I am a master haggler

Yesterday breakfast was at 6:45am, 15 minutes later than usual. We were to meet Shirley (Freddie’s in class translator) at 7:30 to take taxi’s to the Temple of Heaven. So we ate, and then we waited… and then we waited more…

Shirley didn’t show until 8:30, which is when she swears we decided to meet. Oh, well. So we went to the Temple of Heaven. I have been feeling rather ill for the past two days, so I turned on my mp3 player and zoned out. I was very interested in what the people at park were doing, and not as interested in the architecture or the ancient function of the place, though it was rather enthralling, too.

(A group of women make beautiful patterns using ribbons)

(Tai Chi?)

(The usual suspects in front of an ornate building once used by the “Emperor of Heaven” for prayer and sacrificing animals)

(Dragon= Emperor, Phoenix= Empress. Very common symbolism.)

(roof)

(No feet on the grass, you say? I live dangerously!)

(This is actually extremely difficult. Try it! How’d you do? That’s what I thought…)

Leaving the Temple/park, we walked to lunch to have some Peking noodles. On the way, there was a man on an overpass with a string of kites. Every few seconds, he would release another kite into the sky, until there was a chain of them in the air that seemed to stretch beyond the clouds:

Lunch was awesome. Every time they say we are going out for a particular dish, we don’t see that dish for the first six or seven plates that come to our table. This was no exception. The noodles themselves were rather salty and a bit slimy, but I liked them.

It came as plain noodles and a bowl of very thick sauce (which you can see to the right of my bowl). The point is to combine it a little at a time, but I didn’t really understand that and made the mistake of putting all of my sauce onto the noodles at once. It was still edible, but like I said, quite salty.

I started to feel much better when we got to the market.

I am truly my mother’s daughter. I shopped hard and bargained harder. For a dress, the seller’s first offer was 1300. I walked away with it for 65 Yuan. I had a blast. I bartered for gifts for nearly everyone… It is just quite hard to shop for my brother and father. One shop owner tried to convince me to buy a sword for my brother. I said “You heard me that this is for my younger brother, right…? Do you wish death on me?”

Anne and I are going to go back at some point…

This afternoon I was supposed to have lunch at a student’s house but I was really too ill. I slept instead of blogging after class and came back to the classrooms just before lunch to ask my translator to explain to my student that I want to come, but I cannot. My lungs have been producing a delectable combination of green mucus and blood all day, so I thought it best that I sleep away the afternoon, which is exactly what I did. Kathy and Jen took my place so all is well. Saturday I am going to Jerry’s house. This I am quite excited about. I would really like to meet Jerry’s parents.

I never really explained about the Great Wall. I have been too sick and tired. The climb up took about four hours. Kathy, Freddie and Mr. Tsoon (sp?, Kathy’s in class translator) took a cable car back to the bottom and Anne, Mackenzie, Jen, Steve, Mr. Tsoon’s daughter and I walked to the bottom on a new (to us) part of the wall. It was, as I’ve shown, extremely steep and quite alarming. We made it safely to the bottom, where I assumed we would be picked up. Apparently not. We had another 45 minutes of walking to do. My legs were quite literally shaking. I was very proud to do it. There is a saying that if you do not climb to the top of the Great Wall, you are no hero. I am a hero, now, I guess.

We had lunch after the Wall and then piled into the van for the two hour drive back into Beijing. After stopping for another walk around the Hutongs (my poor, blistered, aching feet!), we had lunch at a pizza buffet, of all places and things. Strangely enough, this killed my insides. All of the traditional Chinese food I’ve been eating has left me quite happy but the first time I eat American style food I feel like my insides are dying. Weird. I’m better now.

So Beijing continues to be beautiful and exciting. They are doing construction on our school which I think is a bit odd while classes are in session, but it seems safe enough (except for the bags of rubble they throw to the courtyard from a fourth story window which land close enough to blow my hair up!).

I grow exhausted once again, so this is where I leave you. I’m sorry if my posts haven’t been as inspired and exciting, I just haven’t been feeling my best. Starting on antibiotics tonight, Mom, thanks.

Missing everyone!