I really wish we had more time here. The boys were really tired by this point.
Monday, July 31, 2006
View of Jing Shan
Site of the suicide of the last Ming Emperor was the pavilion in the distance, Jing Shan.
Questions and English Practice
Families liked to have their children practice their english with the boys and ask the boys questions too about how old they were and where they were from. Jill translated for Kai. I think we spent about a fifteen or twenty minute break from the rain talking and meeting people. We should have spent more time doing this.
Celebrities
The boys were very popular. Many families wanted to take their picture with the boys. We brought our own tourist attractions (at least for the domestic tourists to the Forbidden Palace). Kai loved the attention; Rowan liked it sometimes, but took breaks from the photo taking and socializing.
Harmony and Rain
I believe this is the left hand out cropping of the Taihe Dian, the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
The Gate of Heavenly Peace
Jill told us that on the right it says, "Long Live the People's Republic of China" and on the left it says, "Long live the Unity of the People of the World."
Tian'anmen Square
It was very wet at the beginning of the day, but that made the temperature rather nice -- if damp. This is the boys with our CCAI rep, Jill Zhong. I need to get a better picture of her, she's very pretty. (Kai has a massive crush on her.)
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Ice Floats in Beijing's Mickey D's
They have ice water (ask for "cool water" or they give you blocks of ice), a flavoring and then top it with soft serve. You have the flavor choices of Grape, Peach, Coffee or Aloe Vera.
On another not the Lychee-flavored fruit bars are pretty tasty when it's massively hot out. The cover of the bar has raspberry-shaped smiling characters.
Wash Me in Manderin ?
When I asked what this said, our hotel people said it was a name, probably "Liu Lin". I told them in America, we write "Wash Me" they had a good laugh.
Aquariums
I think the funniest bit of culture shock was when we saw some aquariums in a shop window and Cindy saw the turtle and said, "That's too small a space for him!" I almost felt bad telling her his fate.
Hutong
I liked going down the hutongs, but I think they made Theo a little nervous. It's more of a living area than the wide shopping streets. Kai skinned his knee and a group of women came over to see if he was okay.
Foggy Morning
When we arrived last afternoon, the atmosphere was very foggy and we couldn't see anything outside the plane until we had actually landed. Generally visibility was about about one city block. When we met our CCAI representative Jill, she said this was good because it really cut down on the heat. Today I could see what she meant. It was very hot today and I sweated so much I needed a Belize shower when we got back from our little walk.
We're in Beijing
I'm writing from steamy Beijing and we all made it alive and well and as sane as we left the States. Despite our fears of bringing two children on an eleven hour flight (not to mention the flight to California to get to the eleven hour flight), the boys did great and were actually less crazy and better behaved than when we're just kicking around at home. They even made an effort and succeeded at sleeping on the flights. So far new foods are still not their favorite part of travelling, but they're making an effort there too. Cindy has been a great help, for anyone thinking of making the trip -- don't leave home without your babysitter.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Thursday, July 13, 2006
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