DAY THREE - Some student updates

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

Day Three

What a packed day we had today. Some members of the group got up early this morning and walked to Tienanmen Square where they watched a flag raising ceremony. I went for a run and ironically took years off my life . . .the smog is really bad here.

We again had a great breakfast and then were off to Summer Palace. This was beautiful...elaborate gardens, a lake, incredible architecture. We took a boat ride across the lake, and then we were off to a demonstration on fresh water pearls. We then headed to the Forbidden City and took in a great deal of Chinese history. It is interesting to consider over 3,000 years of history compared to hundreds of years of American history. I am going to leave more specifics for the students; I am going to bring the computer down for a couple of them to blog. Last night we ran into some Internet problems, so hopefully tonight some will be able to get on. I will upload some new pictures soon.
-John White

DAY TWO

We had an excellent day today. It is now 7:30pm, and we are back at the hotel after a feast, which featured Peking Duck. Our morning started with a very filling breakfast--everyone is eating more than we need--and then we headed to the "Number One Middle School" in Beijing (apparently they are not very modest given the name). We learned a Chinese craft of string art. I think Troy was the worst at the arts and crafts, and he had no problem admitting that it was not his forte! We then went to an English class where we listened to their lesson and then we joined a group of students and spoke with the children about American culture. They thought Americans did not get any homework and that we get paid big money for doing chores . . . we set them straight that not all of us have this experience. They were very intrigued by our culture; some even asked us about the effect of the economic crisis on our lives. We ate lunch in their cafeteria. Again, more food than any of us could eat.

The US Embassy was our next stop. Here we listened to and spoke with US diplomats about their positions with the Embassy. They had very interesting stories about their work with international students, granting Chinese visas and working with the US and Chinese press. They shared with us stories of being an American living in China. One thing they said is difficult is being considered "exotic." People are very intrigued by Americans; we have had our pictures taken many times.

Next it was to the Newbury Street of Beijing and then "snack street." I ate--we all ate--a scorpion. Actually Martha didn't. Everyone else was brave...or maybe stupid. It tasted like a potato chip...but I wouldn't say you "just can't have one." One was enough. After this appetizer, we were off to our dinner, which I already told you about. I have a bunch of pictures I am attaching.

Everyone is happy and really having an amazing trip. They all have big smiles on their faces and are taking in every moment. In fact, I think it is interesting to see them without cell phones. Everyone is much more present to the people they are with, rather than texting someone else. It is refreshing. I am going to have a student also blog each day to give their perspective. Emma will be the first, so look for blog in a couple of hours.

I hope this is working out so you can share in some of our experiences. And Flat Will did make a couple of appearances today...I will try to get some of his pictures uploaded as well. Here is the link for our pictures

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7421576@N02/?saved=1

Signing off until tomorrow,
-John

DAY ONE - Beijing

We have safely arrived and just headed to our rooms for the night. Everyone is exhausted. It was difficult to sleep on the plane, so most of us are operating on little sleep. We had a walking tour of a neighborhood around Beijing and then we went to dinner. The challenge for the evening was eating with chopsticks. I think I am going to drop a couple of pounds over here.
Our hotel is nice, and the tour director is great. We have a full day planned for tomorrow. We are spending the morning at a local school where we will attend classes, take them on in a basketball game and eat lunch in their cafeteria. In the afternoon, we will be visiting the US Embassy and meeting with US Embassy workers who will talk to us about their work as well as the experience of living in China as an American. I will try to post more when I am more rested. I just wanted parents to know we are safe and everyone is doing well.

One day to departure!

We are one day away from our departure for China. This trip has been in the works for a year now. Nine students signed up, took two classes last summer, participated in the pre-trip activities (such as movie nights, a trip to Chinatown, pre-departure meetings), and they have individually prepared themselves for the opportunity of a lifetime.

As we prepare to leave, we are thankful to the school administration for its support, the Pathways to China Program managed by Burlington Public Schools, and our families. All have made this possible.

While we are in China, we will be updating this blog to bring friends and family news of our whereabouts and post pictures for all to see. We are unsure how often we will be able to access the internet, but when we do, we will post.

Also, we are being accompanied by a paper cut out boy called "Flat Will." Mrs. Burchill's 4th grade class at Killam Elementary is learning geography all year long by tracking the travels of their own "Flat Stanley" (Flat Stanley is a children's book.) Flat Will has traveled to New Mexico, Arizona,London, Florida, Washington DC and his culminating trip is China. Hopefully, we will be able to post pictures of Flat Will as he makes the journey with us. Thanks to Mrs. Burchill and her class for allowing us to spend this time with Will. Hopefully he has some rain gear and his passport is up to date.


Lastly, you can see our itinerary below. Thanks again to all of you for reading our blog. We are excited to share our stories and pictures with you as we explore China.
-Mr. John White

Itinerary
Day 1 > April 15 > Start Tour
Day 2 > April 16 > Ni Hao Beijing
Meet your Tour Director and check into hotel
Day 3 > April 17 > Beijing
Tiananmen Square
Local school visit
Forbidden City visit
Peking Duck dinner
A favorite dish of the emperors during the Ming Dynasty, Peking duck became available to the masses when a later dynasty collapsed and court chefs took their recipes to the streets. Indulge in spiced, crispy duck carved into strips and eaten on thin pancakes with cucumber, shallot, and plum sauce.
Day 4 > April 18 > Beijing
Tai-Chi Exercise
Summer Palace visit
"Snack Street" visit
Day 5 > April 19 > Great Wall
Travel to Great Wall of China
Stretching from Korea to the Gobi Desert, the Great Wall of China reaches 1,500 miles along old imperial borders. The wall was built mainly by millions of slaves, repairing and lengthening existing defensive walls throughout the centuries (the oldest dating back to the 5th century BC), until the massive structure was complete. Sentries posted at the stone watchtowers along its length could use smoke to signal an imminent attack.
Sacred Road
Day 6 > April 20 > Beijing--Xian
Fly to Xi'an
Bike the City Wall
Greater Wild Goose Pagoda visit
Day 7 > April 21 > Xi'an
School visit
Muslim Market visit
Mosque visit
Dumpling dinner
Day 8 > April 22 > Xi'an
Terra Cotta Warriors Museum
Tang Dynasty Singing and Dancing Show
Elaborate costumes, haunting rhythms, spectacular dexterity. The Tang Dynasty had a wide reputation for its dance performances, used by the Emperor Taizong not only for entertainment but also to educate citizens about civic duty and military readiness. At the art form's peak popularity, there were thousands of trained dancers kept in the emperor's court.
Day 9 > April 23 > Xian--Shanghai
Fly to Shanghai
French Concession walk
Yu Yuan Garden
Bund evening cruise
Day 10 > April 24 > Shanghai
Shanghai museum
Nanking Road
Acrobatic Show
Forget Cirque de Soleil -- Shanghai's Acrobatic Troupe has been performing for more than 50 years, and their combination of superb acrobatics, juggling, magic, and more has made them the world's best acrobatic ensemble.
Day 11 > April 25 > End Tour
High-speed train to airport