June 8: BEIJINg oR bust!!!
WELCOME TO BEIJING, CHINA!!! Population: Australia. (not kidding, look it up.)
In the words of the prolific Johnny Hu, "OH, IT'S GREAT TO BE BACK IN THE MOTHERLAND!!! (insert double fist pump)" Ah, Beijing, home to Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, the now famous Bird's Nest Stadium, the Terracotta Warri... oh wait, no. Gaze upon the majestic monuments, read the history-soaked streets, taste the... okay, I should admit at this time that I got the image above from Google because despite all the beautiful postcard photos we all see of this place, the first thing we actually saw was...
In the words of the prolific Johnny Hu, "OH, IT'S GREAT TO BE BACK IN THE MOTHERLAND!!! (insert double fist pump)" Ah, Beijing, home to Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, the now famous Bird's Nest Stadium, the Terracotta Warri... oh wait, no. Gaze upon the majestic monuments, read the history-soaked streets, taste the... okay, I should admit at this time that I got the image above from Google because despite all the beautiful postcard photos we all see of this place, the first thing we actually saw was...
beijing smog > LA smog
Step off, California.
Let's step back a bit. We arrived in Beijing at 2PM, June 8. That's tomorrow to you, America.
Cool, quick story: Cristina's custom agent looked at Cristina's Spanish passport and greeted her with, "HOLA!"
By the time we finally made it to our destination, the Railway Hotel @ Beijing West Station, it was nearly 6PM. The rain was increasing strength, humidity was rising, visibility was muddy, and all this made our lovely ride from the airport to our hotel much more excruciating. We also had to turn off the AC on the bus too because there was a feverish child on board. -______________- @#$%^&*!!!!!! When we finally made it to the hotel, we were all exhausted and hungry. After a quick rest, we went in search of Chinese food. Duh.
After dinner, some of us were tired and went back to the hotel to rest. The rest of us party animals, however, decided to hit up Wangfujing, a very famous shopping district in Beijing.
Apparently the big ticket item on the streets in China now is these ridiculously strong laser pointers. I'm talking about the ones that can light matches, and which the FAA tells you not to point at airplanes or they'll find you and prosecute you. The beam is so bright that close up, it kinda does feel like you're wielding a little light saber. I wonder if you were to use one of these lasers to give a powerpoint presentation, if there is any chance that you could char the projection screen? At least it'd be useful to harass anyone who isn't paying attention. Burn his hair or singe his eyebrows. For added effect, buy two or three of them and concentrate the beam on one spot. Not sure why these laser pointers are the thing to peddle now in China... I mean, they are literally EVERYWHERE. Here's how intensely focused the lasers are. The following photo has not been doctored in any way.
Once again on the shopping strip, our ladies were the belles of the ball. Cristina, Christalyn, Leslie, and Tracie were approached by so many people and asked to take photos. Here was a guy who looked like he was a guard, but then he looked a little homeless, and then we weren't sure again? I personally didn't think he was a real policeman or security guard. Anyway, he was fun to snap a photo with. Despite his demeanor, he was actually pretty lively and wanted to see our photos after they were taken.
We then ended the night with a little treat: fried scorpions. They're alive when you pick them out and fried right in front of you. No joke. Everyone tried a bite, even Christalyn, who originally stated that she would never do it because: "We don't eat this in Texas." The consensus? YUMS all around!
Today's Numbers:
Hours Alex slept on the plane: 0
Photos snuck at customs where photos are not allowed: 2
Hours on the bus from the airport to the hotel: 3, but it felt like 12345678 without AC and a crying baby
Time it took for someone to ask to take photos with our team's girls: ~10 minutes inside the restaurant
Cabbies who tried to overcharge us: 6
Final price to ride from the Beijing West Station to Wangfujing (& vice versa): 100RMB for 6 people
Bites of scorpion Christalyn ate: 1/2
Time it took to get Christalyn to eat 1/2 a scorpion: 15 minutes
Hours Alex slept on the plane: 0
Photos snuck at customs where photos are not allowed: 2
Hours on the bus from the airport to the hotel: 3, but it felt like 12345678 without AC and a crying baby
Time it took for someone to ask to take photos with our team's girls: ~10 minutes inside the restaurant
Cabbies who tried to overcharge us: 6
Final price to ride from the Beijing West Station to Wangfujing (& vice versa): 100RMB for 6 people
Bites of scorpion Christalyn ate: 1/2
Time it took to get Christalyn to eat 1/2 a scorpion: 15 minutes