Beijing on a Shoestring

Oh the things still unsaid...it's been hard to get internet access, and I've mostly been too busy with life to care much, but I do miss everyone and want them to know I'm alive and well. Here is the group blog for Mongolia. I wrote the first article listed, "The Gobi: A Day by Day Breakdown," which basically says everything I said about the Gobi, only more stylistically, with more specific locations and about the group instead of just me. You can expect to see updates after each country we visit. I'm writing my next article tomorrow.

http://sites.google.com/site/upspacrim/

I love China. I love speaking Chinese. It's different now that I am not with a boyfriend who can translate for me. I actually have to try or nothing will get done. My non-Chinese speaking friends look to me to be able to communicate basic things--ordering at a restaraunt, finding the bathroom, asking how much fruit costs, etc. And people are suprisingly patient, and so friendly. I could see myself living here, for a while at least. It's not as scary as the newspapers make it sound.

Right now I'm in WuTaiShan, the mountainous spiritual homeland of Buddhism in China. But first, Beijing. We did the whole guided tour thing, and I felt like such a tourist. We went to the Forbidden City (snooze...a little too showy and over-the-top for my taste, though I did like the trees and mountains in the imperial garden), Tiennamen Square (oh Mao), the Great Wall (like Disneyland), a kung fu show (amazing, ooh baby, look at those back abs).


The Olympic mascots are cute, I have to say


I got too lazy to hike the great wall and had to be carried


My new friend Mr. Elephant

Um, the girl whose internet connection I'm using needs it back, so I'm going to have to go for now. I don't know if I'll get another chance before I get to Shanghai, but until then, adeu!