Day 1-2 Beijing, China

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Today was the first day of our trip to China. The plane ride from Washington D.C. was longer then I had anticipated. It was interesting to look at the map on the screen of each seat-back to see the direction in which we had flown, and how far we still had to go. I also liked seeing the correlation between temperature and altitude, it must be the geography teacher in me!

When we arrived at the Beijing airport I was struck by how large and airy it is. The airport itself is beautiful and is decorated with different pieces of artwork. The renovations for the Beijing Olympics in 2008 were done quite well, although the airport almost seems to big now. Going through immigration in Beijing was a breeze!

After stepping outside I noticed that it was hot and humid in Beijing and there was a lot more smog than I had expected. Making our way to the hotel on the University campus on a small bus I noticed that the way people drive, ride their bikes, and cross the street is extremely different than in the United States. There is much more honking and people walking in the street in front of cars. I was constantly scared that someone was going to get hurt, but it is the way that they live their daily lives.

Another difference in our hotel, from western style hotels, is the shower. There is no piece to stop the water from getting all over the entire floor. From staying on a college campus, I have also noticed that the way college students live on campus in China is different than in the United States. For example, students have to walk from the dorms with their shower caddy to another building to take a shower! Also, many more college students stay in one dorm room than they would in the United States. Maximum in the United States is probably four, and it sounds like five is about the norm in China. (With no air conditioning)

We had our first dinner together as a group at the Peking Duck Restaurant. We were joined by a few students and professors from Beijing Jiantong University that answered our questions about China and the food we were eating in general. Many members of the group tried duck for the first time. The duck was my favorite, as was the fried dessert with milk and cheese in the middle. It tasted like a coconut twinkie. There was so much food, and I am continuing to struggle with my chopsticks, but am picking up a few helpful hints from the Chinese students.

Tomorrow we are going to the Forbidden City, and Tienanmen Square, both of which I am really looking forward to. Beijing's 90th anniversary of the communist party is on July 1st. Tomorrow night we are going to a Martial Arts show. After the first day in Beijing, China I am looking forward to tomorrow.

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Photos

The Beijing Airport
Beautiful and clean!

The Peking Duck Restaurant
Fancy opening dinner!

Shower
It worked just fine, but got water all over the floor. Not exactly like a western shower.

Comments

[Stephanie C.]

WOW...the showers look a little weird and it must take time to clean all the water up.