Local Beijing time is 1pm so I have been here a whole 16 hours! I survived the 24 hour plus trip through Chicago and Tokyo. Landing here was like stepping into a St. Louis' August - hot and muggy. The only real problem I encountered along the way was trying to find my host family's apartment entrance. No problems with any immigration or customs - though the cranky lady in Saint Louis told me I was only allowed two carry on items. I looked at her and said, "You want me to shove my $2,000 camera into my bookbag? For what? I will be taking it right back out again." The guy behind me chuckles and the only response I get is "Ma'm you are only allowed two carry on bags." So I gently place my camera bag on top of every thing in my book bag, pull the strings taunt, scan my boarding pass, and promptly take it right back out. The guy behind me is still chuckling.
I have to recommend that anyone traveling overseas take a non-US airline. The whole experience of traveling changes. I flew Japan AirLines from Chicago to Tokyo and then onto Beijing. I had the pleasure of bento boxes and hot green tea with Hagen-Das. Not to mention the beer is free and not half bad. The stewardess (and I can use this as there were no men!) even brought us hot hand towels. I really have to give them credit though since I don't know if there was a height restriction in their job description but each and everyone of them had to stand on the foot lift attached to the chair in order to close the overhead storage bin. *Something for my stateside friends to comment on is if there are foot lifts attached to the seats in US airplanes because I certainly have never noticed one there before*
My host family is very nice. I have a feeling they were expecting me to speak more Chinese as I was expecting them to speak more English. So we are muddling through it even if I have no idea what is going on and agree with them so not to be difficult. This is how I wound up on a 4 hour bike ride this morning. No idea what I agreed to but sure sounds great! On the other hand, that four hour bike ride showed me Tienanmen Square, lots of the Forbidden City from the outside, a really big pleasure garden, a new made to look old shopping district which has a Starbucks and Sephora, a very tasty noodle restaurant, and an open air market. My host mother put away 3/4 of a half-gallon noodle bowl with speed that would make Marines proud. I on the more unfortunate side of things 1st only finished half, and a good 10 minutes after my host mother.The open air market was the last stop, and I assume it is for dinner. We bought a bunch of fruit that I did not recognize, and hope is tasty along with some spices and tomatoes. The market was like any other open air extravaganza I have ever been to, but it has an indoor meat which I as an American who buys their meat nicely packaged is just astounded this is the normal way to pick up meat.
More later, I need a rest for now -- I haven't done that much physical activity in months! And did I mention that my host family lives on the sixth floor? Yay for mandatory physical activity!
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