Day 3: Beijing At Large

Day 3: Big-Time Beijing

Oh, such a better night sleep last night. Granted I woke up around 12:30a to celebrate  East Coast lunch time, but after reading a bit and taking a Benadryl, I was back out within the hour. It was a nice netting of 9 hours, and I'm glad I didn't go to the Kung Fu show that about 75% of the others went to. My roommate, Bob (a great guy from Massachusetts who doesn't get bothered with my constant wakes!) went there and said that it was "one of the most expensive naps he'd taken in a while." That gave me a good laugh. 

Since using an iPad isn't ideal and I wanted to add more pics, the best I could do was insert the following pics as such: first is Bob and me at Tiananmen Square, as well as a reminder that Big Brother Communist Party is all eyes and ears everywhere there, if need be. You'll also see some ornate tiling in the Imperial Garden as well as a pic of Rich (Minnesota Teacher of Excellence) and me as we walked that majestic place 

TIANANMEN SQUARE and FORBIDDEN CITY

We gathered together with a special guide from EF to tour the all-too-famous (and infamous) square. It is a massive open quarter, where our guide, Cassie (EF's specialist on this part of Beijing) said that it's 300m x 550m. Tiananmen is Mandarin for "opening gate," as it starts the Dragon Line that's very similar to the line of site in DC connecting the Capitol, Washington Monument, and the Lincoln Memorial. I'm pretty fascinated with dragons as well as the crips symmetry lining up all these buildings, starting with the gate's square and ending with the Summer Palace atop a man-made hilltop. Trying to find explanation for all of these buildings in such a short time is a near-impossible task; I mean, we walked about 4 miles today, and along each step were 360 degrees' worth of sites to take in. I don't just mean the beautiful clay rooftops or the ornate decorative art hanging from the building sides, but also the intense amount of precision put into the various mosaic tiles that greeted much of the place.

• Mao Mausoleum - thankfully (or unfortunately) the Mausoleum is currently closed. Our tour guide told us we should be thankful for that because then there wasn't so much of a crowd. However, a Chinese "small crowd" is a medium-large crowd for my liking in the United States. I couldn't IMAGINE what it'd be like if the mausoleum were actually open. Still, inside are the remains of the nation's flawed and revered founder, kept still for public viewing under crystal glass just like Vladimir Lenin in Russia.
• Monument to the People's Hero (Soldiers) - this tall, monolithic obelisk was manned by the "boy scouts" of Beijing. I forget the name of the children's group of communists (Red Guard maybe?), but they are the ones who protect this very important monument to the PLA (People's Liberation Army). The 5 students (3 girls, 2 boys) who stood atop at attention were just as strong and stalwart as any grown soldier there at attention.
• Forbidden City - I don't even know where to start here. Hmmm. Think of how highly we regard the presidency and how much regality we place upon it. Then remind yourself that our country is hardly 240 years old. Now extrapolate that to upwards of 4,000 years and connect it to dynastic contingencies controlling a nation of that's nearly 5 times as large as the United States. Then think about how all the riches of the world traveled through here for years, and how the emperor consolidated that power around himself. Multiply that by 10 and then you can see the beauty of this palace. Its construction began in the early 1600s, and its preservation remains tantamount to the Chinese today 500 years later. When you see the gorgeous yellow clay lattice, the golden floors, the lovely paint, the ornate sandalwood carvings, the little animals atop the pagodas, the... just keep adding to it. Wow. Pictures cannot tell the story. And being there for 4 hours also couldn't tell the story, either. It's a long story of an ancient people, and as the  Forbidden City told the world China was the top dog at one point, the Chinese people seem determined to tell the world that they'll be atop that mantle once again. However, among the Forbidden City we visited just 3 of the 9,999 rooms. Yes, that's not a typo. The emperors thought the number 9 was lucky. Room one:
• Outer Quarters - This huge, ornate building is closed to the public. Inside is where the emperor alone was permitted to go with other men to meet for political matters. The floor is solid gold. The Dragon Throne resides there. There's a smaller (by smaller, I mean about 5,000 sq ft room) next door that is a changing room for the emperor to greet his visitors.
• Inner Quarters - This is also off-limits to the general public, as it was the location that the Emperor slept with either his empress or any of his upwards of 300 concubines. Yes, 300 women. Sometimes 1 is too much for me (I say that in the most loving way, sweetie).
• Concubine Areas - Each one of the concubines had their own little (but beautiful and ornate) hut. They were near one another, but the walled difference was important to help to thwart the continued drama. Our guide told us to think Game of Thrones meets Young and the Restless.
• All of these areas, by the way, have large, gold plated steps for us to walk over to enter the major important rooms of the City. This is because the evil spirits (Li Jun called them "Chinese hopping zombies") walk like American zombies - without bending the knees. So the lip in front of the door was to prohibit their entry and threat to the emperor. I love learning little tidbits like this whereby only a guide could really provide the proper explanation.
• The most powerful of the concubines in Chinese history was probably the Dragon Lady. Famous for being regent during the end of China's dynastic reign, she was the mother of the last emperor and then, once he died young, gathered other cousins and family members in their youth to "lead the nation" as she pulled at the inner-strings of power. However, following WWI and the overthrow of the dynasty, the Qing and all those before it ended with zones of imperial influence.
• My favorite part of the Forbidden City was the Emperor's Garden. It was filled with peony flowers (official flowers of China) and ancient Cyprus trees, most of which were 300+ years old. The flowers and fragrances and beautiful igneous rocks interspersed with pavilions, temples, and ornate walkways was just breathtaking. We only had 15 minutes in here, and I could've easily spent 3 or more hours. But, I'm learning that's how an EF tour (the group NEA Foundation hired) works!

LUNCH

After the Forbidden City, we went to a nearby high-end mall to eat lunch and browse, as needed. While the 5-story feature looked and felt like an American mall, encountering plenty of people who don't speak English in addition to knowing nearly nothing about what's written with the Chinese characters certainly gives pause to rushing food choices. For one, it's highly recommended to never eat fresh fruits and vegetables because the water here is not good. So, if food is simply washed in tap water and then consumed, food poisoning could be right around the corner. Secondly, ordering for a menu is just as good as ordering from an alien - unless there are pictures or loosely-based English translations. Most of the eateries at this food court we visited did not have that. Therefore, I went to the deli where you simply pick up the dish, put it on your plate, and then pay for it at the end. I also added a juice (love their juice here - very fresh and no added sugar) and a Chinese donut, which was more buttery and less sugary than its American counterpart. 

Following lunch, Rich (the Minnesota teacher of excellence) and I went to the supermarket connected to the mall instead of shopping. Boy, that was pretty amazing. I actually really enjoy going to supermarkets to really get a feel for what the culture is like for the average person in the country. If you think about it, we're all at the whim of eating and making our own food. So while the average person could avoid most of the tourist traps that foreigners go to, they can't avoid the supermarket. Probably the biggest differences between American and Chinese super markets is the focus on freshness (fish are either whole on ice or live in the tank, for example) and the focus on salesmen in the aisles promoting certain products. 

PEARL FACTORY

Next we visited a government-run freshwater pearl factory. The saleswoman there spoke the best English of anyone but our guides, and she truly knew how to sell her product. They were beautiful, by the way, so I picked up a special something for the ladies in my life.

SUMMER PALACE

We finished our tours today at the Summer Palace. It was quite exquisite, serene, and simple, especially in comparison to the hugeness of the Forbidden City. I'm not going to lie - I probably didn't appreciate it as much as I should have, considering the exhaustion of walking nearly 8 miles. The beautiful trees and flora were a great setting for a conversation, and Linda (Teacher of the Year from Missouri) and Cathy (TOY, TN) had some great discussions on American history. I really enjoyed the dragon boat ride on the immense lake, waving to paddling passersby and having fun posing with the Chinese tourists who enjoy snapping us Americans in their own photo journeys. The best part of that is nonverbal humor is able to universally procure a laugh, and I did my part with that plenty today.

DINNER

We closed dinner with Peking Duck at a swanky restaurant in near Center City Beijing. How do we know it's swanky? They have westernized toilets (i.e. No squatty potty). However, it was probably the least favorite meal I had so far. Duck is too fatty and rich for me on its own, and they showed us how it's prepared in a multitude of ways. I liked the one where you wrap it up with veggies and sauces compared to just having it on its own (the new way). Regardless, I'm still quite full and tried everything on the lazy Susan, including creamy cantaloupe, spicy shrimp and veggies, and Mongolian antelope. Most Chinese don't do dessert, probably because they bring out so much food that the table team hardly has room to stuff it all down. 

Now it's time to close out this busy day. I need a second shower, a bit of family time, and then I'll crash within seconds of hitting the pillow. Great Wall of China tomorrow!

I'm hoping to double up on my blog posts since we have a 2 hour ride to the Wall.