Thursday, May 31, 2007
Thursday, May 17
We took a tour of the Cloisonne Enamel Factory and an antique market, Luilichang. Later that night we sang at Renmin University, which is among the top three universities in China.
Tian'anmen Square and the Forbidden City
The second day we rode to Tian’namen Square and the Forbidden City. This is the place where several important Chinese political events took place and close to where Chairman Mao's body is held. Just beyond the square is the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City was the Imperial palace for the Qing and Ming dynasties.
The other tour guide Kelly told us all about the Forbidden City. She mentioned their being five gates originally and there now only being three. We passed through each of them. I almost forgot to mention that we sang in Tian'namen Square for the several other tourists that had gathered around all of us as we attempted to take a large group picture. That many Americans together in one place is somewhat of a spectacle in China, so that is why we drew such a crowd. We also sang on the airplane ride to China...that's funny, I know!
This is such a beautifully ornamented place. The colors are bold and wonderful! Check out the pics. I can't remember what everything is, but it's pretty to look at, so I took a picture of it.
Funny little side tidbit - it was a little hot, so some of us refreshed ourselves by eating corn and sweet pea flavored popsicles. I wasn't that hot, but really I didn't know until someone else had already gotten one. :-)
Later that night we returned to perform at the Forbidden City concert Hall. It was quite beautiful and we had a nice crowd.
The other tour guide Kelly told us all about the Forbidden City. She mentioned their being five gates originally and there now only being three. We passed through each of them. I almost forgot to mention that we sang in Tian'namen Square for the several other tourists that had gathered around all of us as we attempted to take a large group picture. That many Americans together in one place is somewhat of a spectacle in China, so that is why we drew such a crowd. We also sang on the airplane ride to China...that's funny, I know!
This is such a beautifully ornamented place. The colors are bold and wonderful! Check out the pics. I can't remember what everything is, but it's pretty to look at, so I took a picture of it.
Funny little side tidbit - it was a little hot, so some of us refreshed ourselves by eating corn and sweet pea flavored popsicles. I wasn't that hot, but really I didn't know until someone else had already gotten one. :-)
Later that night we returned to perform at the Forbidden City concert Hall. It was quite beautiful and we had a nice crowd.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
We made it! - Beijing!
Ni hao! (pronounced - Nee-How) It means hello in Chinese.
Our first day was good. We got through the airport customs and security within a matter of 3 hours. We found our two buses and tour guides amid the masses of people. There are sooo many people in Beijing, about 15 million to be exact.
There was a haze out that day and it was a bad air quality day. I was hoping that there wouldn't be this much smog out every day. Thankfully, it wasn't. There is actually great amounts of pollution in Beijing, our tour guide Maggie (that's her English name) informed us of this. She is a student as well and she went with us around Beijing explaining what some things were. Her English wasn't the best, but we managed.
I was groggy all day, but the tiredness didn't really hit me until we settled into the hotel. I was too excited!
Some bits of information I discovered before and while in China...there is very little concept of tissue and toilets, however we did have them in the hotels. Instead of toilets there are stalls with these toilet-seat like things in the ground...interesting, I know! They still manage to be incredibly clean people despite all of this. Outside, Beijing was very dusty, people walking and on bikes rode around with masks in order to shield their eyes. I didn't wear my contacts very much their because of this. There seemed to be construction everywhere. Half-finished buildings, scaffoldings, and cranes are everywhere. They are erecting buildings like crazy, I think, in order to prepare for the 2008 OLYMPICS!! It is so cool that they are having the Olympics there!!! More info, probably more than you want to know...the little children just "take care of business" in the street, most of them do anyway. We couldn't drink the water, so teeth brushing called for boiled water or bottled water. I used bottled water. There were a lot of times when we just didn't have time to boil water.
We went to a traditional Chinese restaurant the first night; they prepared a little show for us. They usually only serve Coca-Cola, Sprite and some of the most amazing tea you will ever taste in your life at their meals in the restaurants.
I slept like a log that night for sure!
Zàijiàn (goodbye - pronounced, Tsi-gen)
Our first day was good. We got through the airport customs and security within a matter of 3 hours. We found our two buses and tour guides amid the masses of people. There are sooo many people in Beijing, about 15 million to be exact.
There was a haze out that day and it was a bad air quality day. I was hoping that there wouldn't be this much smog out every day. Thankfully, it wasn't. There is actually great amounts of pollution in Beijing, our tour guide Maggie (that's her English name) informed us of this. She is a student as well and she went with us around Beijing explaining what some things were. Her English wasn't the best, but we managed.
I was groggy all day, but the tiredness didn't really hit me until we settled into the hotel. I was too excited!
Some bits of information I discovered before and while in China...there is very little concept of tissue and toilets, however we did have them in the hotels. Instead of toilets there are stalls with these toilet-seat like things in the ground...interesting, I know! They still manage to be incredibly clean people despite all of this. Outside, Beijing was very dusty, people walking and on bikes rode around with masks in order to shield their eyes. I didn't wear my contacts very much their because of this. There seemed to be construction everywhere. Half-finished buildings, scaffoldings, and cranes are everywhere. They are erecting buildings like crazy, I think, in order to prepare for the 2008 OLYMPICS!! It is so cool that they are having the Olympics there!!! More info, probably more than you want to know...the little children just "take care of business" in the street, most of them do anyway. We couldn't drink the water, so teeth brushing called for boiled water or bottled water. I used bottled water. There were a lot of times when we just didn't have time to boil water.
We went to a traditional Chinese restaurant the first night; they prepared a little show for us. They usually only serve Coca-Cola, Sprite and some of the most amazing tea you will ever taste in your life at their meals in the restaurants.
I slept like a log that night for sure!
Zàijiàn (goodbye - pronounced, Tsi-gen)
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Leave for China
The Belmont Chorale, a fifty-six voice classical choir, left for Beijing, China on Monday, May 14, the day after Mother's Day. I got to see my parents, they came to the airport with me that day. It was an early morning that started at 3:00am. We loaded up the buses at 4:30am and set off for the airport. There we ate, slept, played cards and did whatever else to take up the time until our 8:40am flight.
Our first flight took us to Washington and then we were off to China on a thirteen-hour flight. Plane food - it wasn't as bad as people make it out to be. I thought it was pretty good. They were preparing us for our trip by filling us with chow mein, lo mein and other Chinese goodies.
My air buddy from Nashville to Washington was my choir buddy, Andrew. However on long trip I was blessed to sit by a very bright 4 year old named Evan and his family. His baby brother Bill was just as cute, but a little less cooperative. He didn't scream and wiggle too much during the trip, but he didn't take well to new people. Actually, both of them were well-behaved during the long trip. Evan and I talked for nearly two hours of the trip. He told me several stories about his friends at school and how he was so brave when he got his shots. Of course, he is a little boy so he giggled and said excuse me every time he burped, which was about every 5 minutes.
In this picture he had written his name with the pretzels we were given as a snack and had transformed into a pretzel monster. How cute, right!
After little Evan's stories began to circulate, I had to tell him that I needed to take a nappy nap. He tried to distract me with more stories, but then food came and he became exhausted after the meal any way. I slept a lot, thank the Lord! The time passed so fast.
I made the mistake of not hydrating enough on the ride there. I didn't understand why I was snifling and sneezing. It wasn't until later that I realized the problem. I certainly drank more the ride home and I was fine.
There is a thirteen hour time difference, so we left on Monday, May 14 and arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, May 15 around 12:30-1:00pm.
Our first flight took us to Washington and then we were off to China on a thirteen-hour flight. Plane food - it wasn't as bad as people make it out to be. I thought it was pretty good. They were preparing us for our trip by filling us with chow mein, lo mein and other Chinese goodies.
My air buddy from Nashville to Washington was my choir buddy, Andrew. However on long trip I was blessed to sit by a very bright 4 year old named Evan and his family. His baby brother Bill was just as cute, but a little less cooperative. He didn't scream and wiggle too much during the trip, but he didn't take well to new people. Actually, both of them were well-behaved during the long trip. Evan and I talked for nearly two hours of the trip. He told me several stories about his friends at school and how he was so brave when he got his shots. Of course, he is a little boy so he giggled and said excuse me every time he burped, which was about every 5 minutes.
In this picture he had written his name with the pretzels we were given as a snack and had transformed into a pretzel monster. How cute, right!
After little Evan's stories began to circulate, I had to tell him that I needed to take a nappy nap. He tried to distract me with more stories, but then food came and he became exhausted after the meal any way. I slept a lot, thank the Lord! The time passed so fast.
I made the mistake of not hydrating enough on the ride there. I didn't understand why I was snifling and sneezing. It wasn't until later that I realized the problem. I certainly drank more the ride home and I was fine.
There is a thirteen hour time difference, so we left on Monday, May 14 and arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, May 15 around 12:30-1:00pm.
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