Thank you for your patience. After all my traveling and settling back into school here, time continues to fly by. I am going to recap the best I can from my 4 days in Beijing. I left Wuhan Sunday night on a train for Beijing. I sat in the "soft seat" section and attempted to sleep on the overnight ride. I didn't saw too many logs, unfortunately. The soft seats are nothing like a comfortable recliner of sofa. Think more like an uncomfortable chair with some padding. Maybe I am just not one to sleep on planes and trains either. I arrived safely in Beijing around 7 am on Monday. After dropping luggage off at the other FOC pads, my traveling partners and I headed to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden Palace in the heart of the city.
I thought there were a lot of people in Wuhan at times, but that is nothing compared to the masses in Beijing, especially during National holiday in the capital city. If you come here you have to leave your personal space on the plane. You won't get much of a comfort zone here. It was something to check off the list. I will never be around so many people ever again though. At least, I hope. In the afternoon we went to the Temple of Heaven. It was a warm day and after experiencing some exhaustion from the sun and lack of sleep the night before, the park and sights there were much more relaxed. The park in which the Temple of Heaven is found has lots of trees and green space. It had shade and a lot fewer people. Even though many were there, it seemed like a lot less than the Square that morning. The famous Temple of Heaven is the next picture.
After walking through the Temple area, the group (Andy Buschkopf, Peter, Ivy [a Chinese friend]) and I headed for the Pearl Market or Silk Street. It is a 5 or 6 story shopping mall where just about everything is sold. The market is fun because every vendor wants you to buy their stuff. You can challenge all the prices you want until you are blue in the face. You have to be careful not to pay too much and get trapped thinking you got a deal when you just got taken. I bought a sweater for the cold winters in Wuhan and had fun watching everyone else talk down prices. You first use the low ball, ridiculous price. Then you get real and say the price you really want which is still too high for them. They will start the price almost always at a ridiculously high price. Then you pull the teacher card or the "I don't really need this" card. And then if they still don't see your side you use the walk away. Then they see that you mean it. This usually drops the price drastically. After that you discuss some more and find some more ways of why it should be as low as you want it. Lots of fun and a good first day in Beijing.
After walking through the Temple area, the group (Andy Buschkopf, Peter, Ivy [a Chinese friend]) and I headed for the Pearl Market or Silk Street. It is a 5 or 6 story shopping mall where just about everything is sold. The market is fun because every vendor wants you to buy their stuff. You can challenge all the prices you want until you are blue in the face. You have to be careful not to pay too much and get trapped thinking you got a deal when you just got taken. I bought a sweater for the cold winters in Wuhan and had fun watching everyone else talk down prices. You first use the low ball, ridiculous price. Then you get real and say the price you really want which is still too high for them. They will start the price almost always at a ridiculously high price. Then you pull the teacher card or the "I don't really need this" card. And then if they still don't see your side you use the walk away. Then they see that you mean it. This usually drops the price drastically. After that you discuss some more and find some more ways of why it should be as low as you want it. Lots of fun and a good first day in Beijing.