The Wallpaper of China


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September 13th 2008
Published: September 16th 2008
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One day about 35 years ago when I was a teenager, my Great Aunt Jeanie called long distance to inform us that she was going to be touring in China. Now in the 1970's I don't know how many people could say they new someone going to visit China let alone a relative, but I COULD> My Great Aunt Jeanne was going , for how long? her itinerary? I had no idea, but, brag to all of my friends I did.

My Great Aunt Jeanne, wasn't just anyone, she had a colorful and an almost outragous personality in my childs mind. From those young years I had a strong sense of admiration for her zest and boldness, something I had never seen in women before meeting her . Who she really was ? I don't know- she lived in California while we lived in Denver but from the few times I had met her and the yearly birthday checks I received I had no inhabition asking her if she could bring me home a suprize from China.

A few months later I recieved a green hankerchief, a chinese fan and a small red silk pouch. And that is my
The birds nestThe birds nestThe birds nest

just awe inspiring.
last memory of her.

I am in Beijing now for four days. These four days have been different than the four days I had in Shanghai. The last four days I find myself thinking - what did Aunt Jeanne see when she was in Beijing? I see a very clean city, 60 km wide, new buildings, new cars, Jaguars and BMW's. I see the new wallpaper of Beijing. I am sure she saw a different wall.

I have been searching for the Beijing that my Aunt might have experienced. Will I find it? I dont even know what I am looking for! I think I will look for my sense of humor it seems have gone east!

I really wanted to see the swimming competitions at the water cube but after trying for months to get tickets online our only option was to try and scalp them at the cube itself. The police turned a blind eye (this young police kid would literaly turn his head every time someone tried to scalp a ticket) There wasnt a scalper who I didnt talk or bargain with.I even told Jeff that I was worried about getting a name as
NO Scalping!!!NO Scalping!!!NO Scalping!!!

it was great fun haggling with the locals. no words - just voices, hand movements and it is made clear... "are you crazy lady? tickets to the water cube for 20$?"
a non- serious buyer. MY bargaining style was laced with a mixture of hebrew, english and the use of my hands. Mostly what I understood is that they thought I was crazy almost insulting offering the prices that I did. I think I enjoyed the barganing so much that after 15 scalpers my cognitive dissonance jumped in to say that I really didn't really want to see the swim team anyway.

So we caught a cab and spent about 10 minutes trying to explain to the driver who speaks no english to take us to a place that consists of three numbers! 25 minutes later and a laugh of HENHOW (excellent) we were in an old factory site called 798. 798 houses a flourishing artist community, located in decommissioned military factory buildings. Walking down its alleyways we felt as if we were in Greenwich Village . The art exhibits range from disturbing television movies of people sniffing their bodies, Chinese coal miners and their difficult lives to a movie and art exhibition that screamed of dicontent as skeletons directed ants and dragons to build skyscrapers on land that was filled with blood. Shanghai flashed in my mind, Behind
798798798

We found 798 after the driver said he knew where it was but it was clear he had no idea! Thanks to the driver he asked who showed us the way
the wallpaper -798 has a voice. A strong, interesting and at times a very uncomfortable voice about China. It was difficut but emotionally and intellectually challenging.


I keep asking our tour guides what happened at The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. Jeff gets annoyed with me " you know they can't talk about it so why do you ask?" He has a point, but when I see them go white, even panick and then say " I don't talk politics" I know there is a China we are not seeing. The people here have never voted. Now I personally hate to vote (but I do anyway) because for the next four years I am racked with guilt and anger that my vote was the cause of ha or da! now I have to admit that I am slightly jealous that they feel no pain of guilt when they see the man they didnt vote for make mistakes or reneg on his promise. They are in a state of bliss, no resposiblity for the mistakes they could make if they voted wrong but they know panick.

You can't go the Beijing with seeing the The Temple of Heaven
potty training at 4 monthspotty training at 4 monthspotty training at 4 months

look carefully at the picture
and the Forbidden city. There must have been half of china at these places. The visit was overwhelming and at the same time stimulating being around so many people, so many ideas and so many colors. The builders of these cities had a vision. As you walked into the very structured plan you understood that the developer new what he wanted, planned it and implemented.

The highlight of the day was at the end when we were leaving the Temple grounds we saw different groups of people in their 60's and 70's. They sat around and were singing songs best described as a communal sing along. Down the road there were old men and women dancing to traditional music, I have tried for days to upload this video but I think the chinese government is PUNISHING ME for asking too many questions and the video isnt downloading.

We ended our trip in Beijing with our trip to the Great Chinese Wall. Now everyone who knows me knows how much I hate walls but, this wall I love! we had to choose between going left or right. Mao once said " who ever climbs the right side of the
Side SaddleSide SaddleSide Saddle

I dont know how they do it but this is the way the girls ride on the back of the bike.. cool
wall is a Hero!" dont quote me on this but our wonderful tour guide speaks with a very heavy accent so I make up stories as I understand them. Anyway, the right side of the wall was a major "people jam" the left side is super super steep for the commoners! Guess which way we went. "to the left to the left- " it was steep, it was hard but what better way to walk the wall than with the commoners.

They spit, burp and go along their way happy as can be! they sing rap, yell shayho at their boys(we think it means - get back here !) and I missed my boys too. at the end of the road we found an artist painting the landscape. we have walked for an hour and a half thankful that we didnt go into cardiac arrest we stop look over the closed part of the wall Jeff notes that from where we are standing it looks like the floor and the rest of the wall is crumbling.

Maybe it is maybe it isnt... I like the chinese wall paper but I would be scared to see what's underneath. Tonight
Not a JaguarNot a JaguarNot a Jaguar

it is always a suprize to see the old china pop up in the middle of the yuppies art galleries
we travel by train for 13 hours to the city of xian.





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MaoMao
Mao

crowds and crowds move throught the gates once emporers. entering the forbidden city.
9 x 9 9 x 9
9 x 9

count the knobs!
A Family PortraitA Family Portrait
A Family Portrait

i was so happy to get this shot. this is the view of the one child policy.
I am a star!I am a star!
I am a star!

Temple of Heaven, retirees sing and dance.
How does this building stand?How does this building stand?
How does this building stand?

It is an amazing sight to see but I wouldnt want to be in it during an earthquake
Before the climbBefore the climb
Before the climb

The Great China Wall. There are two ways to climb- right or left. To be a hero one goes the right way and enjoys a people jam. we walked with the commoner's, heard chinese hip hop and walked a very steep climb. AWESOME
It was this steep!It was this steep!
It was this steep!

cardio workout to the beat of chinese rap!


16th September 2008

Hi guys
People sniffing their own bodies or each others? What parts are they sniffing? And why are they sniffing? I'm glad you're having an amazing time. Thanks for sharing it - but the spa part made me jealous...
16th September 2008

riding side saddle
As Confucius once said "The success of riding side saddle is tushy fitting on the seat" :)
16th September 2008

This blog is amazing. GREAT entry.

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