March 25, 2011
So much has happened this last week I needed to divide it into several different entries. So on Saturday we had dinner with my host family. We ate a lot of good food. Then, my mom taught Jessi how to play Skipbo. Sunday the Xu’s took us to the Badaling 八达岭 section of the Great Wall. Even though this was my third time to visit the Great Wall, I haven’t climbed this section yet, so it was still exciting. There were some sections that were pretty steep, but I did pretty well. I was afraid that I’d be really sore in the morning, but I was actually okay the next day. I was surprised at how well mom did too! She kept up with all of us and even passed us at some points. It was definitely a good workout for her, but she enjoyed it a lot. The best part was when we got to the “Hero’s Peak” which was the climax of the climb. The downside about going to the Great Wall on Sunday was that it was so crowded! But it was still really fun nonetheless.
For my mom’s second Monday in Beijing, we decided to go to the famous art district known as 798. Here’s a nice little factoid: according to Chinatouristmaps.com, “798 Arts Zone is also called Dashanzi Art District, which is the site of state-owned factories in 1950s including Factory 798, originally produced electronics. Attracted by the Bauhaus Style buildings and convenient transportation in this tranquil area, artists began to gather to re-make the factory spaces, gradually developing them into galleries, art centers, artists' studios, design companies, restaurants, and bars.” I came here before with my classmates, but there are so many interesting shops to go into that I still got to see a lot of new things. Most of the art there is either very abstract and New Agy or can be interpreted to have some type of political or cultural message. Unfortunately, many of the studios were closed on Monday. There was still plenty to do. We ended up in an Australian-owned coffee shop that had probably the best coffee I have tasted in China so far. I wish I could remember the exact name. If you ever go there, I would definitely give it a try.
Tuesday mom and I set off to Shichahai什刹海. In this area, there are many small lakes with temples and high-class homes. This is where many celebrities and important government officials live. The area was really beautiful. In the summertime, you can take boats out on the lake. It looks like a lot of fun and a great way to spend a sunny day outside. I saw people who organized dancing and singing groups outside. Anyone could join. If I was more knowledgeable in Chinese music I would have loved to spend the day with these people. I guess another goal of mine will just have to be to learn more Chinese music. J Another great part of Shichahai is a lake called Houhai 后海. I remember going here once when I was in Beijing back in 2008, but I remember it quite differently. Houhai’s night life is really wild with dozens of bars, clubs, and karaoke establishments you can go to. This time around, it was during the day when there are less people and it is very quiet and serene. There are also a lot of rickshaw drivers who are eager to take you on a tour of the old Hutongs胡同 from the Ming and Qing Dynasty. Our rickshaw driver didn’t speak much English, but it was still very interesting to see these old buildings that are still standing after 500 years.
After our trip to Shichahai, we headed over to Crissy’s house for Bible study again. My mom suggested that we go to where I work and take the bus from there so that I can find my way next time when I am by myself. This is because I will be going to Bible study straight from work. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. I am really good at taking the subway, but I have shied away from taking the bus because there are so many more buses and stops to figure out. Plus, it is not as fast. I am most worried about getting lost. Once I go a few more times and establish a routine to catch the bus and get off, I think it will be a lot easier. We’ll just have to wait and see…
Wednesday we decided to travel to an ancient rural village about an hour and a half outside of Beijing. We took the subway to the end of line 1 (Pingguoyuan苹果园) and then hired a “taxi driver” to take us the rest of the way there. The name of the village was Cuandixia 爨底下 (Ya…try and write that first character. It has 30 strokes! Good luck!) This village was constructed mostly during the Ming and Qing dynasty, although I believe this area was settled even earlier than that. It is tucked away in the valley of mountains just northwest of Beijing. Many of the people’s homes have been turned into inns to host tourists who come to the town. It is a really pretty place to walk around. I’m thinking that this might be a fun summer weekend trip one day. After we got back into Beijing, my mom and I went to the restaurant across the street from the apartment and had roast duck. The restaurant was a very nice-looking building that was below ground, made from a redesigned bomb shelter. The duck was really good, but a little greasy for my mom. We had a lot leftover, so I brought some back to the Xu’s to make soup with.
Thursday was a very relaxed day. I introduced my mom to my friend from church named Zhang Lidan (English name Liz). We went out to lunch in Wudaokou. I think Liz really liked my mom. Later that night, we met up with Zhang Ying and Jessi and went out to Western food. That was the last night before my mom had to leave to go back to Seattle. It was a really good night.
One time this week when it was rush-hour, I squeezed my way onto a subway train not realizing that there wasn’t going to be enough room for my mom. Before I knew it, I was listening to the warning beep coming from the closing doors. I am sure that my mom felt a moment of terror. I called her right away and told her to just go one stop and that I would be waiting for her there. It turned out not to be that big of a deal, but I can imagine how scary it would be to get lost in such a big city and not know how to find your way back. During the downtime of my mom’s visit, we watched Prison Break (finished Season 2!) and watched other DVDs that we bought from Fuchengmen. It was funny to see if the quality of the movies was any good. It is always hit or miss, but they are so cheap that it doesn’t really matter.
Overall, I think my mom really enjoyed her time in Beijing. This was probably the first time since I was four years old that I spent 2 weeks straight with my mom without ever leaving her. I would feel bad leaving my mom alone in China since she doesn’t speak any Chinese and doesn’t know that subway system that well. We went everywhere together. It was really great mother-daughter time. I don’t get much one-on-one time with my parents because of my twin sister, so it was really good to spend this much quality time with my mom.
Chinese Word of the Day
Cuan 爨: to cook (traditional)
Verse of the Day
2 Thessalonians 3:5 "May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance."
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