One ginormous Chinatown

So far, it definitely has not hit me that I am in Chinatown, and that I am in China.  We are on our 4^th day here in Beijing, and I just feel like I am in a never-ending version of Los Angeles’ or San Francisco’s Chinatown.  Here, we are just being tourists, but at our host school, we definitely won’t be told where to go and where to meet.  I think it will hit me then when we get to Chengdu, and I will basically be on my own. 

But our days have pretty much been action packed since we got here.  For our first 3 days in China, we just did the tourist thing, which was pretty cool.  Here are some pictures for you.  These you can actually find pictures of anywhere, but they weren’t taken by MY camera. =D

Notice the blue skies and amazing mountains in Hong Kong.

Tianamen Square and Mao's face.

Inside the Forbidden City.

A sample of the artistry in the Forbidden City.  Restored of course.

One of the many closed off courtyards and chambers.  We snuck a peak through the doors.

Statues like this are all over.  I wish I knew more folklore and legends.

This is actually in the Temple of Heaven.  Same time period, but also same restoration project, which is why it is very similar to the Forbidden City.  It makes me wonder about authenticity actually.

Obligatory picture of the Great Wall.

A picture of the smog over Beijing.  I never knew it could be this bad.  So different from Hong Kong right?

Actually, while being here in the capital is pretty cool, I feel a little bit let down.  There are just so many people, I feel like I can’t get the full effect of the fact that I am walking the same walkways as officials and royals of ancient China.  Or that I can’t really get the full magnitude of the fact that I just climbed a portion of the Great Wall, which spans thousands of miles and generations.  But in a country of one billion people, it is kind of hard to get the China that I want to see.  At least here in the capital.  I think I will like Chengdu. If I had the opportunity to maybe get a little bit lost and just find some cool things on my own, take my time – that would be the type of China I would want to explore. 

But definitely not when I am still unfamiliar with the culture.  I’ve actually had quite a few encounters where Chinese people have talked to me in Mandarin, and I completely froze.  I look Chinese, but I am almost completely clueless as to what they are saying to me.  After that I just tell them that I am American, and I don’t really speak Mandarin.  And I kind of have to leave it that.  =D  They can judge me if they want.  But I am definitely determined to rectify that by the end of the trip, at least get to a point where I can understand half.  Half would be amazing.  Half or bust!!!

Being with a big group of Americans is actually pretty awesome.  I mean, I don’t get the stares and looks that my classmates do since I can blend in, but they are approached to have taken pictures with, and when we stop to let our entire group catch up, it isn’t uncommon for Chinese people to take pictures of us while we just sitting there.  Which is a crack up.  Since we are such a diverse group of Americans, I feel like we are giving them a glimpse of walking down the average American street.  And just getting to know this great group of people is amazing.  They all want to genuinely experience Chinese culture just like I do, which makes it easy for us all to already be comfortable with each other.  Plus the fact that we can all communicate with one another.  That helps.

Okay, well, last day in Beijing.  Gonna see some things on my own (with friends of course) and do some exploration.  Can’t waste my time here.  =D  Take advantage of every opportunity.