3/15/09 (The Great Wall Adventure)

Can't wait to see the footage and photos from this day. We went to the Great Wall, and our group, which consisted of me, Neil, Caryn, and Lindsay walked farther than anyone else. I can't believe how steep the slopes and those stairs were! Man my legs are killing me! Monique had a little height problem and had to turn back (but we got some funny footage of it, which I'm going to steal from Neil).

I can't believe how far I walked. I only had to take one break, and then caught up with everyone, but I made it! It was really cool.

We went to the most famous part of the wall, The Great Wall of Badaling.

We then went to a tea house, where they showed us the Chinese Tea Ceremony.  We were taught how to properly drink jasmine tea (the tea most drunk in the areas around Beijing).  You have to drink it in  3 sips, and men and women hold the cup differently.  Women hold it with only 3 fingers, and the rest are fanned out, resembling a phoenix tail.  We also got to sample the other types of tea, which were Green, Fruit, Lychee, and Black.  I liked them all.  After the tea ceremony, we were let loose in the gift shop.  I walked out of there spending less than $100 yuan, but some other women weren't so lucky.

Afterwards, we went to Silk Street. It was basically like Englishtown, or any other kind of market, with lots of little booths with people selling knock-offs for really cheap. I'm really bad at haggling. But I'm getting there. My roomate Karen bought some really cute outfits, and only spent about $200. I didn't buy anything. It's crazy with all the people basically attacking you to get you to buy something.

After that we went to the Hutong. Which is basically like a little village area with really old houses, all built in a quadrangle, 4 buildings surrounding a courtyard. We had a ride on a rickshaw (which honestly, I could have done without). I got a Chairman Mao watch, which was a hassle, but that's a long story, involving a man chasing us on his bike, and me mishearing the bargain, and actually paying more. Annoying!!!! I'm not too mad though, because I bought the thing for the price I wanted to pay anyway, it's just that the man was so desperate for the sale, he actually said I could have 2! All I heard was the price and took the one, and then Neil started yelling at me, but it was too late. The man wasn't giving that sucker up.

We went to dinner at another restaurant, where the food was served family style. It was ok. I liked the beef and the potatoes.  We walked through the night food market, where we got to see snakes, bats, seahorses, and various other animals on sticks.  On one menu we even saw "Dog Meat Pot".  None of us were going near that.

I think people are going out tonight, but jetlag is still kicking me in the a$$, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to stay up long enough to enjoy the night.

Next we have to decide what's going to be done in the morning.

3/14/09

We went to Tian'anmen Square and The Forbidden City and The Summer Palace today. It's true what they say, Chinese people love the novelty of Americans. I had a bunch of people ask me to take a picture with them. Everyone seems to think I was asked more because I have red hair.

The Forbidden City was fascinating. Apparently for centuries, the only male allowed inside the city was the emperor. His own sons had to leave the city as soon as they turned 10. So inside this city (and I mean city, it's freaking huge) was one man, and hundreds of women (his wives, and concubines). The city was only opened to the public this century. Even today, there are many rooms, like the Empress' bedroom, and the throne rooms, that are still no access. I was really difficult to try to get close enough to look in, there were so many people pushing their way in.

We went to lunch at a buffet style restaurant (which so far was my favorite) and then afterwards we went to a Pearl Market, where we were given a lecture on how to tell the difference between fake and real pearls, and then of course we were shown the jewelry. I luckily walked out of there only buying some facial cream and a bracelet. I believe Caryn spent about $200 (American) in there.

Right after that we went to the Summer Palace. It was beautiful. It's right on the lake. It has a beautiful Buddhist temple. We got to see the infamous Marble Boat the Dragon Lady had sanctioned, which cost China its Navy. Apparently, the mother of the Emperor, the Dragon Lady, was the Empress because her son was only 5. She also loved power and beautiful things. She had the Marble Boat built, taking all of the money for the Navy, leaving China without protection. Crazy.

Neil and I have been sharing his camera, recording each other in each spot. Can't wait to see all of the footage, and start working on it.

3/12/09 (3/13/09 in China)

All I have to say about today is 14 hr flight.

Torture.

"Happy Times"

I watched this great film the other day. I really liked this movie. The main character is a man in his 50's who wants to get married. He has found a large woman, with 2 children, who is willing. The only drawback is that he is unemployed and she wants 50,000 yuan for the wedding. He decides to go to his friend, who has the idea of converting an abandoned bus into a lover's nest and charging lover's to enter. They call the bus the "Happy Times Hut". When he tells his fiance that he is the General Manager of a big hotel, she decides to heft her blind step-daughter on him, with the premise of him getting her a job at the hotel. When the bus is unfortunately hauled away, the man decides to recreate a massage room for the girl in a factory, as she is very good at massage. Him and his friends believe that because she is blind, she won't be able to tell that the massage room is not real, and that she has the same clients coming in, over and over again. The girl is very sweet, and from the beginning, knows of the deception, but because she understands that it was done out of kindness, she goes along with it. Her and the man start to have an unlikely friendship. Both have been left by the unkind fiance, and both find comfort in each other. I thought this film was very sweet. The character of the girl is very endearing. And though at first you may not really like the bumbling, lying man, it becomes clear very soon that he has a heart of gold. Not once did the relationship between the two become awkward, or sexual, as some movies may have taken it. It is obvious the two care about each other, whether they came together by chance and unhappy circumstances. They had happy times together. Unfortuately, the end is not so happy. Neither knows what has happened to the other. The girl has decided to leave, and the man has been hit by a truck. In a very sweet and brilliant scene, the man's friends reads the letter his friend has written pretending to be the girl's father, to the voice recording of the girl's goodbye. I really liked this movie, and am looking forward to watching more from this director.