Hello,
My first few days in Beijing have been amazing. We do so much in one day. I've tried lots of new foods, from lotus root to scorpion. All of the architecture here is beautiful. There is so much detail, especially in the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace, which we visited today. This morning, I saw the flag raising ceremony at sunrise. There were so many people, especially tourist groups that ran for the line to see Mao after it ended. Everyone here wants to take a picture of us. Today Matti and I were waiting in line for the dragon boats and this group of around ten chinese women came over asking to take pictures. Then they would switch and push each other out of the way. We must have taken ten different pictures. Everyone here is so nice. We went to the school and the girls played basketball with us. Today a little boy was asking me where I was from and if I liked the Summer Palace. His dad was telling him what to say and he repeated it to me. I can't wait to go to the rural school and meet more kids.
Zaijian!
Emma
So far China has been great. It's so different from the US, yet similar. The city look is similar and people are crazy drivers. The people are very different though and act like we are aliens and they always want to take pictures. Today at the Forbidden City, about 15 Chinese women grabbed us and had us take pictures with them. It was both flattering and awkward. Also on the topic of foreign relations, we are often stared at like we have 4 eyes on the street. People say "you handsome, I love you" and attempt to sell us some random product. It is quite a spectacle for us to be in a public place.
Today, day 3 in Beijing, we began our day at 8:00 am when we got on our tour bus and headed for the summer palace. Going to to the palace, I wasn't expecting a huge monument or grandeur royal area but man was I wrong. This place was spectacular. There was a wide walkway toward a wall and a pagoda. We then walked through the gate and came upon a huge lake overlooked by a massive buddist temple on a hill. The palace grounds were huge. The lake was big and the shoreline was lined with exquisite walkways and pagodas.
Nick and Charlie
