A Laid Back Day

Today was pretty mellow, which was great. I am so glad that we came a day early. It might have been stressful to have to hit the sack knowing that the next day was a full day of touring. As it is, Jeannette's eyes are drooping as she sits behind me in a chair and Jameson crashed early as we drove through the streets of Beijing to and from dinner. Tomorrow sounds like it'll be 12 hours or more of sightseeing and shopping, so I have a feeling we'll be wiped out at the end of the day.

We had breakfast in the hotel's buffet, which was pretty good, then walked some of the blocks surrounding the Radisson . . . nothing very adventurous. We walked through WalMart, which I believe is called CarreFour here. Some great bargains to be had, such as a t-shirt that said "Praise the Lord," along with what appeared to be some rather random English words, for $1.25, wheeled suitcases for $10 and sandals for $1.25. In the grocery (clearly this was a "Super WalMart"), we witnessed a fish jump out of its tank and flop around on the floor until it was tossed back in with its friends awaiting purchase. Interestingly, as far as I could tell, there was no way to get out of the store without buying something . . . there was no exit except through the cash registers. We played dumb (or perhaps we weren't playing) and to escape snuck through an area that probably was closed.

Tonight, one of the guidance counselors from International School of Beijing, Hamilton Gregg, picked us up for dinner. We had never "met" before except for on the NACAC listserv so it was beyond the call of duty for him to go out of his way for us. He weaved through some amazing traffic--bicyclists may be the biggest hazard, to themselves and others, and there's obviously no mandatory helmet law here . . . in fact, I don't think we saw a single helmet of any kind all day today--all the while commentating on the "scenery," including the old wall that used to surround Peking.

He told us we were going to a restaurant famous for its Beijing Duck, then took us to what, in my opinion, was a total hole-in-the-wall restaurant, converted from an old house, at the end of several very rundown alleys lined, in part, with people selling various items set on the street or small shops. The picture of Al Gore on the wall (as well as many other dignataries from around the globe was, I guess, proof of the chef's fame. We were seated at a tiny table with beat-up chairs and Hamilton ordered several dishes in addition to the two ducks that were already waiting for us. It was a new experience for us, of course, highlighted (at least for Jeannette and me) by the garlic-covered snow pea and broccoli dishes. There was also boiled peanuts, wonton soup and a chicken dish that was way too spicy for me, though that's not saying much. The whole thing came to $38 for five people.

Going back to the hotel, he drove us past Tiananmen Square so we could see it lit up at night. We'll visit there tomorrow with our tour group.

For the first time today I did develop an appreciation for OSHA and some of the other regulatory bodies we have in the US. Sidewalks that end in 24-inch drops, buildings with crumbling exteriors, and doorways with raised threshholds like you would find on a ship. Paying attention to traffic signals and lanes would be a nice idea, too.

Well, it's 10 o'clock and everyone else is sound asleep (I spoke to Paul Lyman about an hour ago and they made it safely here after an exhausting flight from Portland) and my eyes are drooping so I'll sign off and head to bed myself.

Phillip and Jordan, hope you have a great time at Acquire the Fire in San Fran. We tried to call you today but got cut off before you answered or the call went to voice mail. Sorry! If you try to call us, we're in room 412. Love you!