So I Traveled to China

I am back from Beijing. And had the most amazing time. Michele, Maranda, and I are still flying high on our fabulous trip and even now at work, while our other teachers are grumbling about the cold weather in our classrooms, the three of us are giggling like little kids as we look through pictures and video of our time in China. China. I was just in China. Wow.
I think one of the reasons the trip was so successful was because the three of us went there with absolutely no expectations. We were all kind of drained from work, weren’t really sure what we would be doing in Beijing, and just were not expecting anything fantastic. I think that left us open to experiences which were not planning for or expecting in the slightest. Our first sign that this trip was going to be different was shown pretty early when the third part of our group, the effervescent and philosophical yet endearingly ditzy Maranda, realized she had accidentally booked a business class ticket for herself. While Michele and I were bending our knees in impossible angles at the back of the plane, Maranda was snacking on shrimp cocktails, cooling off with warm towels, and drinking champagne.
We only had a long weekend in Beijing so as soon as we found our way to the hostel, we dropped off our bags and headed out to explore. Our hostel, Peking Backpackers Hostel, was located in one of many alleys in Beijing called hutong which made it feel like an authentic lodging experience versus a hotel that is off a busy main street in downtown. It was also freakishly close to everything we wanted to see. Immediately after we landed we headed to the Forbidden City. We took the longest way possible to get there, and stopped to take photos every couple of feet, so when we arrived the sun was setting. It was a really beautiful sight, seeing the sun against this ancient, uber-secretive palace that used to house the royal emperor’s court. For thousands of years nobody was allowed to enter this palace except for the emperor himself. The only other men housed inside of it were eunuch’s who, along with the hordes of concubines, were expected to please the emperor. A group of hawkers were successful in persuading three of us to enter a two person ricshaw and take us to nearby Tiananmen Square. It would have been easier and cheaper to walk but driving in Beijing on a bike was an experience I will always remember. Particularly after being told to shift our weight back because we were in danger of tipping over in the middle of rush hour traffic. We arrived at the Mao Memorial building (really famous building with Chairman Mao’s picture on it) in time to watch the lowering of the flag in the square. Watching those soldiers moved in total sync was crazy. They weren’t human’s, they were this communist machine. And seeing the hundreds of cameras that cover every square foot of the square really brings it home how intense this government is. At night we went to see a traditional Peking Opera. Because we bought a bottle of wine, we got moved to a table right in front of the stage to watch the performance. It was like nothing I’ve ever seen in the theater. The movements of the body and the intonation of the voices was so different from anything I’ve seen. The eastern aesthetic is so distinctive and different from what we are familiar with in the west, but the difference is really what makes it so beautiful to me.
We spent the next day- Chinese New Year’s Eve- doing more touristy things. We started out at the Forbidden City and re-visited Tiananmen Square and visiting a park that holds 400 year old cypress trees. A group of locals were playing jump rope and got very excited when the 3 of us stopped by to watch. They invited us all to join, but I chose to stand back and take pictures of Maranda and Michele. It was a fantastic moment. I’m sure they were doing it to be healthy as well, but they also legitimately enjoyed it. Every time somebody messed up they all just laughed. Michele is kind of tall and had trouble getting under the ropes, but they just readjusted their game so that she could join in. The language barrier was a little too difficult for any of us to really communicate, but we were all having a great time and it was obvious. It’s not that Koreans are cold, but I’ve never experienced as much open faced kindness from them as I experienced from Chinese. As Maranda put it later, “Adults in Beijing play!”
Sunday night felt like the world was on fire. All day Saturday and Sunday we heard sporadic fireworks but at night things just went crazy. On blocks, in front of cars, in the middle of roads, five feet from running children people were lighting fireworks and crackers and sparklers. I’ve never been so close to a firework in my life. We spent a good half hour just standing in front of a store near our hostel watching locals light fireworks and run off squealing with joy as they boomed up into the sky. Car alarms were going off due to the noise and people were biking in the streets, but nobody seemed at all perturbed. It was New Years Eve and chaos was expected. At midnight, we were woken up to booms resembling what I imagine a war zone sounds likes, but which we quickly realized were the sounds of fireworks going off in every single direction. Including right outside our hostel. It was crazy, and so exciting.
Monday was New Years Day and therefore the city was virtually shut down. The three of us woke up early to take a taxi to the wall. It was about an hour’s drive from the city and we went to the section of the wall called Mutianyu. It’s not the most commercial section of the wall, but it’s closer than the more scenic portions (which I really wanted to see but which would have been too expensive in a taxi) and I’m so glad we made the choice we made. Because it was a holiday and we got there early in the morning the three of us spent 2 hours hiking along the Great Wall of China completely alone. Nobody was there, not even the hawkers who have stalls at the bottom trying to sell t-shirts and trinkets. Maranda, Michele, and I had the entire wall to ourselves and hiked along it all morning without ever seeing another face. It was amazing. Truly one of those moments that I will hold with me forever.
We went in search of coffee after we returned from the Wall and stumbled across a frozen lake that people were doing all sorts of activities on. And I use the word activities because I still do not know how to accurately identify the activities that people were doing. There were ice skaters and speed skaters dressed in the full spandex uniforms you see at the Olympics. A giant alpaca was walking a sleigh across the ice. People were riding bicycles that had runners on them. And- this is my personal favorite- was the contraption that looked like high school desks on steel runners which you sat on and then used metal poles to push yourself around. Sounds ridiculous? Oh, it so was. And I loved it. And all 3 of us spent a good 2 hours out on the lake, one of maybe a half dozen white folks, just playing.
At night we took the taxi to the Olympic Stadium to see first hand why the 2008 Summer Olympics were the most expensive in history. Was not hard to see why. The Bird’s Nest (where the opening ceremonies and track and field events were held) and the arena that housed Michael Phelp’s pool were so technological and glittery and gigantic that it blew me away. Street sellers all over the city are still attempting to sell Olympic paraphernalia so it’s not hard to see the impact the Olympics has had on the city. At night we had traditional Chinese food, including duck, and enjoyed the night immensely.
We left the next day and since we were running low on cash, just chose to wander aimlessly for the afternoon. And had another incredible day. We wandered into a tea house that gave us cups and cups of tea, served in a traditional method and then found a steamed dumpling house. After which we happened upon some sort of street fair that was celebrating 2009- the year of the Ox. Which happens to be my year. And which I feel very, very good about. There’s still so much to share about Beijing, it was such a lovely weekend. But I think this entry is long enough for now. Friday night we will all be meeting up to exchange pictures and video’s so I’ll post pictures throughout the week. But as Michele said, this weekend was “An Asian Rejuvenation.”