Mike's Guest Post!

Melissa and I arrived in Beijing on Monday, May 12. We flew through Toronto, where we discovered the difference between Americans and Canadians--they call a Bloody Mary a "Caesar." Air Canada's TVs with movie choices at each seat made the 13-hour flight bearable, and before we knew it, we were in China. After we landed, Jen informed us that Beijing had just experienced an earthquake. She had thought she was having a dizzy spell in her office, on the upper floor of a high rise, when someone yelled earthquake. We would soon learn that the earthquake was far more significant south of Beijing. Chinese media covered the quake extensively, and we followed the news on nytimes.com.

The main purpose of our trip was to see Jen and Will, with the added bonus of seeing China. Seeing Jen and Will was wonderful. We were impressed by how well they have made their way in Beijing. Will's Chinese is amazing, and Jen's ability to maneuver without knowing the language is equally amazing. That said, she knows more than just a few words and is able to communicate just enough with cab drivers, waitresses, and merchants. Watching Jen barter for souvenir silk bathrobes, t-shirts, or miniature buddhas was one of the highlights of the trip.

Beijing has everything you would want in a city to visit, or to live in for a year. There is always a new street to discover, a new bar to go to, another sight to see. Melissa and I explored the Forbidden City, and later sat at a nearby rooftop bar with Jen and Will, having drinks overlooking the Forbidden City's rooftops at night.

Jen joined Melissa and I for an incredible 4-hour hike along the Great Wall. Imagine hiking through some of the most beautiful mountains you've ever seen, combined with passing through guard houses that evoke childhood fantasies about exploring castles, with the fact that you are walking on a centuries-old wall built to keep the Mongols out--that's hiking the Great Wall.

From the Peking Duck and Dumplings to Guinness at an Irish Pub, and from seeing the Temple of Heaven to seeing the Olympic stadium, we had a great time. Best of all, we loved seeing Jen and Will, where they live, and how well they have done in Beijing.