BEIJING!! We had a some vacation time from teaching so 7 of us girls went to the thriving metropolis of China for 7 days!! The train ride was 22 hours long plus a 2 hour bus ride. Me and my friend Giulli decided to get smart and get on the more expensive but oh so much more worth it sleepers on the train! It was like hangin out on my bed all day and night!!
The style's in China are awesome. When we see something like what this girl is wearing, we just say, " There goes China". If you can see her hood, the big round thing is the traveling pillow and it is all part of her jacket. I think it totall goes with the glofied parachute pants and the 90's sandals.
Ever seen asian gold fish? no? well now you have!
One of the first things we did was go to the Art Museum. 798 was more of a collection of Art shows by various artist. I had more fun taking pictures of the people and outside stuff rather than the actual art
.
I tried to make this photo artistic. But I dont think you can get the message from it. It's the chinese flag gated in. Soon to be freed. I thought it was cool :)
Greenwall!!
One thing that I absolutely love about China and the way they care for each other is the chivalry the gentlemen have. We walked around pretty much everywhere in Beijing, and we saw so many couples, mostly younger ones, where the guy was doing something as simple as carrying the purse for the girl. I know in America, a lot of girls are weird about stuff like that and some guys are feel too manly to do stuff like that, but the pride factor isnt really there. You watch these couples and see how they act together. Its completely different from what I see in American couples.
I thought this picture depicted China very well.
We were walking out of this exhibit, and this little kid had walked in chowin down on her little corn ice cream. So I ran back up the stairs and stole a candid moment.
This one was a completely lucky shot. I was just walking by and pointed and clicked and it turned out pretty cool.
These two people probably saved our lives in China more than we can count. Kiersten had some great connections and we were able to get to and see everything we wanted to see in a very timely manner and saved money doing it.
Mr. Cho saved me from having to sleep out on the streets for seven days since I was a sagwa and forgot my passport in my apartment. A passport is a must to be able to stay in any hostel or hotel. He was able to get me into the hostel we had originally booked with, with out a passport. I dont know how he did it, but I will be forever greatful. He also took us to an the most famous restaurant in China and we ate peking duck. Very good and delicious meal. He was a very sweet man who constantly worried about our well being and if we were having a good time and were happy. He also took us out the last night we were there to a brazilian buffet. They had Spaghetti!!!!! haha I also had some roasted ox tongue and chicken heart to make sure I had some kind of asian experience in such western restaurant.
Regular site wherever there is bargaining shopping. Worse than the day after Thanksgiving sale!
This would be a "there goes China" moment. In America, we worry about the teenager girls with mid-drifts. Well not here, here we have to worry about the middle aged beer belly men wearing mid-drifts.
We actually kept tabs on this guy for a little bit. His name was "Calvin Klein guy" I think everyone in our group has a picture of him on their camera. But he isnt the only one who wears his stomach so proudly. Many middle aged men do this. We figure it's a cooling technique. It must be affective if so many people do it.
I thought this guys outfit was sweet. Behind his back he had two walnuts turnong in his hand. We thought he wasnt too bad looking either.
We went on a quest to find the underground city that Mao had built during the Cold War. To get there you go through some old historic housing called the Hu Tongs. It houses that were built back then that people still live in that havent been renovated or restored. This little boy was adorable.
These people are always yelling something to come over and buy their food. Sometimes I'm glad I dont understand, cuz then I have an excuse not to buy it.
Mangoes are in season and they are delicious. The small ones this guy is sellin are the best!
Takin a breather. It had been a long day for these guys. They were in hard seats for the 22 hour train ride. I dont think anyone who hasnt done that could understand the agony of how much time that is to sit in one spot for so long. They were troopers. This same day is the day we arrived off the train straight to touring.
After 2 and a half hours of looking and getting lost, we found it!!!!!!! The Underground City!!
And then we saw this: :(
This man was crazy! Look at what he had on his feet. Thats all he was climbing with. They were playing with those electrical wires like they were playdough too!
We found a Dairy Queen and these are the faces that this moment created!!
Yeah yeah yeah, so what we are excited about a DQ in Asia!! dont judge :)
Our life during Beijing was a lot of buses and subways and a couple of Taxi's. Beijing is a big city and nothing was near to something else. And if you didnt know, there are a lot of Asians in China who also ride these motor vehicles at the same time. And it dont think they have any problems with chlosterphobia in China. If they did, this system of jam packed subway cars and buses wouldnt really be as effective.
This man is sitting on a giant teddy bear on the curb next to a major road. ha ha Thats about all i can say about that one.
Natural History Museum!
I was trying to be cool.....
Like these guys!!
I didnt even know that Ostrich's and Baboons lived in the same habitat!!!
These two exibits were probably the coolest ones. the rest of the museum was poorly lighted and kind of falling apart. They didnt really seem to know how to present the specimens. It was interesting since back in the states, everything is so well preserved and presented with such flare.
"Stop, take some time to think. Figure out what's important to you!"
"Stop in the name of Looooove, before you break my heaaaaart!"
It looks like that guy behind me is touching my hand...... but he's not....
Its the stinker shot!!
"I got the whoooooole world in my hands, I got the whole world in my hands, I got the whoooooole world in my hands, I got the whole world in my hands"
World Peace!!!!
This squatting this is swear is an artform. I cant sit like that for more than 30 seconds. Squattin' is the new sitting apparently here in China!
Ride like the wind Bullseye!!!
This post is just from the Temple of Heaven. This place was huge! It was also so much fun to just take pictures of random things. If you look at the pictures there are hardly any of the buildings. Just watching people be and do their thing oddly enough intrigues me and so I capture it on film and try to convey it as best as I can. So enjoy!
