Well, today we had a great breakfast to start our day. We had poached eggs with spinach, bacon, chicken sausage, french toast, bread pudding, and these things called steamed milk buns that were to die for. We are also learning the skill of chopsticks. At least I'm learning how to eat slower.
After meeting the other 2 people on our tour (and yes, there are only 4 people in our group), we ventured out to our destinations for the day. Margaret and Tim, the other two people on the tour, are from California and Florida respectively, and so far they seem very nice. Both of them are really good friends.
Anyhow, we started off going to Tiananmen Square, where we saw the Great Hall of the People, the National Museum, the monument to the fallen, and Chairman Mao's mauseleum. We also saw Tiananmen gate. There were tons of people milling around the world's largest public square, and it is immaculately clean. It has been a beautiful day outside, and the sun has been shining all day.
We then went to the Forbidden City, where there also were a ton of people there. I shouldn't be so surprised considering there are about 4 times as many Chinese people than there are of Americans. Chinese people, I have found, are very assertive. They are assertive in driving (eegads....that is the only word to describe how they drive bikes and cars, or how they cross the streets as pedestrians). They are also very assertive in taking photos, and have no qualms about getting right in front of you to get that once in a lifetime shot. You learn fast. I was just as assertive. I don't think I made a couple people happy, but....at least MY photos turned out spectacular.
We saw the imperial treasures, with lots of jade, lapis lazuli, and tourmaline, and then were whisked into an are where we had the opportunity to buy all sorts of things. More about this later.
We also saw our first "made in America" product, which would be the Buick van Mr. Wong (our driver) is taking us around in. Our tour guide Annie has been very patient with us so far, and she seems like she's a newer tour guide. We'll see how tomorrow goes.
Lunch was delicious, and we ate Northern/Mandarin/Beijing style cuisine. We had this beef and onion dish, broccoli, pressed breaded chicken, cabbage in beef broth, sweet/sour cabbage soup, fried shrimp, and these little bun things with a sweet cream that were to die for.
We then were whisked down to watch an oyster/pearl shelling demonstration, and had the opportunity to go in and purchase any pearl kind of thing imagineable.
We then toured the grounds and some of the buildings of the Summer Palace, Lake Kunming, took a boat ride, and learned all about how the Empress Dowager Cixi "the dragon lady" ruled the roost at this palace.
After we got done with that, we were able to stop at a chinese market so that mom could buy some eyeliner, and that Tim and Margaret could buy some wine or liquor. Well, as much as I pooh-poohed by learning of Mandarin from Rosetta Stone, I came to mom's rescue when the ladies behind the counter were pulling out all different colors of eyeliner, like maroon, gray, navy (all colors I didn't learn, mind you), and mom only wanted black. I then said she wanted black in Chinese (one of the 5 colors I learned) and we were able to get the right thing.
We then went over because we needed to have some beer or something before our Peking Duck dinner tonite. When they asked how many, I said 6 please. I feel like Rain Man.
The tour guide was sure shocked as hell.
So was I.
Anyhow, we're not relaxing before dinner, and looking forward to seeing the Great Wall tomorrow.
More soon!
A scary old elf indeed
13 years ago
1 comment:
You really have a tight day in Beijing, Chinese really like taking photos, which help them to keep great memories long and even when they are old, they can share those pictures with their family and friends. To help you learn Chinese well, check the site Hello!Mandarin.
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