We just got back from church again at the Haidain Christian Church. This time, I went with one of the guys that has gone before (marcel) and another guy (Nico) that hasn't set foot into a church in his memory. It was so great to see his reaction and though I don't think much changed, only time and God's power will tell if that seed planted will begin to grow. Abby and Susan met us there and we enjoyed a great song service today. I believe on of the pastor of the church (Pastor Wu) led the sermon today on Acts 2: 41-47. He emphasized four parts of the scripture that he felt led to the 3,000 people being baptized: 1)devotion to the word - through the apostles 2)fellowship 3)love for others and God's power 4)prayer It was so uplifting to see another preacher talk about his mission field in the church and in Beijing and how we too can bring 3,000 to Christ. Beijing is a city of 17 million and I pray God can be seen by all!
Also, the best part of the service, we learned a song in both Chinese and English and it is one we all know! This is the Day that the Lord has Made
Here are lyrics in Chinese characters, pinyin and English. The song doesn't translate verbatium but means the same thing. It was amazing!
zhe shi Ye He Hua
這 是 耶和華
suo ding de ri zi
所定的日子
These two lines translate into our words: This is the day that the Lord has made - but not in that order!)
women zai qizhong (we will rejoice)
我們在其中
yao gaoxing huanxi (and be glad in it)
要高興歡喜
English song: This is the Day (x2) That the Lord has Made (x2) I will rejoice (x2) And be glad in it (x2)
Hope you enjoyed your Chinese lesson. It was a great experience.
Also, at the end of each service, they sing a song (in English) to all the visitors and I finally had the chance the write it down:
Grace and peace in the name of Christ
We're so glad you came today.
We hope you felt the Glory of the Lord
As we sing this song we wanna say
God Bless You
God Bless You
God Bless You
Today and forevermore
Hope everyone has a blessed day!
Oh and side note: Last night we went to Wangfujing which is a night market with street vendors of food and souvenirs.... we ate candied pineapple and some of our guy friends ate Scorpion, Squid, meats and some type of Sea creature! it was crazy! (just didnt want to forget)
Love to all!
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
Shanghai
Hi everyone!
So I know I'm a little late posting another blog and I know I went to Shanghai last weekend, but this week has been crazy. We are preparing for our midterm in the class, which is really a semester final back at UF. We are finished with Fall of Intermediate Chinese 1 and will begin Int. Chinese 2 on Tuesday. I hope all is well in your corner of the world! Here is my paper for class on Shanghai, hope you enjoy it, it was definately just a tweaking of what I sent my parents on email! Love to all and I miss you!
This weekend (13 June 2008) we traveled to Shanghai. However, before we left Beijing, we had a grand adventure getting to the Railway station. First off, we were all required to find the railway station in Beijing on our own, which wouldn't have been too bad, if there was not a MONSOON (exaggerating a little) on Friday afternoon when we needed to leave! We were told to leave the dorm by 5:30 Friday afternoon in order to have enough time to travel to the Railway station. Unfortunately, we weren't able to find any cabs by our university dorm or on the road outside of it, so we ended up walking 20-30 minutes to Wudaokou, which is the nearest subway stop. As we walked, the rain got harder and harder and the wind was blowing, so any attempt at an umbrella was pointless. I had on my rain jacket, which did little good; by the time we arrived at the subway, my feet (in tennis shoes) had been completely submerged in rain water, and I was soaking wet.
By the time we reached the subway, we all got separated and broken into smaller groups. When we stopped on the subway to switch lines again, we discovered (only through one of the girls on our program who happened to be in my group and is a fourth year student) that the stop we needed to get off at for the Railway station was closed. We frantically tried to text everyone to let them know about the changes.
We finally arrived at the stop before the railway station, and all the cabs, because it was raining, were charging an exorbitant fee to go three blocks to the railway station. By now it was close to 7 pm (we had to meet at 7 pm and our train left at 8:14 pm). So, we decided to walk yet again to the Railway station. Our small group finally got to the destination and found our meeting place (with some effort). Unfortunately, Hellen, our director who was going with us, was not there yet, nor was the majority of the group. After finally finding all the others, we literally ran to the platform, loading onto the train with three minutes to spare. We were all dirty and later discovered that all our clothes, even the ones in our bags, were soaked. It was a great start to our weekend.
On the train, we had hard sleeper cars, which means we had six beds to a room. Also, we were not able to get all six beds in each room, so we were spread around between two cars. On the way to Shanghai, a friend and I were in a car with four Chinese men. We arrived 13 hours later and immediately set off on a tour bus to go site-seeing.
We went to the top of the Shanghai Pearl Tower, which really isn't a pearl tower, but a TV station. The tower is the tallest building in Asia. It was raining, but we had a great aerial view of the city and the surrounding areas. We then traveled to the Bund, which is a riverside walkway. Along the walk, there were street vendors selling kites, watches and other souvenir goods. Next, we went to a small tea house and had a private tea ceremony. We got to try Green Tea, Flower Tea, Jasmine Tea, Black Tea and Ginseng Tea. I think green tea, not in a bag, taste so different and so much better. I drink green tea daily, so I enjoyed learning more about the differences between bag tea (which is what I typically drink) and fresh green tea leaves. I didn't buy any tea at the house due to the high prices for tourists, but would like to get some before I go back to the United States.
After lunch we traveled to the Old Shanghai street, which I had the opportunity to peruse when I came two years ago. I made many purchases there previously and was excited to see the area again. Regrettably, we were quickly led through the street, leaving no time to stop and shop. Our tour guide took us to the park on the other side of the street. After the park, we were finally able to return to the hotel and get a quick shower before heading to dinner.
On Saturday night, we had the option to go see an Acrobatic show. Having been to the same show before, I didn't have to go again, but was glad when many of my friends decided to see it. The show is fantastic and almost exactly as I remembered.
On Sunday, we went to ZhuJiaJiao, which is an old village outside of the city. There were many people at the entrance selling small goldfish. It is tradition to make a wish and release the fish back into the water. Many of our group purchased some and made a wish. The water along the village was filled with gondolas, reminding me of Venice, Italy. Locals milled around the streets, selling food, playing Chinese chess and sewing clothes. I enjoyed seeing an authentic village in China and seeing how people live daily outside of urban life.
We enjoyed a Mongolian BBQ for lunch. This style of eating is a unique experience. Set like a buffet, you can select whatever meats, vegetables and sauces you prefer. After filling your bowl, you take it to the chef, who throws it all on a circular skillet table to cook the food. I enjoyed the food and liked the light flavors of the dish.
Our tour bus then headed to the Jade Temple. My friend and I skipped the temple to get some shopping done, since we were only going to have one hour of free time before dinner. Getting a little lost, we got to walk along the streets in Shanghai. Our trip was concluded with dinner before heading back to the train station. This time we had more than an hour before the train left and were able to relax some before boarding. Again, our group was split between two cars. Completely exhausted, we slept all the way to Beijing. The weekend was a great taste of the city, but I felt, as did many others, that more time was needed in order to truly see the city. Shanghai is home to many museums and an aquarium, as well as many other attractions that we didn’t have time to see. I would like to go back and spend more time in Shanghai.
So I know I'm a little late posting another blog and I know I went to Shanghai last weekend, but this week has been crazy. We are preparing for our midterm in the class, which is really a semester final back at UF. We are finished with Fall of Intermediate Chinese 1 and will begin Int. Chinese 2 on Tuesday. I hope all is well in your corner of the world! Here is my paper for class on Shanghai, hope you enjoy it, it was definately just a tweaking of what I sent my parents on email! Love to all and I miss you!
This weekend (13 June 2008) we traveled to Shanghai. However, before we left Beijing, we had a grand adventure getting to the Railway station. First off, we were all required to find the railway station in Beijing on our own, which wouldn't have been too bad, if there was not a MONSOON (exaggerating a little) on Friday afternoon when we needed to leave! We were told to leave the dorm by 5:30 Friday afternoon in order to have enough time to travel to the Railway station. Unfortunately, we weren't able to find any cabs by our university dorm or on the road outside of it, so we ended up walking 20-30 minutes to Wudaokou, which is the nearest subway stop. As we walked, the rain got harder and harder and the wind was blowing, so any attempt at an umbrella was pointless. I had on my rain jacket, which did little good; by the time we arrived at the subway, my feet (in tennis shoes) had been completely submerged in rain water, and I was soaking wet.
By the time we reached the subway, we all got separated and broken into smaller groups. When we stopped on the subway to switch lines again, we discovered (only through one of the girls on our program who happened to be in my group and is a fourth year student) that the stop we needed to get off at for the Railway station was closed. We frantically tried to text everyone to let them know about the changes.
We finally arrived at the stop before the railway station, and all the cabs, because it was raining, were charging an exorbitant fee to go three blocks to the railway station. By now it was close to 7 pm (we had to meet at 7 pm and our train left at 8:14 pm). So, we decided to walk yet again to the Railway station. Our small group finally got to the destination and found our meeting place (with some effort). Unfortunately, Hellen, our director who was going with us, was not there yet, nor was the majority of the group. After finally finding all the others, we literally ran to the platform, loading onto the train with three minutes to spare. We were all dirty and later discovered that all our clothes, even the ones in our bags, were soaked. It was a great start to our weekend.
On the train, we had hard sleeper cars, which means we had six beds to a room. Also, we were not able to get all six beds in each room, so we were spread around between two cars. On the way to Shanghai, a friend and I were in a car with four Chinese men. We arrived 13 hours later and immediately set off on a tour bus to go site-seeing.
We went to the top of the Shanghai Pearl Tower, which really isn't a pearl tower, but a TV station. The tower is the tallest building in Asia. It was raining, but we had a great aerial view of the city and the surrounding areas. We then traveled to the Bund, which is a riverside walkway. Along the walk, there were street vendors selling kites, watches and other souvenir goods. Next, we went to a small tea house and had a private tea ceremony. We got to try Green Tea, Flower Tea, Jasmine Tea, Black Tea and Ginseng Tea. I think green tea, not in a bag, taste so different and so much better. I drink green tea daily, so I enjoyed learning more about the differences between bag tea (which is what I typically drink) and fresh green tea leaves. I didn't buy any tea at the house due to the high prices for tourists, but would like to get some before I go back to the United States.
After lunch we traveled to the Old Shanghai street, which I had the opportunity to peruse when I came two years ago. I made many purchases there previously and was excited to see the area again. Regrettably, we were quickly led through the street, leaving no time to stop and shop. Our tour guide took us to the park on the other side of the street. After the park, we were finally able to return to the hotel and get a quick shower before heading to dinner.
On Saturday night, we had the option to go see an Acrobatic show. Having been to the same show before, I didn't have to go again, but was glad when many of my friends decided to see it. The show is fantastic and almost exactly as I remembered.
On Sunday, we went to ZhuJiaJiao, which is an old village outside of the city. There were many people at the entrance selling small goldfish. It is tradition to make a wish and release the fish back into the water. Many of our group purchased some and made a wish. The water along the village was filled with gondolas, reminding me of Venice, Italy. Locals milled around the streets, selling food, playing Chinese chess and sewing clothes. I enjoyed seeing an authentic village in China and seeing how people live daily outside of urban life.
We enjoyed a Mongolian BBQ for lunch. This style of eating is a unique experience. Set like a buffet, you can select whatever meats, vegetables and sauces you prefer. After filling your bowl, you take it to the chef, who throws it all on a circular skillet table to cook the food. I enjoyed the food and liked the light flavors of the dish.
Our tour bus then headed to the Jade Temple. My friend and I skipped the temple to get some shopping done, since we were only going to have one hour of free time before dinner. Getting a little lost, we got to walk along the streets in Shanghai. Our trip was concluded with dinner before heading back to the train station. This time we had more than an hour before the train left and were able to relax some before boarding. Again, our group was split between two cars. Completely exhausted, we slept all the way to Beijing. The weekend was a great taste of the city, but I felt, as did many others, that more time was needed in order to truly see the city. Shanghai is home to many museums and an aquarium, as well as many other attractions that we didn’t have time to see. I would like to go back and spend more time in Shanghai.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Sheep Testicle
Ha! I knew you would open this blog if I named it that! Maybe I should always title my blogs some random word. But this time, it's not random! Last night I had the opportunity to order and eat Sheep Testicle (yes, balls Jason) and I did it! Can you believe it???? For everyone that knows me that is not something I would even THINK about doing!
Some of us went to Hou Hai last night to meet one of our friends - Byron- who was in our chinese class at UF and is here this summer in Beijing, but isn't on our program. So he took us to this great hot pot place (nan men - literally south gate) it was great. For those of you who don't know what hot pot is, it's basically like the melting pot - fondue. you get spicy base (but this time it was just boiled water with herbs) and you cook your food - typically after it is cooked, you can dip in into a sauce (which this sauce was awesome - and you can make it as spicy as you want!!!)
we gorged on sheep, lamb, beef, spinach, baicai, etc etc etc. then the boys got the random idea to order our wonderful sheep testicles. let me tell you, when cooked they shrink up like balls! lol totally random, and slightly inappropriate, I know, but I felt the need to share this great experience with you. My first ball slice (yes, they bring it thinly sliced) I dipped in sauce, so I didnt taste much else, but the next bite I ate without anything else... it's a little more chewy than Chicken, but the same color and basically bland flavor.
Thanks for listening. hope I grossed some of you out! others, hope it was funny!
I just wanted to remember this experience in August and I know I will forget my initial reaction! So, go out and try some sheep testicles.
The Chinese believe that what you eat you become, so if you eat cow brain, you become more smart, eat tongue, you become more witty. so if you eat testicle (for a guy) you become more manly... don't know what the implications are for females...
and what happens when you eat lung (which we did the other night) Does that mean you are able to breathe better!? Who knows.. oh the eating habits in Asian never cease to amaze me!
Love to all!!!!
Some of us went to Hou Hai last night to meet one of our friends - Byron- who was in our chinese class at UF and is here this summer in Beijing, but isn't on our program. So he took us to this great hot pot place (nan men - literally south gate) it was great. For those of you who don't know what hot pot is, it's basically like the melting pot - fondue. you get spicy base (but this time it was just boiled water with herbs) and you cook your food - typically after it is cooked, you can dip in into a sauce (which this sauce was awesome - and you can make it as spicy as you want!!!)
we gorged on sheep, lamb, beef, spinach, baicai, etc etc etc. then the boys got the random idea to order our wonderful sheep testicles. let me tell you, when cooked they shrink up like balls! lol totally random, and slightly inappropriate, I know, but I felt the need to share this great experience with you. My first ball slice (yes, they bring it thinly sliced) I dipped in sauce, so I didnt taste much else, but the next bite I ate without anything else... it's a little more chewy than Chicken, but the same color and basically bland flavor.
Thanks for listening. hope I grossed some of you out! others, hope it was funny!
I just wanted to remember this experience in August and I know I will forget my initial reaction! So, go out and try some sheep testicles.
The Chinese believe that what you eat you become, so if you eat cow brain, you become more smart, eat tongue, you become more witty. so if you eat testicle (for a guy) you become more manly... don't know what the implications are for females...
and what happens when you eat lung (which we did the other night) Does that mean you are able to breathe better!? Who knows.. oh the eating habits in Asian never cease to amaze me!
Love to all!!!!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Info on Confucius Temple, Lama Temple, Summer Palace
Hi everyone! Below is my paper for the above three things... hope all is well! miss you all!
Lama Temple
This weekend (7 June 2008) we went to the Lama Temple (YongHeGong). I have been before two years ago, but didn’t remember much of the experience. Now knowing more about the temple, I was able to better appreciate its history and culture. I still don’t think I was able to fully understand the magnitude of the temple and the Buddha statues situated throughout, but I was at the very least able to realize the significance.
Yonghegong Tibetian Buddhist Lama Temple, the biggest lamasery in Beijing, was built in 1694 as the residence of Prince Yong of Qing Dynasty. After the prince came to the throne, he changed his old residence into a temporary dwelling palace in 1725. His successor, Emperor Qianlong changed the palace into a lama temple. Many Buddha statues are enshrined within the temple and Tang-ga (scrolled painting) and precious cultural relics are displayed. Three of the most famous statues are: the Niche of Buddha, which has three layers of filigree; the Five-Hundred-Arhat Mountain, which is carved out of red sandalwood; and an 26-meter high Buddha which was carved out of white sandalwood and holds the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest statue made out of one piece.
Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the government has attached great importance to this temple and has allocated large sums of money to renovate it. In 1961, it was listed as a major Historic Site under State Protection. The Yonghegong Lama Temple survived during the turbulent years of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). In 1981, the temple was opened to the public.
While we were there, we saw many people burning incense and praying to the Buddhas, especially the Buddha of the Future. I thought it was interesting that there were many signs that said, “Please offer incense instead of burning if wind is bad,” yet many people continued to burn it on our windy visit. Also, another funny thing to note is that there is a statue enclosed in a gate that says “Do not throw incenses or coins.” However, the ground around the entire statue was covered in silver coins. I guess people break the rules no matter where you live.
Summer Palace
We were also able to go see the Summer Palace (Yi He Yuan). Having met some local students, we took them along for the afternoon and enjoyed a wonderful day by the water. The Summer Palace covers an expanse of 2.9 square kilometers, three quarters of which is water. The palace area is mainly dominated by Longevity Hill and the Kunming Lake. It suffered two major attacks during the Anglo-French invasion of 1860 and the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. It served as a summer resort for Empress Dowager Cixi, who used monies originally designated for the Chinese navy to reconstruct and enlarge the Summer Palace.
UNESCO has declared the Summer Palace an “outstanding expression of the creative art of Chinese landscape garden design, incorporating the works of humankind and nature in a harmonious whole.”
When we arrived at the palace, we began walking toward the lake along the Suzhou Street. We stopped at a small bridge that led to a smaller island to take pictures and enjoy the view of the lake and the Duobao Glazed Pagoda. We ate curry noodles on the edge of the water and meander down the street licking cold ice cream. We stopped at the Bronze Ox statue, also called the “Golden Ox.” The ox was positioned near the water to keep the floods down. Next, we traveled over the 17-Arch Bridge (Shiqi Kong Qiao), which has over 500 engraved lions and runs along the eastern edge of the lake. It is the longest bridge in any Chinese imperial garden and was named for its seventeen arches. Across the bridge, we visited another, larger island (Nanhu Dao) which contained beautiful gardens and a cultural relic building atop a hill, giving a great view of the lake below.
We then traveled back along the Suzhou Street to the bottom of the Longevity Hill. Some of the group decided to climb through the woods, bypassing the ticket checkpoint, to see the top of the hill and the pagoda. We decided to take a xiuxi (break) by the water’s edge. We walked along the Long Corridor and came to the Marble Boat, which is at the southwest foot of the hill.
The boat, also known as Qingyanfang (Boat of Clearness and Comfort), was built in 1755 as an imitation of the sailing boats that Qianlong took during his inspection of Southern China. As an old saying goes, "water can carry the boat as well as overturn it," meaning that water symbolizing the common people can uphold the royal boat, or it can swamp the boat. Emperor Qianlong had the huge Marble Boat fastened in the water to indicate the steadfast rule of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
Confucius Temple
On Sunday, we went back to the same area as the Lama Temple to see the Confucius Temple (kong miao). Not as widely known perhaps, but definitely more relaxing the temple was used for training and the building up of Confucianism.
The area is covered with stone tablets that have the carved names of each person to pass the imperial examinations. The examinations take years to study for and the accomplishment is one of high regard. The temple allows visitors to feel secluded from the big city and somehow manages to block all noise except for birds chirping and other forms of nature. The Confucius Temple is located adjacent to the Imperial College, where many of the students were trained. The temple has a large hall that was once used by the Emperor to make speeches and give lectures to the public about Confucius ideals. The temple also houses an extensive museum/gallery that tells visitors how Confucianism has spread around the world and their goal to create 100 Confucius schools.
The temple is very tranquil and we spent some time just relaxing under a tree and watching the wind blow through the grass. I would recommend this temple to others, and if you are a student, you get a half price discount.
Lama Temple
This weekend (7 June 2008) we went to the Lama Temple (YongHeGong). I have been before two years ago, but didn’t remember much of the experience. Now knowing more about the temple, I was able to better appreciate its history and culture. I still don’t think I was able to fully understand the magnitude of the temple and the Buddha statues situated throughout, but I was at the very least able to realize the significance.
Yonghegong Tibetian Buddhist Lama Temple, the biggest lamasery in Beijing, was built in 1694 as the residence of Prince Yong of Qing Dynasty. After the prince came to the throne, he changed his old residence into a temporary dwelling palace in 1725. His successor, Emperor Qianlong changed the palace into a lama temple. Many Buddha statues are enshrined within the temple and Tang-ga (scrolled painting) and precious cultural relics are displayed. Three of the most famous statues are: the Niche of Buddha, which has three layers of filigree; the Five-Hundred-Arhat Mountain, which is carved out of red sandalwood; and an 26-meter high Buddha which was carved out of white sandalwood and holds the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest statue made out of one piece.
Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the government has attached great importance to this temple and has allocated large sums of money to renovate it. In 1961, it was listed as a major Historic Site under State Protection. The Yonghegong Lama Temple survived during the turbulent years of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). In 1981, the temple was opened to the public.
While we were there, we saw many people burning incense and praying to the Buddhas, especially the Buddha of the Future. I thought it was interesting that there were many signs that said, “Please offer incense instead of burning if wind is bad,” yet many people continued to burn it on our windy visit. Also, another funny thing to note is that there is a statue enclosed in a gate that says “Do not throw incenses or coins.” However, the ground around the entire statue was covered in silver coins. I guess people break the rules no matter where you live.
Summer Palace
We were also able to go see the Summer Palace (Yi He Yuan). Having met some local students, we took them along for the afternoon and enjoyed a wonderful day by the water. The Summer Palace covers an expanse of 2.9 square kilometers, three quarters of which is water. The palace area is mainly dominated by Longevity Hill and the Kunming Lake. It suffered two major attacks during the Anglo-French invasion of 1860 and the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. It served as a summer resort for Empress Dowager Cixi, who used monies originally designated for the Chinese navy to reconstruct and enlarge the Summer Palace.
UNESCO has declared the Summer Palace an “outstanding expression of the creative art of Chinese landscape garden design, incorporating the works of humankind and nature in a harmonious whole.”
When we arrived at the palace, we began walking toward the lake along the Suzhou Street. We stopped at a small bridge that led to a smaller island to take pictures and enjoy the view of the lake and the Duobao Glazed Pagoda. We ate curry noodles on the edge of the water and meander down the street licking cold ice cream. We stopped at the Bronze Ox statue, also called the “Golden Ox.” The ox was positioned near the water to keep the floods down. Next, we traveled over the 17-Arch Bridge (Shiqi Kong Qiao), which has over 500 engraved lions and runs along the eastern edge of the lake. It is the longest bridge in any Chinese imperial garden and was named for its seventeen arches. Across the bridge, we visited another, larger island (Nanhu Dao) which contained beautiful gardens and a cultural relic building atop a hill, giving a great view of the lake below.
We then traveled back along the Suzhou Street to the bottom of the Longevity Hill. Some of the group decided to climb through the woods, bypassing the ticket checkpoint, to see the top of the hill and the pagoda. We decided to take a xiuxi (break) by the water’s edge. We walked along the Long Corridor and came to the Marble Boat, which is at the southwest foot of the hill.
The boat, also known as Qingyanfang (Boat of Clearness and Comfort), was built in 1755 as an imitation of the sailing boats that Qianlong took during his inspection of Southern China. As an old saying goes, "water can carry the boat as well as overturn it," meaning that water symbolizing the common people can uphold the royal boat, or it can swamp the boat. Emperor Qianlong had the huge Marble Boat fastened in the water to indicate the steadfast rule of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
Confucius Temple
On Sunday, we went back to the same area as the Lama Temple to see the Confucius Temple (kong miao). Not as widely known perhaps, but definitely more relaxing the temple was used for training and the building up of Confucianism.
The area is covered with stone tablets that have the carved names of each person to pass the imperial examinations. The examinations take years to study for and the accomplishment is one of high regard. The temple allows visitors to feel secluded from the big city and somehow manages to block all noise except for birds chirping and other forms of nature. The Confucius Temple is located adjacent to the Imperial College, where many of the students were trained. The temple has a large hall that was once used by the Emperor to make speeches and give lectures to the public about Confucius ideals. The temple also houses an extensive museum/gallery that tells visitors how Confucianism has spread around the world and their goal to create 100 Confucius schools.
The temple is very tranquil and we spent some time just relaxing under a tree and watching the wind blow through the grass. I would recommend this temple to others, and if you are a student, you get a half price discount.
Pictures of Confucius Temple
We went to the Confucius Temple today... which is located almost directly behind the Lama Temple.. it was so peaceful... it is also next to the Imperial College - which is where Confucius students are taught.
Olympic Bird's Nest
We tried to go inside the Bird's Nest, but it never happened. Susan told us that for the past three days only (because of the Dragon Boat Festival) they were allowing 10,000 people in for free to see the stadium... doors opened at 9 am, we arrived at 7:30 and managed to get through the first security gate, but were stopped at the second - they said it was only for employees. We hung out until 9 am, but then still couldn't get in... this is as far as we got! oh well, it is still stunning! Love to all!
Pictures of the Summer Palace
When we went to the Summer Palace, our friends from church - Abby and Susan - were able to come along as well. Abby is wearing an orange/white striped shirt with orange sweater and Susan is wearing a pink top. I will post more info about the Summer Palace later - XOXO
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