit of time to kill, so we stopped at a tea house. This was awesome! We were given a formal tea ceremony for free. This explained the process of the ceremony, but basically was a good way to pitch the products. It worked! We got to sample 5 very different types of tea. Everywhere else we've been, people keep telling us what to buy because it's the best, but the students never get to try it. We all had a lot of fun and learned something new! With our tea & gifts, we left for dinner.
FINALLY we were able to go to the hotel. Oh was it worth the wait! The Jiang Xi Grand Hotel is grand indeed! The students faces lit up when they saw how nice it was :) We're bummed that we're only here for a night, but it was great to call it an early night so we could all get long showers and lounge around in the comfy robes and slippers! Hopefully everyone gets the rest they need for tomorrow morning!
Late departure- 10 AM- then Great Wall all day. We're hoping to add the Bird's Nest and Water Cube (Olympic Park) on the way back from the Wall tomorrow night.
Enjoy your day :)
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Beijing Huan Ying Ni! (Beijing Welcomes You!)
Good morning! It's 6:35 AM and we will be arriving in Beijing shortly. I slept rather comfortably- after 4 teens kept running in and out of the room, trying to double up in the top bunks. Once we reach the train station, we will hit the ground running for our busy day. I will let you know what we encounter at the end of our day & the beginning of yours!
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