Jen and Will in China

Last days in Beijing

2008-06-22T04:02:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that we're wrapping up our time here in Beijing. Will finished school and I had my last day of work here just last week. While Will is still pretty hard at work doing dissertation stuff we're both getting to enjoy some more leisure time (I guess me a bit more!) and trying to see all of our favorite spots, markets and of course friends.

My colleagues threw a little going away party for my last day of work. We went to a Japanese restaurant and ate food, drank beer and played the video game, Wii. I had to give a little speech on why I'm leaving and what I'll miss most about the office. Of course I said the people. I will miss many of my colleagues here - they made my days interesting! After my speech there was kind of a Q&A/roast session and one colleague (actually my cube mate) said that she knew she would like me because the first day of work she told me that she liked my eyes - she said they were so big and more beautiful than her own. She said she wanted eyes like mine. I told her that hers were more beautiful and that I liked hers better. After that I guess we bonded and I had a friend. I had more interesting conversations after that day with my colleagues, some work-related of course, but the more interesting ones about life in the U.S. and in China. I think I'll look back at my work experience here very fondly and smile when I think of the laughs I shared with my colleagues.

Once work ended I became an official tourist once again in Beijing! I've been shopping at all our favorite markets and practicing my bartering skills. I've also taken a few cooking classes so you will all be able to enjoy my Chinese cooking soon!

I learned how to make longevity noodles. It's very hard actually. Our teacher made it look very easy but he has been practicing for years. We also went to a dinner at our friend's new cooking school where I got to practice my dumpling making skills. Again, the Chinese chefs make it look very easy but I think getting them to look nice is very hard!

Other than working and playing we're getting ready for our trip and are starting to pack up our apartment. I can't believe how quickly the time has flown by. I think it was Noreen who emailed me that experiences like this at first seem like they will last so long, too long almost, and then at the end it's like they went by too quick. I think that's very true.

Will's Family in Beijing!

2008-06-21T22:46:00.000-07:00

How the time has flown by! Our final guests in Beijing - Will's parents and cousin Eva - came for a visit in the beginning of June. It was a lot of fun showing them around Beijing and sharing some of our favorite spots. They also traveled to Xian to see the terracotta warriors, and then spent the rest of their time soaking up all the sights and sounds of Beijing. Here are some pictures from their trip!

shopping at Panjiayuan market

eating Yunnan food at one of our favorite courtyard restaurants

Climbing the Great Wall at Mutianyu

we also discovered a great neighborhood filled with tons and tons of shops selling all the tea you could ever imagine! we learned how to drink and appreciate the fine qualities and benefits of Chinese tea.

Mike's Guest Post!

2008-05-29T02:01:00.000-07:00

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.

A little dose of home

2008-05-28T05:40:00.000-07:00

I know it’s been quite some time since my last post – but who has time to write when you have all your favorite people visiting? We have been busy enjoying time with our guests, including my Mom and Mark, Ryan, and most recently Mike and Melissa. And Will’s parents arrive in Beijing tonight – so look for some more pictures from their trip soon!

I worry sometimes that I’ll forget all the little moments of this year, at times it certainly feels surreal. Having our friends and fam here has made it seem even more real – we were able to make some great stories – Cheng-deh!, and even more vivid memories - the hike from Jinshanling to Simatai , the tobogan run down from Mutianyu...and of course get a few laughs in along the way. For people to get a chance to see our little corner of the world here in Beijing has been wonderful – from the everyday life, the challenges and the benefits of being a foreigner, and of course the amazing sights.

It’s been so special to share our lives here but even more special to just get a chance to hang out with the people we miss so much! And while we wish of course everyone could make a visit over here, now you’ll have the chance to hear even more great stories and perspectives on life in Beijing and traveling in China!

So here are a few highlights and pics from our visitors!

Mom & Mark

When my Mom and Mark were here I was lucky to take a few days off – we saw the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, the Great Wall and enjoyed many yummy dinners ranging from pizza at our local expat hangout, to amazing Peking duck. Mom and Mark then went on to Xian to see the terracotta warriors, then to Shanghai and Hong Kong! Of course they liked Beijing the best!

Great Wall at Mutianyu

Ming Tombs

enjoying a beer at The Tree

And then Ryan visited!

When Ryan was visiting we made an overnight trip to Chengde, which should be just about a 2 hour drive North from Beijing. As we learned, if you take the bus it’s about 5. Chengde was great – but it was the laughs with Ryan and Will that made it. I learned a few lessons on that trip including to add a little time cushion to bus rides in China (and perhaps bring a cushion in case you need to sit on the floor), avoid the boiling tripe if you can, always bring an umbrella, and sometimes if you go running through the rain you’ll find an amazing, massive Buddha at the end making it all worthwhile:)

Behai Park in Beijing

Ryan and Will building at the Great Wall at

And then to Chengde!

The Mountain Resort

Puning temple

I also learned that Will has a unique sense of hiking attire….yes…this is the man I am going to marry!

And then Mike and Melissa arrived!

Here are a few pics - but Mike wrote his own post for their visit - check it out below!

hike from Jinshanling to Simatai

drinks at Face Bar

and Tsingdao at the Rickshaw!

Recharge in Malaysia!

2008-04-09T03:52:00.001-07:00

We just got back from a little "springbreak" getaway to Malaysia - it was just what we needed - fresh air, sunshine, and most of all a little R&R....

Before heading to our tropical getaway of Kota Kinabalu, we made a pit stop in Kuala Lumpur. First I have to say the airport is definitely one of the nicest I've ever been in. We stayed in the airport hotel and felt like we were in the rainforest....not your sterile, cookie-cutter layover.

In KL we enjoyed the diverse scenes, people and cuisine - including roti canai (see the chef making this and me enjoying it below), as well as rendang curry and teh tarik, which is like a sweet chai tea (the tea is made frothy using a special pouring technique from a hand held high into a container held in a hand below.)

This is a picture of a spice market we stumbled upon.

We toured around KL and saw the famous Petronas Towers and the old railway station. We also went to a beautiful orchid garden. Everything was so lush and green!

Then it was on to Kota Kinabalu! KK is the capital of Sabah, located on the island of Borneo. KK is famous for its beautiful beaches, Mount Kinabalu, and good diving. We mostly enjoyed the beautiful beaches and the amazing views!

Here's a picture of me in our hotel room - you can tell that I hated it:)

Here's the view from our room, just amazing!

We enjoyed our evenings watching the sunset....

We also went to a local market where Will got his coconut milk fix...and we chatted with some of the vendors and checked out some of their specialities.

Here's a picture of us in the lobby of our resort....

enjoying dinner.....

Here is our last sunset in Malaysia from the airport!

Western Mass Does Beijing

2008-03-22T05:53:00.000-07:00

Five friends from a little town in Western Mass, spread in different cities across the U.S...across the world...end up in Beijing, China for a little vacation....who would of thought?

If someone were to ask us at Anne T. Dunphy, oh say 10-15 years ago, do you think you'll ever climb the Great Wall of China, visit the Forbidden City, stroll around Beijing, China with the same girls you play at recess with....eventually went to prom with, graduated with, grew up during college with...hmm, what would we have answered? The world certainly seemed a lot bigger then, or maybe it was smaller. In any case - we may be older, we may live in far away places, but some things never change...we are Western Mass girls at heart and when we get together, in whatever city, we can't help but have fun...

Here are a few pics...enjoy!

...Checking out the Lama Temple

About to enjoy some Peking duck!

A little good fortune

More yummy dinners and laughs....

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

2008-03-17T07:25:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a pint of Guinness tonight at our local Irish pub in celebration of St. Patrick's Day! May the 'luck of the Irish' be with you today -- and may you enjoy a few pints of Guinness as well!

Art & Cooking

2008-02-27T04:32:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we took advantage of Will's last weekend before school resumed, and spent Saturday and Sunday playing. We started our day on Saturday at our favorite brunch spot, the Vineyard, which is in a hutong near the Lama Temple. We ended up running into several senior managers from my work - guess they know where to get a good english breakfast too!

Then we went to the 798 district - an area in Beijing we've heard a ton about and have been looking forward to exploring. 798 is is an old factory district, which is now filled with tons and tons of cutting-edge art galleries. We just happened upon the opening of a really cool exhibit, from an artist who lives in a small town near the Yangtze River, home also to the Three Gorges Dam. In 2009 the artist's town will be submerged in water to build what is supposed to be China's largest contruction project since the Great Wall - a massive hydroelectric dam. The artist's photographs were amazing. He took pictures of residents in his town at familiar sights, and using digital techniques pictured them submerged under water, wearing masks and snorkels. Only here would we have the opportunity to meet the artist, have a glass of wine while looking at his photographs - and wonder how things can be so easily destroyed, to build something new and modern.....something we see almost too often it seems in Beijing.

We wandered around the other galleries, including a very cool exhibit by an Italian artist, which featured interactive mirrors and cardboard mazes. I'm not sure yet about the deeper meaning of the exhibit, but nonetheless it was fun to wander around the maze and look at ourselves in the images.

Saturday night we went to our favorite Indian restaurant in Beijing -- but I have to say we haven't found Indian food here that rivals Cambridge (especially Punjabi Dahba!)

Sunday I took a cooking class with our friend AJ. It was a lot of fun. The class was in a hutong near a neat street, Nan Luo Gu Xiang, which has a lot of fun shops and restaurants. We learned to cook 4 dishes, mostly Sichuan (spicy) style. We'll have to see if I can replicate any of the dishes at home.

Well - the next blog i write will be when the girls from home are here! Emily, Caty, Tara and Kate arrive TOMORROW - i can't wait!

Konnichiwa!

2008-02-13T04:07:00.000-08:00

Sushi, sake, sights....what more could you ask for?

After spending a few days in Japan, I had to ask Will - you couldn't have studied Japanese, huh? Not that I don't love China, but Japan, Kyoto in particular - I really loved it. I loved the elegance of the city, the kind people, the sense of tradition and protocol, all the details (even the toilet seats are warm - see pic below), and how everything has a purpose and a point - from the random pile of salt on the front steps of a restaurant (in the old days emperors' wives would lure their husband - in particular their horses - to stop at their home by putting salt on the doorsteps; these days it's used to lure in customers.) I liked the efficiency of Japan - how cool is that high speed train! Everything is on time. And the environment is respected - from clean air (much different than Beijing!) to clean streets and well-cared for homes and public buildings. In Gion even air conditioners are covered by neat little wood boxes.

So...here are some pictures and highlights from our trip. We flew to Tokyo and then took the speed train to Kyoto. Our first night we had a great dinner consisting of Kyoto specialties - eggplant, yuba (tofu skin) tempura, and of course sake. Our first day in Kyoto we started off the day at a great little coffee house, and then headed to the Kiyomizu-dera temple - a wooden temple nestled in the mountains.

From there we went to a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Again - so many details and traditions. Our host was very sweet (see pic of her and Will below) and taught us how to drink "thin, green tea." Different from the green tea in China, this was a powdered green tea, that you whisk with a wooden brush. It's very yummy.

We also indulged our fondness for another yummy treat several times on this trip - mochi! (Note: Trader Joe's has mochi ice cream balls if you ever want to try it!)

That night we took a walking tour of Gion (think Memoirs of a Geisha .) Our guide taught us all about the geisha (actually called geicho - see below for a picture of a real geicho!) and how very few actually exist today. She said that businessmen (and yes some women) today prefer to buy expensive cars and electronics, rather than belong to a tea house. Today, only a very few celebrities, local politicians, etc. visit the tea houses and the charming ways of the geisha.

The next day we did a little shopping (we were in search of Japanese cutlery!) and then headed to Ninomaru, once home to the Tokugawa shoguns (picture Samurai swords, etc.) It was really cool. It was also snowing that day which made the grounds even more intriguing. The building has numerous rooms, filled with tatami mats where the shogun and his lords used to sit and discuss issues of the day. Quite obvious was the importance of security - the shogun was always nervous that one of his lords would try to kill him, and take over his position. Therefore there are all these neat little security measures - hidden doors where guards would wait ready to pounce, and most interesting, wooden "nightingale" floors - that made little squeaking noises (and still do!) to alert guards of unwanted vistors.

That night we went to what we thought was a Zen meditation instruction, but what really was praying not to freeze to death and a tradition that involved being whacked in the back with a wooden stick. I definitely need to do more reading up on zen buddhism. It was still really cool though - we were in a meditation room at a beautiful temple in the middle of a snowstorm in Kyoto - if that doesn't bring you instant zen, i don't know what does...

Then...on to Tokyo! We took the speed train back to Tokyo...and didn't stop moving from there. While we found Kyoto calmly invites you to soak it in history and charm, Tokyo very loudly flaunts its modern, busy and (very!) expensive culture. It was fun to soak in all the sights and of course the sushi.

Our first day in Tokyo we headed to the Yasukuni Shrine and Museum, a Shinto shrine, dedicated to soldiers who died fighting on behalf of the Emperor of Japan. It's quite a controversial place. The weekend we were there was a holiday weekend - Foundation Day - so there were a lot of ceremonies, veterans around, etc. Although very interesting and informative, the museum definitely seems to depict a history of Japan's involvement in certain wars, a little differently than the one we read in our history books at home.

That night we did what I guess a lot of folks in Tokyo do - went to the mall for dinner. The malls in Tokyo are immense - tons of upscale shops and over-the-top food courts. Oh and the line for Krispy Kreme - wow. Although they smelled amazing we opted against a fresh doughnut.

The next day we spent wandering around some of Tokyo's neighborhoods, including Ginza (like NYC's 5th Avenue), where we checked out some really cool paper stores and also the Sony building - with all the latest high-tech gadgets. We also went to Asakusa (an older section with shrines, and lots of neat kitchen shops), and then after a bento box and some sushi, we ended up at Roppongi - an upscale area of town with swanky bars and restaurants. We went to this cool hotel bar and listened to a great jazz band. I felt a bit like i was in Lost in Translation. It was great.

The next morning we got up at 5a.m. and went to the Tsukiji Fish market - the biggest fish market in the world. It was dark when we got there, but pulsing with life! We almost got run over by these little speed carts - everyone is working as fast as they can to sell their fish. I don't think i'll ever see as many tuna fish as i did that day. Then we went to a sushi bar for breakfast and had some of the freshest sushi we've ever had. Although some of it looked a little scary, I tried it all...

Our bellies full of sushi, sake and mochi, we left Tokyo, dreaming of future trips to Japan to come....

Happy Chinese New Year!

2008-02-06T06:12:00.000-08:00

So we've been back in Beijing for about 3 weeks. We are getting adjusted and back in the groove and looking forward to exciting trips to come (we leave for Tokyo in about 8 hours!) but we still miss home and fam and friends...we had such a nice time being back.

All has been going well since we've been back. Beijing is full of excitement for the new year. Tonight is new year's eve. There have been fireworks going off non-stop since yesterday. We just got back from dinner and our courtyard is filled with families and fireworks. Scary fireworks to be honest - they are going crazy out there!

We've been busy with work, hanging out with friends, and trying to explore new spots. We found a new awesome DVD shop where we can keep up with you all at home and watch movies currently in the theaters (we don't ask too many questions about how or why), we've been to a great foot massage parlor, I participated in a play at my company's annual holiday party play...and tomorrow we leave for Japan!

Will has had a couple weeks off for the Chinese New Year and I've had off since yesterday. We decided to go kick of the new year right yesterday, and went to the Lama Temple to think some good, positive thoughts for the new year to come. The Lama Temple is a Tibetan Buddhist temple, which just happens to be a quick bide ride from our apartment. It was a cold day, but it felt good to be outside. The temple was beautiful - amazing buddha sculptures and buildings, the smell of incense, and lots of happy Chinese praying for a prosperous new year.

p.s. kate sweeney - if you read this can you email me about how i can make my pics right side up!? i know you know how to do it:)

Christmas in Beijing

2007-12-25T06:00:00.001-08:00

While Christmas in Beijing certainly wasn't quite like home, we had a very festive, little holiday. Christmas Day both Will and I worked and then had our friends, Renny and AJ, over for dinner. We made osso bucco and risotto and green beans - a bit challenging with just two burners, but I'm learning how to be a bit creative with my cooking (and have learned that you can cook more than just rice in a rice cooker.) We also made brownies in our little toaster oven. It was a fun night.

Our apartment complex was also quite festive with many lights, Christmas trees and tinsel. There were actually a lot of Christmas decorations around the city.

Christmas Day we went to church in the morning. There are few churches in Beijing that are condoned by the government - the mass we attended was packed. The mass was in English and in French. It was really neat to be able to sing Christmas carols and witness the familiar rituals of a mass - halfway across the world.

After mass we headed out to the burbs for Christmas brunch. Friends had recommended a spot named The Orchard - and it was definitely worth the trek. The restaurant is located in a bizarre neighborhood just outside Beijing, which is filled with western style villas among empty fields of land and construction. Nonetheless - the restaurant was perfect - just what we were looking for. Great food, comforting ambiance.

All in all we had a lovely Christmas, but are looking forward to celebrating with friends and family soon!

Exploring Our Neighborhood

2007-12-04T05:12:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we headed out on our bikes to explore our neighborhood. We live right near several temples, including the Lama Temple. We biked around a local hutong and stopped in at a Confucian temple. It was a nice, early winter day - just starting to get cold, but when bundled up still so nice to be outside...

Weekend in Shanghai

2007-11-18T01:09:00.000-08:00

We went to Shanghai last weekend to hang out with my Dad who was there on business and to explore the city!

We decided to fly to Shanghai rather than taking the overnight train so that we could spend more time in the city. Of course our plan was a little delayed as the first plane we boarded had mechanical issues, but we were transported to a new plane pretty quickly. We were however a little nervous about how we were going to get on plane #2....

but luckily they found a spare gangway for us to use!

We arrived in Shanghai Saturday afternoon. We stayed in Pudong, an area filled with many businesses and international hotels. All in all we had a great time exploring the city and catching up with my Dad. Shanghai is a very cool, cosmopolitan city - we enjoyed good shopping, great food and just walking around the city, soaking in the sights...

We toured around the Yuyuan Gardens, which were built during the Ming Dynasty. Even amidst all the crowds it was still very peaceful and beautiful.

We had some very yummy food including hairy crab, which is a Shanghai specialty in the Autumn. It was a little messy and a lot of work to eat - but yummy. Will especially liked it!

We went to a great fabric market where we you can have clothes made-to-order, I definitely could have spent a lot of time there!

We really enjoyed strolling the Bund, a river-walk along the bank of the Huangpu River.

It was a quick trip to Shanghai but a lot of fun to check out another city!

Anniversary Weekend!

2007-11-05T04:14:00.000-08:00

We celebrated our 3rd anniversary this weekend - we met 3 years ago at a Halloween party - a toast to Elena for throwing the party!

Friday night we discovered a little, very authentic Italian restaurant right near our apartment, who knew!? We enjoyed some good red wine (which can be a hard find here!) and some yummy pasta.

Saturday was a beautiful, cool fall day so we decided to take advantage of it and do some exploring outside. We went to a street known for its art supplies and scrolls. We wandered along and after lots of harassing by anxious vendors we stumbled into a serene teahouse and befriended Li Jhai, proud Manchurian and formal Chinese tea aficionado. He shared his insight regarding Chinese tea etiquette. He also gave Will and I some marital advice, helped me on my Chinese pronunciations, and offered to go into business with me to start a Chinese tea house and etiquette business in Boston - we'll see what happens there!

After our shopping/tea extravaganza - we went to what has become one of our favorite pubs here - the Rickshaw. We recently watched the Sox in Game 3 at the Rickshaw and have developed a liking for their Tsing Dao happy hour beer special. Rather than going out to our swanky "anniversary dinner" reservation, we decided to stay and enjoy happy hour at the Rickshaw - it was a fun night!

We're off to Shanghai next weekend - stay tuned for an update on the blog!

The Wild Wall

2007-10-21T06:09:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to the Great Wall at Simatai, which is about a 2.5 hour bus ride from Beijing. Simatai is known as the "wild wall" since it's a bit more rugged than some other sections of the wall.

It was beautiful day and the Great Wall was just magnificent! We took a cable car to the top and then walked around the wall for a couple hours. We are excited to go back and do some more hiking! We're told there are some good day hikes where you can start farther out on the wall and end at Simatai, you can even camp out overnight which could be exciting!

All in all it was a great day, beautiful fall weather, coupled with wandering around the Great Wall - it doesn't get much better than that!

Adventures in Xi'an

2007-10-21T03:57:00.000-07:00

We went to Xi'an last weekend with Will's program. It was a weekend full of adventurous travel and amazing sights. We took an overnight train from Beijing and arrived in Xi'an around 7a.m. in the morning. The train ride was an interesting experience! We stayed in "hard sleepers," each compartment was four bunks high, with a total of 8 bunks each. We befriended some of our bunk mates, including an older Chinese couple, as well as a young woman we played cards with - we taught her how to play gin rummy!

In Xi'an we went to see the terracotta warriors, which were pretty amazing. To think that these sculptures were discovered in the mid 70s... These treasures are 2,200 years old!

We then went to check out the old city walls, and then that night explored a really neat Muslim neighborhood - really good food! It was the end of Ramadan (their holy month of fasting) so everyone was out in the streets enjoying food and blessings from the local Imam. The next day we went to a museum, as well as a famous Buddhist temple, home to the original translations of Buddhist scriptures that were brought from India.

We took the train back that night and then I went straight to work - phew! It was well worth it though for a weekend full of amazing sights, religions and food!

End of Golden Week!

2007-10-06T21:26:00.000-07:00

We've been taking it easy for the past couple days, since Will unfortunately was hit with some food poisoning. Luckily it's run its course and he's feeling much better! Tomorrow we head back to work and school, but all in all we had a really fun and relaxing week off!

Yesterday we went to this really cool flower market near our apartment where you can get great deals on flowers and plants. We picked out a gardenia plant, an orchid, and this really cool plant which we don't know the name of (see pic below.) We're trying to come up with a name, I like "The Edge," but I don't think Will is sold yet - we are still deliberating.

We also went out last night to celebrate Will's bday, which was Friday - HAPPY BIRTHDAY WILL! We went out for Thai food and then to the swanky St. Regis for a cocktail! I had a yummy mango bellini and Will had a "St. Regis martini." The bar was pretty quiet but there was a good guitar player so we just hung out and relaxed for a bit. The St. Regis is VERY nice.....I can't wait to go back there soon!

We also got our gas to work in the kitchen and picked up some pots and pans, so we can cook finally! On Friday night for Will's bday we made pasta - it was soo good to have a home cooked meal! Here's a pic of our kitchen...

On Sunday we took another bikeride and explored our neighborhood. We live right near our own little "metro parks" area...

We also live near the embassy district, as we were biking around the guards were changing shifts...

We went to a produce market near our apartment and bought a lot of fresh veggies. We stayed away from the fish and meat, although it looked really good!

As we were biking home there was a beautiful sunset...

Next weekend we are heading to Xian with Will's program to see the Terracotta warriors - we'll be sure to take lots of pics!

2007-10-03T05:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to the Summer Palace, which is in the Haidian District, near Will's university. The Summer Palace served as a royal summer home and is like a massive park, filled with beautiful temples and gardens. We took a boat across the lake and then wandered around the grounds and courtyards.

It was very crowded as you can see in the picture below, but we escaped some of the crowds and found a quiet spot to relax.

Here is a picture of me in front of the marble boat, which the Empress Cixi ordered refurbished as a tribute to the Chinese navy. According to history, the navy would have benefited more from real ships, as their fleet was destroyed in 1894 by the Japanese.

After touring the Palace, we took our bikes to a music festival in Haidian Park that Will's teacher recommended. It was fun to check out the music scene and wander around the park. Quite a different scene from the Summer Palace!

After that we took our bikes and headed back home...we had enough of the crowds for one day!

2007-10-01T18:50:00.000-07:00

Golden Week

Will and I are enjoying a week off during China's October Golden Week holiday. This holiday has an official and traditional significance - the official holiday celebrates the founding of the People's Republic of China, while the traditional holiday is a lunar festival to celebrate friends and family far away. During this week people often go back to their hometowns to be with family and friends, so Beijing is "relatively" empty. We thought it would be a great time to do a little sightseeing....

Yesterday we bought bikes at the Carrefour, a French supermarket chain. The bikes were pretty inexpensive, but seemed like decent quality (until my bike chain broke - luckily we befriended a local bike repairman who fixed me up in no time.) We definitely looked like "touristas" wearing our helmets.

We biked to Tiananmen Square, which was about an hour ride from our apartment. Yesterday was the actual anniversary of the founding of the PRC, so Tiananmen was packed. It was great to be on our bikes and zoom right by all the crowds.

After Tiananmen we went to Houhai, a really neat neighborhood on a lake, filled with bars, restaurants and shops. There are also a lot of old hutongs in the neighborhood, which were really fun to explore on our bikes.

Here is a picture of me enjoying a bottle of Tsingtao Beer and relaxing after our bike ride.

We're heading out to do some more exploring. Talk to you soon!

Life in Beijing - One Week In

2007-09-26T19:57:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

We thought it was about time to get our blog up and running and fill everyone in on our life in Beijing so far! Don't expect any life-altering thoughts and opinions here...but for a homebody from Western Mass and a jet-setting Ohio native, this is our perspective on life in Beijing so far....

Will and I arrived last Tuesday evening, after a wonderful weekend celebrating Mike and Melissa's wedding!

It was definitely a whirlwind of a weekend - after seeing friends and family, saying goodbye, lots of photocopying, dinner in the North End and a night at the swanky Langham hotel, sad goodbyes to my Mom and Mark, mean security workers at Logan stealing all my liquid valuables - we boarded the plan to head to San Francisco, and then to Beijing.

We arrived at our apartment late Tuesday evening - here are some pictures of our complex and apartment. It's very nice, clean and safe. We definitely lucked out with our apartment, having never seen it before our arrival.

Our apartment has all the comforts of home - 2 bedrooms, full bath, kitchen, living room - and even more comforts than we're used to - a doorman, a gym, a pretty courtyard with a lake and rocks...even an Irish pub!

The neighborhood outside our is filled with street vendors, noodle shops and hutongs.

I went with Will to his school, Tsingua University, last week. The campus is really beautiful and very green, with lots of nooks and crannies to think big thoughts. I was just thinking/praying that I wouldn't get lost while Will was in class...

We spent a lot of our first week getting settled, going to Walmart, exploring our neighborhood and eating! Next week is the National Week holiday, which both Will and I have off and plan to spend exploring Beijing....so look for more posts next week!

Here are some intial thoughts so far...

The Food
The food so far has been very good! We've enjoyed Peking Duck - we went to this really cool restaurant where you can watch the chefs roast the duck. We went into the roasting room and selected which duck we wanted to eat! Unfortunately we don't have any pictures...

On the night of the Chinese Mid-Autumn festival we went to a wonderful Schezuan restaurant, where we sat outside in a courtyard, under a date tree. We stared at the moon and thought of our friends and family so far away....

The Commute

Ahh yes, the commute. Imagine the green line after a Sox game, with the extra bonus of subway officials who help shove you on the train. My commute actually isn't too bad, just under an hour. Here is a picture of Will navigating the subway, and me, when we finally found my office!

Will's commute is a bit longer - it take a little under two hours to get to school, but luckily it's a bit quieter when he leaves so he can do work on the train.

The People

It's of course very hard to generalize, but the people we have met and encountered so far have been extremely nice. One example....after a very intense Walmart shopping experience, Will and I proceeced to the check-out line with our credit card in tow, only to learn that it didn't work on the store's system (note to self: bring CASH, a lot of places don't take int'l credit cards.) We didn't have enough cash to purchase our goods, and unfortunately the ATM wasn't accepting my card either. Then...the woman behind us asked in English if we needed help. She said she had once lived in Boston and was very thankful for all the people who had helped her along the way. She offered to take my U.S. dollars in exhange for RMB. Luckily by this point the store manager had figured out our credit card, but nontheless here was a complete stranger who was willing to help us out. She gave us her card and asked us to contact her if we ever needed anything.

So...I guess here is one lesson learned so far - believe in the kindness of strangers and help people out when you can, you never know when or where your kindness will be returned...maybe it will be at a Walmart check-out line in Beijing!