Happy post/ Photo mania!

Since I haven't uploaded any photos in a really long time, this is gonna be a big one (hah, overused The Office quote here). I've decided to date the photos and present them in reverse chronological order (with captions!)

Friday, November 9, 2007This is a photo of my world culture class (some students are missing). The teachers decided to treat the students to dinner because they won the Halloween costume contest. We ate at the restaurant above the swimming pool on campus. Yummy in my tummy; though it would've been yummier if I didn't have to avoid the spicy dishes because of my sore throat. Wahh.


Saturday, November 3, 2007
Some of my students invited me to go shopping with them, at 8:30 in the morning! We took the subway and bus for over an hour to go to TianYi market (which is the same market I ventured to when I was abroad). We only stayed there for 20 minutes because the students didn't like the clothes, so we took the bus to another market. There I bought a bajillion and a half pairs of earrings for myself and my little sister. Then we ate hot pot. We ordered wayyy too much food. I didn't get the boots or the coat I had been longing for. The students were majorly disappointed.


Friday, October 26, 2007

Halloween Partay! I literally spent over two hours searching for the perfect dance party '90s jock jams mix to play for the kiddos. This is me with some teachers. The teachers wanted to go for the beauty pageant contestants from each of our states, but I wanted to dress up and embarrass myself in front of the students so I tied a bunch of balloons to myself and went as a bunch of grapes (A California grape from Napa Valley!). I don't think any of the students could guess what I was. And then some snotty boys starting chasing me and popping my balloons.

My boys! All these boys bought the same costume. Cute as all hell. I heart these boys so much. They were too shy to dance, and just kept shoving their friends into the circle.

Sunday, October 21, 2007
This was on a Sunday afternoon after teaching at the Qinghua campus. That's the new CCTV tower in construction. Kinda crazy huh? They're in the process of building a part that is going to connect the two leaning towers.

This is a mock-up of what the final product is going to look like. Crazy huh? Oh yeah, just imagine a layer of brown pollution and a bunch of other buildings covering half of the structure to imagine what the real thing will look like.

Seriously, this is just an example of why China is so amazing. After buying a knock-off power cord for my laptop, I found these two men trying to balance this mess of metal frames and poles on a tricycle cart.

Saturday, October 20, 2007
My third time at the Summer Palace ever. I've got to say this was my most favorite time at the Summer Palace. It was a nice sunny fall day, and it was so relaxing. I could just lay on the rocks by Kunming Lake forever.

Check out the gorgeous sun on the gorgeous lake through the gorgeous trees. And paddle boats! I didn't go on one since we didn't have enough time.

My third time to the Summer Palace but this was actually my first time on this bridge and the little island area. Pretty stuff.

This is the marble boat. That's right, a boat, made out of marble. It looked a lot dinkier than I remember. Yes I just called a marble boat dinky.


Sunday, October 14, 2007
My first ride on the new Number 5 subway line that opened up a few weeks ago. This subway line is ni-ice. I'm talking nice. The other subway lines in Beijing are really old, and so the train cars are dirty and worn. But in addition to the trains being brand new, they made the station all tourist friendly, with Beijing advertisements all over the place and Chinese art and everything.

And of course, part of that means making things look really "Chinese," like traditional Chinese, as shown by the banisters of this staircase. P.S. That person on the left is posing for a picture.

I felt really cheesy and touristy wanting to take pictures of a new subway line, but then I reached the platform and literally every single person there was taking pictures. I think everyone is really impressed by how clean it is and that there are sliding doors (which none of the other lines in Beijing have). There were soo many people taking pictures it was kinda ridiculous. In fact there were people taking pictures of people taking pictures!!! Redonkulous. And inside the train they have the poles that jut out in three for more handle space (like the ones in Bangkok), and an electronic light that shows what stop is coming up next.

Saturday, October 13, 2007
Partying for Tori's birthday. It was a theme party, so it explains the outfits.

Monday, October 8, 2007
Dinner at a delicious sushi restaurant. The restaurant reminded me of something I would find in L.A. It was sooo yummy, and there was avocado!!! I went a second time and gorged myself on tons and tons and tons of free sushi. I found out the owner is a Chinese American guy from SoCal, who is not so generous since the "free" dinner didn't end up being free after all (it was still free for me though since I bailed before the check came)

Sunday, October 7, 2007
"Reunion" dinner (from the National Holiday vacation) with the teachers at Vineyard Cafe. I got lovely red wine and delicious cheesy lasagna from this place. LOVE it.

Sunday, September 30, 2007
Woke up at 4:30 am to go see the flag-raising at Tian'anmen Square. Look at how dark it still was! This was at 5:30 am for the 6:00am flag raising. There was already a crowd. And this guard was literally falling asleep while standing up. I felt sorry for him. Who knows how long he's been standing out there in the cold?

Even though it was the national holiday weekend, the flag raising was pretty uneventful. I mean, it is exactly how it sounds. Guards march out holding the flag, they play the national anthem and they raise the flag. I bet it would've been better if I could actually see something. Too bad practically everyone is the same damn height so all I could see was the back of people's heads. And personal space is non-existent here, so I was pretty up close and personal with some Chinese people.

They had all these special floral arrangements and decorations on Tian'anmen Square for the National Holiday. Behind me is the Monument to the People's Heroes. And the giant picture? I actually have no idea what that guy's name is, but I've seen his picture on a lot of stuff, especially Chinese school books in the states. And yes, it was cold cold cold that morning and everyone was looking at me like a freak for wearing flip-flops.

The Olympic countdown outside the Chinese National Museum. I've never been and it's closed for renovations until years from now. I am bummed, and feeling stupid for not going when I was here two years ago.
Guards marching across the street to enter Tian'anmen Square.

After hanging out at Tian'anmen, I found my way to a baozi (steamed bun) shop. Since it was so early in the morning, they were unloading lots of veggies. Here is a bunch of bok choy. Omg, I've never seen so much bok choy in my life. I kinda don't think they wash veggies before cooking them here, just speculation though. The guy is using the cleaver to slice these bunches of bok choy.

Saturday, September 29, 2007
In the lobby of the Forbidden City concert hall for the Chinese fold music concert.

Look at the outfits! They're uh, kinda awesome, and pink. The instrument on the left is the plucking instrument.

Friday, September 28, 2007
A night out at Area bar. This place was gorgeous. All these curtains and beds to relax on. It felt like a nice club in L.A. that I could probably never afford.

So we showed up ridiculously early and of course were the first ones there. We assumed it would be more happening as it got later into the night. But we ended up being only 1 of two groups of people there. But it was soo much fun cuz it just meant that we dominated the dance floor. :-)

Yayyy all caught up on pictures!