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Ready to be a Tourist?
November 30, 2008
// 12:22 AM
So after 5 months and some weeks, I have finally decided to hit up the tourist spots of Beijing. We have about 3 weekends left to fit in everything and let's just say the weekends are about to be very tiring. I've been here for 5 something months and I still haven't gone to The Forbidden City. Why? Well,
1) during the summer and early fall, it was about 90+ degrees outside everyday
2) the tourist season just ended, so prices are slashed in half, yes!
3) the crowds during the tourist season are unbearable; nearly empty sites make better pictures than 3 times over-crowded sites do
 So there. I finally went to The Temple of Heaven this weekend with George, Angela, Ivy, Alex, and Winnie. It was quite fun actually. Temple of Heaven isn't just a tourist location, it's also a place of relaxation for locals. Right when we entered the park, we heard some loud chorus singing. As we approached a long corridor, we saw a group of locals gathered holding scripts and singing with a conductor in the middle. It was amazing! We also saw locals doing 扭秧歌儿, basically ribbon dancing. Others were playing 羽毛球, badminton. We kept walking towards the Temple of Good Harvest or something along those lines, while Winnie gave us a mini tour from the info she got reading about the place earlier. I definitely need to start reading up on the sites BEFORE I leave to see it. The place wasn't too crowded, but it was cold cold cold and windy. But The whole place was amazing none the less. There was also an "Echo Wall" there. It was a perfect circle and if one person stood at the west end and one person stood at the east end, and they yelled words near the wall while facing north, they could easily communicate. We tried it of course, and it worked. It was pretty awesome.
After that, we headed over to 三里屯, Sanlitun Bar Street. We splurged at Let's Burger and had their yummy mouth-watering burgers and fries. Okay, we were going totally American today, being tourist and eating burgers for dinner, so we felt we might as well hit up Cold Stone for dessert too. Haha.. It really doesn't sound like I'm in China, does it? Let's just say we're all pretty sick of eating Chinese all the time. Well the day ended and we were all about 20 dollars poorer (thanks to American prices at Sanlitunr).
Then the night was closed off watching Wanted. It was an alright movie I suppose, but a little confusing. I'd give it a 3.
For some reason, I've been longing to go home for so long now, but now that I think of it, I can still remember every little thing about home. I didn't forget anything, so it shouldn't be any different from when I get home, right? 22 more days! My flight gets in to SFO at 12:25pm on December 22. Oh baaby!! I hope I'm not jetlagged. I don't want to sleep during the day! I want to embrace all the Milpitas I can get.
Locals doing ribbon dancing
 Us doing the classic jumping picture in front of the Temple of Good Harvest 
Let's Burger, all decked out for Christmas. How American is this place!? It made me so happy being in there with all the decorations!
Labels: China, food, Home, sight-seeing
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Happy Thanksgiving from China!
November 27, 2008
// 7:10 AM
Today's feast left everyone complaining. Complaining about stomach pains, that is.. from eating way too much. I carried myself better than I thought I would though. The Thanksgiving meal was definitely the best we have had here by far. We started the day off with a light lunch after classes and headed straight to Xidan 西单, the shopping area just south of campus. I was so ready to spend loads of money, but it was unsuccessful. There was nothing there that I wanted, nor even found the least interest in. But I did end up finding a whole new bargaining place I hadn't heard about or seen before. I'm definitely going to hit up YaXiu or XiuShuiJie instead next time. My list of things to get: jeans, shoes, sweater, and a shirt. It just has to be done. My wardrobe is getting old.
 Anyways, after shopping, we got back to our dorms and headed straight for the subway station via bus. The ride was about 20 minutes--a lot less than what it would have been if we took a taxi. A lot cheaper too: 2 kuai (~30 cents)/person for the subway versus 30 kuai (~$4.20)/ car for the taxi. We got to the Beijing Lufthansa Center and headed for Kempinski Hotel 凯宾斯基饭店, a German high-class hotel chain. It was amazing inside, but no time to enjoy the beautiful decor inside the hotel.. STRAIGHT TO THE BUFFET! The buffet was at Kranzler's, and they were serving up an All-American Thanksgiving feast. Complete with your turkey, roast beef, ham, bbq chicken, porkchops, mashed potatoes, vegetable medley, salad bar, soup bar (including the MUCH missed Boston Clam Chowder), cold cuts, fruit bar, cheese, breads (oh, how I missed that french bread), and of course, the Chinese favorites Beijing Roast duck, fried rice, dim sum, and sweet and sour pork. But what was most important, especially to a girl like me? DESSERTS DESSERTS DESSERTS. The dessert bar complete with cheesecake, pumpkin pie, blueberry pie, pecan pie, lemon pie, sweet potato pie, walnut brownies, cookies, and my absolute favorite--Haggen Daas ice cream (green tea, chocolate, vanilla and strawberry) complete with toppings. It was amazing.
What was the best? I'm thinking it was the roast beef, turkey, mashed potatoes, Beijing Roast Duck, and the desserts -- especially moose, which contained a good 3 millimeter thick layer of pure, rich chocolate, unlike any I've had for as long as I can remember. I wish I could have eaten more!!
But because it's Thanksgiving, I have to give my thanks for this year:
- My family for their endless support and care that they have given me this year, especially while abroad
- My friends and close ones for their company, concern, and smiles that they've brought me, year and year again
- My teachers for all the knowledge that has been jammed in my head--especially in the last few months
- My entire experience in China--safe traveling, intense studying, cultural learning, and independent living
- The food on my plates, bowls, take out, clay pots and hot pots--and for SURE this Thanksgiving's feast
- My health, even though, I've gotten sick like 3 times since I've been in China
- All the good movies and music that has come out in the last year, which always seems to relax me
- The Olympic year, for making this entire experience 50 times more interesting and fun
- The election, for showing that Americans are changing--no doubt slowly, but surely
- Cal, for challenging me, and providing me not only academic knowledge, but cultural as well
- REACH! for giving me the opportunity to outreach, to talk to students and tell them how important it is to go to college, and have these kinds of experiences I am having now
- I am lucky to have the people I do in my life, seriously. That's all I can say.
Anyways, food coma is getting to me. Here are a few pictures of the feast:
 The first plate: bread, roast beef, turkey, pork, mashed potatoes, salad
#2: mashed potatoes, salad, roast beef, Beijing Roast Duck, pork, pasta
Labels: buffet, shopping, Thanksgiving
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Excuse the mess
November 26, 2008
// 7:58 AM
So I realized that I've neglected this blog time and time again and I think it's about time I show some loyalty. Anyways, I've been busy trying to think of a new layout and even then, it didn't turn out exactly the way I wanted it to, but I'm working on it. There will be some changes and stuff, but I must admit, I'm having a good time reliving my web-design, web-page making days. Those restless nights were so great. That feeling you get when you press "preview" and it FINALLY looks the way you want it to? Yeah. That feeling is good good good.
Anyways, Beijing is driving me crazy. I have about 25 more days here. Unbelievable. Everyday I think about how bad I want to go home, but I feel like I'm just going to be lost when I get home. It's weird really. I have gotten used to this place and have called it home for almost 6 months. I'm pretty knowledgeable about the city, where I should go if I want to go shopping, where the CBD is, where I can find yummy American food, where I can find good deals on everyday necessities. Also having my own room, as weird as it sounds, is going to make it weird for when I get back home. But don't get me wrong, I miss a billion things from back home. But as much as I feel like going home, I feel weird about leaving this place also. I've learned so much about Beijing, about its people, about their customs, habits, and so much more. It's been a successful study abroad experience, I think.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving for us Americans here in China. EAP has planned a huge feast for us at some German Hotel in the CBD that is serving an All-American Thanksgiving dinner buffett. Sounds delicious right? Well maybe not to someone who hasn't been without American food in a while. But to us, it's worth starving 2 days for. This feast we're having means we're going to get to the hotel right when it starts, and stay there until 9, when it's over. My stomach is growling right now just thinking about it. Anyways, 8am tomorrow!Labels: China, Home
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Name: ymmatammy
