So did you know that I went to China last week? Just hopped on a plane and went! Actually - there was a lot of planning and preparing - passport, a Chinese Visa, and well, the ticket too!
My parents are in China for 5 weeks as faculty advisers for music students who are doing an internship there. As they were preparing to go, my mom kept suggesting that I should find a way to come visit while they were there - knowing my dad would be busy and she wanted to show me China! It took time and lot of promises for my sweet hubby to let me go and of course, I had to beg and plead the help of family and neighbors (once again) so I could do this opportunity of a lifetime. After finding a DEAL of a ticket and also putting the bug in my sister's ear - we were on our way. It was a week of adventure with my parents and my sister!!
So, here I am with over 700 pictures and wanting to "sum it up" for a blog post. I don't think it is humanly possibly (I guess it is, but it would be VERY LONG and VERY BORING for you!) but this is my condensed version. I spent the majority of my time in Tianjin and Beijing. Enjoy....
Lots and lots of bikes in this HUGE city (Tianjin has 13 million people!)
This is the aisle of OIL - JUST OIL. There aren't just jars, there are VATS of oil. They cook with a lot of oil.
My mom, Lara and I at Forbidden City. I assumed this would be a large place - I didn't even fathom the massive size of this historical landmark. It was awesome to see in person.
Typical potty - it's called a Squatter. I came home grateful for my regular potty and for toilet paper.
Lara and I dressed up in a little garb - we were suckers for the little tourist money maker - but hey, it cost us 75 cents each!
A view from up high with the Forbidden City in the background.... that's just 1 of 3,000 buildings. I don't think I'm exaggerating.
Luckily, most restaurants do "picture menus" now to help with the tourism. Some of the "translations" were very funny - this is just one of many!
This was a dish of celery and lily bulbs... and I loved it. Chinese food was excellent. It is NOT American Chinese - in any fashion or even remotely like it. It was delicious eating - but at the same time, I don't want Chinese for another month. I had my fill and I'm grateful to be home eating my cheesey, unhealthy American foods again.
This is a dish of Eggplant and it's SOOO good. My mom thinks that it's a different type of Eggplant than we typically see in the US - and it probably is. Plus - they know how to season it with their fancy oils too. This was one of my favorites.
This is a funny picture from a museum that was showcasing the "modern conveniences of today's China." One of them had this scene and it has to make you laugh. My dad has sincerely seen footprints on a 'seater' and then realized that this is not so far from the truth!
One afternoon we stopped to have our portraits done by a street artist. The picture wasn't any good - but the group that formed to watch the foreigner (me) was worth the money. It started with a handful of people watching then slowly grew to over 20 people. I thought I would help the poor artist's business - but when we walked away, so did the crowd!
We visited the Great Wall of China outside of Tinajin. You can visit different parts of the wall at different locations and typically, this is not crowded and very isolated from the typical tourism. It turns out that we were there just 2 days before the annual "Marathon on the Great Wall" - so there were tourists there from all sorts of countries. They were required to walk the wall before doing the run on that Saturday - how they ran this thing, I'm in awe. We walked (HIKED) for more than 2 1/2 hours and the next two days were filled with agony EVERY TIME I stepped down... I thought I was pretty fit - I guess the Great Wall defeated me.
We started at the "high part" and worked our way down to the where the bus would meet us. But, it isn't all down - oh no, it's UP and down, and UP and down..... Here's a set of UP stairs!
It was the most beautiful day to be at the Wall - clear skies and so many picturesque views. It was simply amazing to be there in person.
After the hike, we had a meal in a little restaurant there. It would be considered to be a "farmer's market dinner" - we just ordered a "meal" and we got what we got. I tried almost everything - but there was a plate of whole fried birds - ewww - and a plate of whole fried fish - ewwwww - and I just couldn't stomach those.
We also visited the Ching Tombs. I don't know how to capture the adventure of this spot. The buildings on the top looked like the Forbidden City - (as the emperor and empresses would come here once a year to honor their ancestors) and then they were also buried here. We were able to see 2 tombs - you go down inside the building and it felt like Indiana Jones (as my dad mentioned it would!). I also think it compares to seeing pyramid tombs in Egypt... just Chinese style. It was awesome.
Inside the tomb - looking at the coffins!
We visited Summer Palace - a retreat for the Royal Families in the summer time as it was higher in elevation and little cooler. There was a lot more green here - beautiful pine trees and HUGE lakes. I thought it would be huge - but once again, I can't even comprehend how big this "Palace" was. The entire area is the Palace - it has to be twice as big as NY Central Park... maybe bigger?
Empress Cixi's Marble Boat - of course she needed a marble boat. No, it doesn't float. It's supported and unmovable.
My parents have good friends there who have generously put them up in their "2nd apartment" which they typically use for teaching and as a guest house. Here's a couple shots of where we stayed and I felt VERY fortunate to be able to stay with my parents. We didn't have to deal with a hotel or the university housing - which was plan 1 and 2. Lara and I traded off the bedroom bed (twin size) with the couch. Chinese beds are HARD AND FLAT! It could have been a table top really. I understand that the Chinese are very uncomfortable in the US beds - they are too soft for them!
We visited "The Temple to Heaven" which is another spot where the Emperor would go once a year to worship the Gods. Once again, I was in awe of the size of this spot. It was more park-like with big trees and fewer buildings. I was taking Lara's picture next to the oldest tree in the park and this girl ran up and wanted her picture with Lara too... (the girl's boyfriend had the camera rolling quick). I just imagine the photo sharing later on... "Oh look, here I am with a foreigner!"
We went to the famous "Pearl Market." It's a big building with oodles and oodles and oodles of booths and vendors - grabbing your arms pleading for you to buy something from them. Each floor has a different "theme" - whether it's clothing, shoes, bags, coats, or jewelry - lots and lots of jewelry. I bought some pearls and wondered if I should be buying more as I watched wholesalers from the US buying there to bring them back to the US! My dad is the master of bartering - none of us would buy something without him there to barter it down. I wanted to record him in action but thought it might be a little rude.
This is just one of a thousand booths - my dad is bartering on behalf of Lara here.
I had famous "Bousa" - a breaded dumpling and a traditional food of Tianjin. Very yummy.
This was our last fancy feast before coming home. A professor wanted to treat my parents and their daughters - it was a FEAST! As you walk in the restaurant you can choose your meat...
Luckily, our hosts chose fish.
So a fancy meal in China starts with cold dishes (kind of like a salad - but not salad), then hot dishes, then the fish, followed by soups and then they kept ordering more and more foods. I think the host really enjoyed watching Lara and I struggle with our chopsticks and try all the new things. It was an amazing meal and summed up the Chinese food experience for us.
After 24 hours to fly home (well, to LA!) we stopped to stay with our favorite friend, Laura! She ROCKS. I'm so grateful for her hospitality and willingness to come get me in LA - much better than sleeping in an airport for 12 hours!!
If you ask me what my favorite part of my trip - I really can't say. It was all amazing. I think I loved the sightseeing best - but at the same time, I loved the interaction we had with the colleagues of my parents. That was unique and eye opening. I'm also very grateful to my parents for being willing to do so much in such a short window of time. We wore them out as there was never a dull moment! Thank you to the many who helped me here at home so I could go. I couldn't have done it without the family and neighbors who helped with my sweet boys at home - THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!
