Day 1, Beijing

Hotel Christmas decoration

Hi all,

Today was a neat one in Beijing. Not a cloud in the sky, the smog was minimal and it was 40+ degrees Fahrenheit. Cold, but beautiful. We started the morning off with pork congee and pork balls for breakfast, then proceeded to Tianamen Square, which is just outside the gate of the Forbidden City.

Tianamen Square isn't spectacular except for its sheer size and its bloody history. People mingle with the occasional little police van racing through for no other reason than the Chinese drive fast but surprisingly safely in their small cars.

The Forbidden City was amazing for its sheer size, attention to detail (e.g., using the elements of Feng Shui in design), plus the wonderful stories of the Emporer and the evil Emperess (who once ordered one of the emporer's concubine's drowned to eliminate the competition). Most impressive was the Imperial Garden, lined with tall pine trees, artfully pebbled walkways, and maze-like rock walls. The rocks were brought in and carved to look like mountains both for aesthetics and to help the concubines be less homesick. A roofed platform was built amidst these walls where the Emporer was taught to play Chinese checkers to help him learn patience. This was definitely our favorite part of the tour.

Inside a Hutong

A Hutong is a series of apartment-size dwellings along a number of connected streets, where extended family members lived, traditionally those connected to the Emporer's family. Today, over 6,000 of these Hutongs dot the streets of Beijing for a total of around 1 million people. The families are no longer related but live in close proximity. If the Hutongs were physically connected end-to-end throughout Beijing, they would stretch longer than the Great Wall!

This kind lady offered us a seat in her house to discuss life in the Hutong with us. Her granddaughter served us tea and snacks, and we discovered the young girl was a twin. Apparently, if a woman gives birth to twins, the government doesn't force her to give one or both up. Instead, she is allowed to keep her babies since the outcome of her pregnancy wasn't her fault. She was also very interested in hearing about Emily, plus our impending adoption. Everyone we met throughout the day was...such a nice feeling.

Riding to the Hutong in bicycle-led rickshaw. Our guide Helen picked a driver with strong legs! Cindy and Russ, I giggled hysterically as we were ushered into the rickshaw, remembering your hilarious video. Luckily, our guy was strong (although his brakes didn't seem to work well with our weight).

Traditional Tea Ceremony

A lovely event, our hostess (seen here with Kevin and our guide Helen) explained the significance of tea to the Chinese, explaining how to steep the tea, which tea works for which ailment, how to serve the tea (in exquisite, tiny clay pots or lovely cups), etc. We were then treated to a tea tasting with as much seriousness and ceremony as a wine tasting. It was almost bizarre, as magical cups were introduced--one decorated with a black dragon that changed into a full-color portrait of the Great Wall when hot water was added.



My favorite tea was Lychee (the fruit) with added rose flowers. Kevin loved the Oolong (black) tea, and the jasmine ball (more magic). The Jasmine ball is made of green tea leaves wrapped around flowers. When hot water is poured over the tea ball, it slowly opens to reveal the flowers inside, and makes a lovely home decoration.

Our hostess at one point introduced a Lucky Boy, a clay figure that grows when water is added to it, and then pees across the room and onto the floor! I kid you not--this little guy is more anatomically correct than either the Ken or G.I. Joe dolls. Call me tired, about to become mom to a toddler who need potty training, whatever--it struck me as so hysterically funny that I laughed until tears streamed from my eyes. I was still laughing when we left the tea house 20 minutes later.

Other Great Stuff

The food has been great--we've stuffed ourselves aplenty. The Chinese food is nothing like the greasy, heavily sauce laden stuff you easily find at home. Instead, the sauces are more delicate. We had a spicy peanut chicken meal for lunch that had a very surprising kick in the form of some ginger that made my tongue go numb for a few minutes. Kevin remained unaffected and just happily chewed away. Tonight we had Peking Duck for the first time, which was just yummy!

Tomorrow is a trip to the Great Wall, with Kevin's new gloves and my new sweater and leggings (that have to be worn beneath my jeans). Because it's going to be even colder!!!

Take care,

Caroline