It's October Break and we have a week off of school in honor of the Chinese National Holiday. They say about 1,000,000 people from around China have entered the city of Beijing this week. However, at the same time, perhaps just as many people have left to travel elsewhere in the country, as this is a very important week for the Chinese, and folks travel home to visit extended family. This is quite similar to the U.S. during Thanksgiving week...multiplied by about four times the population of the United States!
 |
| Tiananmen Square |
 |
| taking pics! |
 |
| tea shop |
It is a beautiful time of year--crisp fall weather and blue skies! (great to remember for those of you who might be planning to come visit us next year!) Mostly, we are using this week to finish getting settled in the house and to see a little of Beijing. We have been working non-stop since school started, so beyond our first week of orientation, we have not had time to do any sight seeing. Today, along with another new teacher family, the Cosgrays, we decided to hit downtown Bejing and see the Tian An Men square, The Forbidden City, and the Temple of Heaven.
There were some big crowds in the city when we arrived at Tian An Men Square, but it was not too overwhelming. Rather, it was nice to see local people out enjoying their holiday. The atmosphere was festive, and people were relishing the good weather. It was amazing and awe-inspiring to be standing in such an historic location. Our kids soon became the center of attention, as many people who have traveled to Beijing for this holiday may not have seen blond children before. As we walked through the square, people approached us and asked politely to take pictures with our kids. The kiddos got a bit of a glimpse of the celebrity lifestyle, posing for pictures with children and adults alike, sometimes being hugged and kissed. Both Anne-Katrine and Lars put up with it like troopers, and decided to treat this as our diplomatic duty to represent the West in a positive light. They must have smiled and posed for dozens of pictures. Lars even began to get a few Justin Bieber-esque hair flips going on!
 |
| Temple of Heaven |
 |
| local transport: I want one! |
After
crossing the square, we lined up a for a slow moving queue into the Forbidden City. This amazing architectural structure is the center piece of Beijing. It is featured in the movie,
The Last Emperor, if anyone wants a closer look. In the early 1900's, this place was, of course, reserved for royalty only. Now it is a public place, teaming with tourists, vendors, and performers. The outer courtyard was a fun place to see, and we spent some time taking pics and looking at vendors. However, because of the holiday, the lines in to the inner courtyards were massive. We decided to come back at another time, not on a holiday, when we can take a tour with a guide and really learn history. We were also starting to get a bit hungry, so we headed out a side gate, and into the city hutongs, the traditional shops and villages. Almost instantly, we left tourism behind. As we walked down tree-lined streets, we enjoyed peering into alley ways and poking into local shops. We happened upon a small tea shop which turned out to have been quite a famous locale for politicians and foreign dignitaries. We enjoyed a nice lunch and some tea, in a spot well off the beaten tourist path.
After lunch we hopped back in the van with our driver, and headed over to the Temple of Heaven. More than just one Temple, this is a vast area of parkland, surrounding an inner courtyard of spectacularly beautiful temples in tiles of blues and golds. The parkland area has become a haven for locals, particularly the elderly. All along the tree lined paths are benches and terraces. The retired folks of Beijing come here to enjoy exercise, games, music, and friendship. Everywhere we walked, groups of people gathered--some ballroom dancing in the squares, clusters of old men playing cards, individuals playing instrumental music to gathering spectators, and even groups of people collectively singing old songs. It was a joyous, peaceful atmosphere, and thoroughly entertaining as we meandered through the park. No one seemed to mind us taking pictures or watching the dancing and singing. China looks like a great place to be a retired person! And when Mom and Dad come to visit us, we know a good place for them to come hang out--Mom might even find a game of Mah Jong to join!
 |
| card players |
After a day of sight seeing, we were thoroughly exhausted. However, as we were in the area, we made a quick stop at the Pearl Market--a shopper's paradise---just to get a glimpse and plan a future shopping trip! Here you can buy anything from costume jewelry to high end fresh and saltwater pearls, which come in a vibrant array of colors, shapes, and sizes. When Joergen visited Beijing last March, he brought me back a beautiful pearl necklace. This was my first time now in the market, and not soon to be the last!
 |
| Katrine gets a turn |
 |
| Temple of Heaven |
 |
| afternoon dance group |
 |
| a little pipe music |
