China, we have arrived!

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We have arrived in China! After an 8-hour layover in Detroit (during which I learned how to say "Do you speak English?" in Mandarin), followed by a 13-hour flight, we are now in Beijing! Our flight took us up over Canada, Hudson Bay, the Northwest Passage, the Artic Ocean, Russia, Mongolia and finally into China.

A friend-of-a-friend of Liang's family picked us up at the airport. He spoke no English, but was happy that I thanked him by saying "xie xie" after dropping us off at the hotel. I think him and Liang were also laughing at the few Chinese words that I knew, since I could understand that much (and no more) while we were driving. Oh well, you have to start somewhere!

Even at night, I could sense that traffic was going to be challenging here. Boy, was I under-estimating what "rush hour" would be like here! Bicycles, cars, buses and pedestrians all vie for a spot on the road, without much regard for any "rules of the road". I just need to sit back and relax and have faith in the drivers here!

A dense "fog" hangs over Beijing most of the time. There is a great deal of pollution and, shockingly, not a single Prius or other hybrid vehicle! But the streets are incredibly clean. Everywhere you look there are people carrying brooms and sweeping up the litter. Liang said this is because there is no minimum wage here, which means low unemployment and a lot of low-paying jobs that keep the city in shape.

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Photos

Flight Map
Our flight took us over Canada, the Northwest Passage, Russia and Mongolia before landing in China.

Beijing "Fog"
The Beijing skyline is slightly obstructed by the smog from city pollution.