Blogs from Beijing, China, Asia - page 458

Whitney Houston sings I believe that children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. ... This perfectly describes what we saw at two schools today. Keep in mind that the schools we saw today were the best of the best, teaching the brightest of the brightest and being taught by the best of the best. If they meant to impress...they succeeded. Our first visit was with Beijing No. 8 Middle School. This school teaches 2500 students. There are about 40 students per class. The teachers are paid about $10,000 per year. The students are engaged and bright. We visited with the principal for about an hour who had an interpreter. He said there are three things that are focused on currently in the school. That is driving, (note previous email comment ... read more

Visitors to Beijing will quite understandably high-tail their way to the major sites of interests as soon as they get off the plane. The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Temple of Heaven and the Great Wall and so on. These places, whilst spectacular and popular will only give you a certain perspective on this immense and complex city. In the meantime, like in any metropolis, life carries on unabashed and uncensored. In the hutongs (alleyways) and suburbs, ordinary people go about their ordinary lives in happy seclusion. Shunyi County, approximately 17km NNE of Beijing proper is unremarkable in many ways. This though to me is part of it's appeal both sociologically and in terms of images that can represent it. Apart from the airport, gated communities, golf courses and Starbucks (yes, really), Shunyi is a largely agricultural ... read more

We made it. Seven thousand miles, twelve hours difference in time, fourteen hours flight time, four in flight movies, two flight meals and two snacks, many laps around the plane during the flight, but we are here safe and happy. Just returned from an authentic chinese meal that included seven types of dumplings, and food served on a large lazy susan in the middle of the table. It was very good but my chopstick use definitely needs improving. I had a few people from our group write down some of their first thoughts from our first few hours in China's capital. * A couple of people were impressed with the quietness, especially at the huge airport. There were people everywhere and you would have expected it to have been much louder, but it was very quiet. ... read more

Beijing... the fast-changing capital of the most populous country in the world, and the only Chinese city I had visited before I came to China this time. My parents took me and my brother to Beijing for a family holiday ten years ago, when I was 13. It was my first visit to Asia, and has since inspired me to come back to Asia several times to see more. Returning to Beijing, I was wondering whether it would still resemble the city I remembered from so long ago, and whether it could live up to my memories... We arrived in Beijing on Sunday on an overnight train from Harbin. After freshening up in the City Central Youth Hostel across the road from the train station, we spent the afternoon visiting the Temple of Heaven Park, Tiananmen ... read more

see there was these rickshaw drivers right! and they were hassling us ok so we give them the slip and as we do this smiling man sympathizes with us, he's a local so we walk and he tells us he's a calligrapher and he's all about helping us, and tells us sure i'll show you to the forbidden city....... oh! here is my teacher's studio please meet master chang the famous beijing calligrapher, his father was national calligrapher for chairman mao! chang appears humble and speaks not a word of english, but no matter, our charismatic persuader friend will translate for us the illustrious master chang will create for you! for free!! some art work, here today.... what are your names?? ahhh! li-cha-duh. this is a very good name!! these characters together mean: strong man who ... read more