It's A Suggestion

     Recently, I had to put myself in check.  We sometimes get to comfortable with certain things and don’t really appreciate what we have.   When we move to a new environment that seems uncomfortable, we begin to complain about everything that’s not familiar.  I keep reminding myself that all the experiences that I have encountered make Beijing—Beijing.  Adaption mode has kicked in.  What was usual for me during my first few weeks is now the ‘norm’, but that’s not for all things.

I have been culturally enlightened. 

If the traffic light in red, that’s only a suggestion.  You don’t necessarily have to stop.  If the sign says no photography, go ahead and take photos.  It’s only a suggestion.  In the U.S., the number for luck is 7.  Here, 8 and 9 represents luck.  Since the number 9 is greater than 8 and is masculine, it is the number for the emperor.  I don’t want to bore you with cultural information, you can Google it or come here yourself! ;)

Well, what have I done?

 

Ummm…nothing much but sleep.  Our internships and the commute we make every work day has drained the life out of us.  But really though...

One of our program advisors is Dutch, and he invited us to the Pecha Kucha event at the Dutch Embassy.  As it is the month of June, I had the opportunity to celebrate my 22^nd birthday here in Beijing.  What did I do?  Well, we went to the Olympic Stadium Park (where the 2008 Summer Olympics was held) and toured the “Bird’s Nest” and “Water Cube.”  The following day we visited the Summer Palace for our own cultural excursion.  Our Trinity group had the opportunity to visit the Temple of Heaven (culturally enriching) and the Beijing Coca-Cola packaging factory (received a free Coca-Cola beverage).

AND WHAT YOU’VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR…   

The GREAT WALL of CHINA!

Oh what an amazing experience to be there in person on the Great Wall.  The best part was visiting the section where there isn’t a lot of tourist, and you can get amazing photos.  It was relaxing to be able to hike in peace and enjoy the surrounding environment.  The Great Wall at Jinshanling is more for hikers and campers.  It's partially renovated, which results in an intense hike.  If you've never been, I recommend that you go!

[PSA: The Great Wall cannot be hiked in a day, more like months]     

Until next time!

Weekly Photos

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