Bittersweet

Today we are leaving Beijing. In just a few hours I will be on a plane on my way back to Columbia. I really can't believe this trip is over. It really is Bittersweet for me. I have met so many amazing people from around the world and hope to stay in touch with all of them. I don't know how I will be able to convey just how amazing my trip has been.

For one of our last days, a few of my friends and I decided to go to the Great Wall one last time. This time, we went to a more secluded part away from the touristy area we were taken to before. We took an hour and a half long taxi ride, rode a chairlift to the top, hiked for three hours and rode down on a toboggan slide. It was incredible. Here are some pictures from our adventure:





I will write more later! I have to finish packing before we leave!

See you in the states!

XOXO,
P

Scoring ... big time.

Now that Gymnastics is officially over, I have a lot more free time to do things like go to the NBC compound, watch gold-medal championship matches and go out in Sanlitun. This is Whitney, Lauren, me and Ryan inside the NBC studio.

I guess I shouldn't say gymnastics is completely over with ... read this article by Juliet Macur of the New York Times about the questionable ages of some of the Chinese gymnasts.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/22/sports/olympics/22age.html?ex=1377057600&en=038451ec531ad9d6&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
Juliet sat in the press tribune where I worked and got to meet her several times; she is great.

With only a week left in Beijing, I am trying to make the most of my time here and not think about the jet leg I will undoubtedly have when I return, the 8am classes I will have to endure Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and the hours I will be spending in the library this semester. This trip has seemed completely unreal and looking back on it, I don’t know how I got so lucky quite so often. The other night was a perfect example of the great things that have just happened to come my way.

After coming into work at 6pm and thinking I would be there until at least midnight, my supervisor told me I should leave and just enjoy Beijing. I was confused, but happy to not have to be working during handball, a sport that not even NBC thinks is important enough for broadcast. My friend Lauren was invited to go to the gold medal women’s soccer game by a friend of hers who is working for NBC. He invited me, Lauren and Whitney to come visit the NBC compound. We had no idea what we were in for: tours of the broadcast studios, free dinner (salad bar, panninis, gelato) and the best, FREE Starbucks! Aside from all the free, cool perks, we were surrounded by broadcast legends! While trying to eat my yummy salad, I couldn’t help but look around at the familiar TV faces walking around the cafeteria. As if that wasn’t enough, a friend of mine called to say soccer ticket’s for the gold medal game were going for 200 Yuan, roughly $30. I didn’t hesitate and before I knew it, I was sitting inside the Worker’s Stadium watching the USA play Brazil. Whitney and I were sitting pretty high in the stands but Lauren called at half time to say there were some empty NBC seats.
We ended up watching the remainder of the game, including overtime and the medal ceremony, from the seventh row! It was basically amazing and even as the clock ticked past midnight, I was high off the game, the people and the free Starbuck’s I had enjoyed previously in the evening.

Last night my friend Lauren was invited to go to dinner with Jason Stallman of the New York Times. She was nice enough to let me tag along and he took us to a wonderful Chinese restaurant down the street from the Olympic green. After dinner we went to Athletics and I got to go inside the Bird’s Nest for the first time. It was truly incredible. We were on the third (and highest) tier so I got a pretty good workout coming up the stairs. We saw Jamaica take the gold for the 4x100 meter relay and set a new world record! Australia's chant was in my head all night after their pole vaulter took the gold and set a new record, too. It was a great night.

Tonight our plan is to go out for one of our last nights together in Beijing. I cannot get over the fact that this trip is coming to a close. I really feel like I just got here and really have gotten used to things I never thought I would adjust to: the random horrid smells, chopsticks, low water pressure, not being able to communicate with taxi drivers. The list could go on forever. I am excited to see all my friends from home and can't wait to see my mom when she picks me up in Columbia on Thursday. I am not too thrilled about getting in Thursday night at 11PM and waking up for my Broadcast I class the next morning at 8AM. It will be great though.

XOXO,
P

The Today Show

Hey Everyone,

For some reason when I posted the video of me on the Today Show it messed my blog formatting up.

http://www.vimeo.com/1529946

You can click on the link above to view it!

XOXO,
P

So International

Since the Olympics started I have been working inside the National Indoor Stadium everyday. Usually, working every single day for around six or seven hours would bore me and frustrate me. Luckily, I do not feel bored or frustrated while “working’ which, for me, entails standing in the lower press tribune of the National Indoor Stadium, talking to journalists and making sure they have all the updates they need, observing both print and broadcast journalists doing their work, and best of all, watching each and every gymnastics event that takes place. Being a broadcast journalism major, I feel almost equally excited by the gymnastic events taking place below me as I do by watching the NBC sportscasters doing their on-camera report.

Gymnastics is one of the most popular Olympic events and the stadium, which seats about 18,000 spectators, is usually packed-full. It is always crazy loud inside and I love hearing all the different languages. It is amazing to be surrounded by journalists from around the world. I have met journalists from everywhere from London to South Africa to Tokyo and Brazil. It is truly an international event and it is so amazing to be here.
This is a picture of me and Sarah French in front of the Bird's Nest. The torch is so amazing ... even when it is smoggy outside.

Two days ago were the Women’s Individual Gymnastics Final. As many of you probably know, Nastia took the Gold and Shawn took Silver. It was an incredibly intense and exciting event; I even cried a little at the end! Since it was such a big event, the Today Show crew decided to come watch. They walked into the press tribune, right by me, looking flawless without makeup. They look just as they do on camera! I could barely focus on the event I was so excited they were sitting just a few feet from me. When Meredith Vieira left, I decided to introduce myself to her. She was so kind and gracious, just how she seems on television. I told her I was coming to the taping of the Today Show later that night (they tape at 7pm for the 7am show in the states) and she told me to yell at her so she would know I was there. That night, she recognized me! I was so excited and we even got a picture with her, Matt and Al! It was great.

Yesterday, Meredith was back watching Gymnastics. She greeted me with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. I couldn’t believe it! Later I saw her getting ready to leave but she couldn’t find her way out and asked if I would help her. I gladly escorted her to the exit she needed to get to, all the while, talking to her about journalism, Beijing and my love for the Today Show.

I can’t believe all the great experiences I am having here in Beijing and really don’t want the trip to end. I have really gotten used to Beijing (the people, the food and even the sometimes horrid smells) and know it will be bittersweet when I leave in just two weeks.

Here is a picture of me, Sarah French and Sarah Orscheln at a cafe in the 798 Art District.



Have fun watching the Olympics!! Miss everyone ☺
XOXO,
P

Let the Games Begin!

August 7th was my friend Sarah's birthday. Unfortunately on the 7th we were at work from 9am until after 10pm so there wasn't time much for celebrating. Despite the long hours I spent at the National Indoor Stadium that day, it was one of the most exciting days, probably of my entire life. For the past few weeks we have had training in the National Indoor Stadium, but the huge arena was pretty empty except for the Chinese volunteers and some of my American friends that were training as well. However, the 7th was quite different: journalists and athletes were everywhere! I met the writers from the New York Times, USA Today, AP, Reuters, Newsweek and the LA Times. My title is "Press Tribune Assistant" which means I am situated in the center of everything. I stand in the press tribune (the best view in the stadium) and help the journalists to their seats, provide assistance when needed and basically stand back and enjoy the show. Also, just a few feet away from me is the NBC live broadcast setup. Elfi Schlegel is the sports analyst for NBC Sports as well as a retired gymnast from Canada. She also played herself in the movie Stick It! which is about gymnastics. I get to watch her makeup artist touch-up her face before going on air. I was equally excited by both the journalists around me and the gymnasts on the FOP (field of play). The gymnasts are amazing. The girls are so much smaller in real life and their bodies amaze me. I feel so fortunate to be in the position I am and even though I will be working everyday, sometimes very late into the night, I suspect that I will be enjoying each and every moment!

Since the 7th was such a full day, we slept in yesterday and decided to go for brunch around noon. Lauren, Sarah Orscheln (birthday girl), Sarah French and I went to Grandma's Kitchen for breakfast where I enjoyed freshly squeezed orange juice and pancakes! After brunch we decided to take Sarah to get a pedicure. We had seen a place that looked good while walking on a street near HouHai Lake a few days back. We got to the street and it was so hot ... almost like walking through a cloud of stinky steam. We walked up and down the street but couldn't find the nail place. After asking around, we discovered that it was closed for the day! Disappointed, we recalled yet another nail place near the Workers' Stadium. We hopped in a cab but once we arrived we discovered that we needed an appointment to get our nails done at Sheela's Nails. An American woman who has been living in Beijing since April told us to go to the Yashow Shopping Market to get our nails done. We walked a few blocks through the heat but when we got there, we decided we would rather not get our nails done at all than go to the crowded, unsterilzed nail salon in an open bargaining market. We walked around a little and ultimately decided to leave. Just as we were walking out we looked to our left and saw: a nice-looking salon with foreign women getting their nails done in big, comfy red chairs. Obviously, we decided to join them. For 60 yuan ($8) we got much-needed pedicures and had the chance to relax a little before our big night watching the Opening Ceremony. My friend Lauren blogs for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and they invited her to watch the Opening Ceremony at Club Bud (Budweiser). She invited a few of us to tag along with her and we were all really excited by the invitation of free Budweiser and free food.

After taking the subway to the party we were excited to see big spotlights in the distance. We followed the lights but ended up in front of the Heineken watch party. The Heineken people were a little upset when we asked them where Club Bud was but we certainly were not disappointed when we arrived on their Red Carpet!
It was so amazing inside: tons of media and journalists, free Budweiser, crab cakes, steamed vegetables, kebabs and tons of plasma TV screens to watch the Opening Ceremony on! The best part were the outdoor cabanas and TV projector screens. We felt like celebrities and it was so nice to be surrounded by Americans, many of whom were from St. Louis. It was a great night and an amazing Opening Ceremony. I am so excited to go into work tonight from 6pm until 1am! Yay gymnastics and the 2008 Olympics!

XOXO,
P

"We are so LIC."

"LIC" is a phrase one of my friends made up that stands for Lost in China. Today I was definitely "lic-ed" (pronounced: licked). Today's story begins when Lauren and I decided to go to the 798 Art District which is located in northeast Beijing in the Dashanzi district. It is pretty far away from where we are staying so in an attempt to save money, (which we'd rather spend on food) we opted to take public transportation the entire way. We were very determined. So we hopped on the subway, transferred lines just once and after an hour and a half reached our destination. Only, it wasn't our final destination ... we still had to take the 909 Bus in the direction of east.

We were a little confused as to which exit to get off on once we got on the 909 bus so we started looking for English-speakers. We spotted some people from Holland and mid conversation we saw the 909 bus and said a quick goodbye to the kind but quite unhelpful foreigners and got on the bus. We did not know which direction the bus was going and didn't realize that was something we should have thought of before boarding. We sat down and got stared down. Lauren and I are both blond-haired, blue-eyed and therefore standout in the dark-haired crowd. The bus supervisor didn't speak English and after yelling out to the bus asking if anyone spoke English, we were left cluelessly surrounded by only Chinese speakers. After attempting to ask if we were heading in the right direction for nearly 10 minutes, we discovered that we were not going the right way. We hopped off the bus and the other riders waved goodbye to us. We then encountered another problem: we knew which way to go but we had no idea how far we needed to ride or which exit we needed to get off on. We tried to make friends at the bus stop and once we found an English speaker we clinged to her for help. I guess she thought she couldn't handle the task of helping us alone because soon there were at least 7 women surrounding us trying to figure out where the 798 Art District exit was. This is a picture of a woman trying to figure out what exit we needed to go to. Suddenly, our bus arrived and a woman decided it was her duty to escort us onto the bus! Two people in the front seat got up so that Lauren and I had a place to sit. It was so cute and we were happy to be heading in the right direction! This is us on the bus. However, we were much happier when we saw the big red numbers: 798!
We walked through the gates and realized we were starving! We left with the intention of eating lunch within the hour. It had been almost three hours and lunch was about to become "linner" - lunch and dinner. I found a restaurant in my Lonely Planet guidebook that I was dying to go to so we started asking around. However, the language barrier proved to be a problem once again. We scoured the area, searching for "At Cafe" but instead settled for a nameless cafe with maroon umbrellas and lofted ceilings. I had a great veggie sandwich on REAL bread and french fries with actual ketchup! YUMMY :)

Then we started walking around and I found my new favorite spot in Beijing. There were tons of little shops with handmade jewelry, beautiful paintings, photographs and sculptures. Here are some pictures from the area:


After walking around for a couple hours, we decided it was time for dessert. We happened to walk right by the cafe we originally wanted to go to: At Cafe!! We had tiramisu, brownies with ice cream and a blended coffee drink that was so yummy!! This is us at the restaurant. And this is us on the subway ride home.

Tomorrow is the 7th which means ... ONE DAY UNTIL THE OLYMPICS!!!! I'll let you know how the Opening Ceremony goes!

XOXO,
P

European Encounter

Hello friends!

The past few days I have been training at the National Indoor Stadium with my new Chinese friends. This is a picture my friend Rosy (that is her English name) took the other day in our staff training room at the National Indoor Stadium. I am getting really excited about the Olympics starting and cannot believe they are just four days away! All the journalists are beginning to arrive so it has been really exciting to be at the Olympic Green the past couple of days.

Two days ago my friend Sarah and I were walking around near the Lama Temple after dinner and an older man came up to us and started talking in German. After we told him we were American he started talking in broken English. He told us his name was Yalcin Ozer and that he competed in the 1960 Rome Olympics representing Germany in Gymnastics. Now, he is 66-years-old and has been to every Olympics since he first competed, except for the Moscow Olympics in 1980. Despite his age, Yalcin still has young muscles, a great sense of humor and the ability to stay out later than I can. This picture shows just how big his muscles still are (he is very proud of them) and his kind smile makes him a friend to almost everyone - even if he doesn't speak the same language. {Check out Yalcin's website: http://www.koeln-peking.de/}. The night we met him, he told us he had two friends coming from Belgium. Sarah and I were a little nervous about what we had gotten ourselves into, but we were still standing on a very well-lit street corner in a public place so we decided we were okay. When we met his Belgian friends (Noel and Veerle) we decided to join them for a drink at a nearby restaurant. We talked about the Olympics, their travels in Russia and Mongolia, all the while, attempting to conquer our language barriers: German to Dutch to English. We decided to meet the next evening at my favorite cafe in Beijing, The Vineyard Cafe. It was crowded with foreigners (many of whom I suspected were journalists) and great food and wine. We were the last ones to leave and got to meet the owner, a British guy named Will. This is a picture of me, Noel, Veerle and Sarah at the Vineyard Cafe last night. I told the European group that I would be studying abroad second semester of this school year and they insisted that I come and stay with them in their home which is just an hour from Brussels. I told them that I would definitely be there!

After over a month here in Beijing, I definitely realize things I miss: fresh air, fresh fruit, iron (spinach!), whole grains and of course all my friends and family. But, I have gained some new strengths and talents along the way. For example, I think I have taken over 50 taxis while I have been in Beijing and not one driver has spoken English - save for maybe two or three words. I therefore believe that my acting skills are coming into play in Beijing because I have to act out whatever it is that I want to say. Also, I have become incredibly close with so many great people on this trip. I know that I will be so excited to come home in a little less than a month, but I will also be sad to leave behind the wonderful experiences I have had here. I know I will stay in touch with all of my new friends when we are back in Columbia and that makes me so happy! Above is a picture of me with Sarah French and Sarah Orscheln (my roomie) with some of the hotel security guards. They, too have become our friends on this trip. They are always so friendly when we come in and give us high-fives and big smiles while attempting to say "Hello" with their best American tongue.

Today some friends and I went to Sanlitun to have lunch. We found this great spot called Bocata where I had a fabulous smoked salmon panini. On the walk back, I took this picture that I thought turned out quite nice when I edited it on iPhoto. Hope you enjoy it!

XOXO,
P

A trip to the Embassy

Last night, three cab-fulls of my friends went to our beloved Hou Hai district. Hou Hai is easily my favorite part of Beijing. We found this little street with mostly locals, tons of great cafes and restaurants and some fun bars. I have had my eye this one Indian restaurant I spotted called Mirch Marsala. The restaurant was very small so our group divided into two. I went to Mirch and had the best vegetable curry I have every had. I ordered saffron rice, vegetable curry and cheese naan. We were about the only people in the restaurant (10pm on a Sunday night, normally a reservation is required as there are only six tables) and the wait staff as well as the manager were talking to us while we were eating. I was so intrigued by the flavors in the dishes that I asked if I could see the back kitchen. No photos were allowed, but the image of a three-foot long spice tray filled with different colored powders separated by partitions was one of the more beautiful things I have seen in gray Beijing. There was also a traditional tandoori oven that is used to make the delicious naan. The cooking staff were quite surprised to see me in the incredibly small kitchen. After my looksy I went back to my table and devoured my remaining curry. The four Indian men who were still working (they told me they'd been working since 10am ... it was almost 11pm) starting laying out large bowls of food for themselves. They told me that they were all vegetarian (many Indian people are) and I was so thankful that their menu featured not just one or two items of vegetarian options, but a whole three pages! I couldn't decide and will definitely be back.

This morning I woke with the intention of going straight to the U.S. Embassy to get a background check notarized for the People.Com Red Carpet Reporter contest I entered last week. I have never been inside an Embassy and after showing the address to my taxi driver, I realized I was excited. After 45 minutes in heavy traffic and sharp, whimsical turns, my driver pulled over and pointed across the street. I saw flags and barbed wire and assumed the U.S. Embassy was in sight. Turns out that was the Albanian Embassy. I start walking, thinking I'll see it any moment but after 20 minutes I still haven't found it. It was 11am and the Embassy closes at noon. I was getting frustrated that nobody spoke English and even more annoyed with the fact that people kept pointing me in the wrong direction of the Embassy. I stopped a girl on the street who had broken English and said she, too was looking for the Embassy. We embarked on our journey together and when we arrived, she said "Oh, this isn't the Embassy, just the place to get my Visa for travel to America." I was near tears, incredibly hot and frustrated. As tears welled up in my eyes I caught sight of a friendly-looking woman standing outside a restaurant. The tears began pouring the second I opened my mouth. She brought me inside, gave me tissues, rubbed my back and called a cab (what luck I had that she spoke English!). The taxi came and took me to the Embassy. Finally happy, I became dismayed again to see a horribly long line of Chinese people waiting to get inside. Just when I thought I would never make it in, a posh looking American woman strutted by. I called after her and after telling her I was an American citizen and don't want to wait in this line she grabbed my hand and pulled me through the line with her. She took me right to where I needed to go and told me she was the Chief of Press Operations for the U.S. Embassy. I don't know how I got so lucky. Life got even better when I went through security, entered the Embassy grounds and saw: STARBUCKS. I immediately got an iced coffee and then went on to get the necessary documents notarized. It was quite a day and after surviving it, I am pretty sure I can handle just about any situation. I hope.

Right now, I am sitting in The Three Trees Cafe with my friend Lauren. We decided to come here to work on our blogs, catch up on the news and just get out of the hotel on our day off. We are in the Hou Hai district again and are just enjoying the smell of coffee and the sounds of some Chinese music along with the group of loud men sitting behind us playing a game of checkers. Tomorrow I have training again but then I have two days off until I go again.

Miss everyone at home :)
XOXO,
P

Recently in Beijing ...

I can't believe how long it has been since I have written! I have been extremely busy the past six days doing my training at the National Indoor Stadium (see image). I have grown to actually enjoy my polyester pants and nylon shirt that is definitely NOT suitable for Beijing's heat and humidity. My favorite part is the fanny pack. The bucket hat that came with the outfit is just too much for me to handle, but many of the Chinese volunteers in my group wear it every day. It's pretty hilarious.

My schedule has pretty much been the same the past few days: wake up around 7AM, get to the National Indoor Stadium by 9AM and train until around 5PM. We aren't allowed to discuss on our blogs what we do during our training, but I wouldn't bore you with it anyway. It has been a lot of lectures and basic information so far. My favorite part has been getting to know the Chinese volunteers in my group. The first day I arrived they were all so curious to "finally meet" me after "staring" at my picture. They started taking pictures of me when I arrived and I have been told multiple times that I look just like Britney Spears ... I think they would say this to any American with blond hair.

The other day, after a long day of training, Sarah Orscheln (my roommate), Sarah French and Justin O'Neil went out to an Italian restaurant I found on Trip Advisor. It's called La Dolce Vita and it may just have been the best pasta I have ever had. It was definitely the best meal I have had in Beijing. The owner, Piero Colucci, came and greeted our table when we arrived. I asked him what he recommended for me, being a vegetarian, and he said, "I have the perfect thing. Do you like broccoli?" After telling him that I loved broccoli he told me he would take care of me. I had orecchiette with broccoli cream. The orecchiette was homemade and it was done to a perfect al dente, something I really appreciated after having overcooked noodles in many of the other Italian eateries in Beijing. The restaurant was not crowded, Piero said it has been slow the past couple weeks, but everyone who entered the restaurant was Italian. We started talking to these two guys from Italy who also knew Spanish. I started speaking in Spanish to them and it made me so happy to communicate with foreigners. It made me really wish I knew Chinese because it would make my life here in Beijing a whole lot easier. After dinner and a couple bottles of wine, we were having trouble deciding on dessert. Piero suggested a platter (which we think was on the house, but the receipt was in Chinese so we really didn't know) that was pretty much amazing. I couldn't help but take a picture!

Yesterday was a "rest" day as they call it here. The pollution has been horrible the past few days. My eyes burn when I walk outside and it is so hot that I don't even bother with a morning shower. Here is an image outside of the Olympic Green around 5PM, just to give you an idea of how bad the pollution really is. With the Olympic just a week away, I really hope China does something to clear the air.

The other night Bob, my stepdad, sent a link to a contest to be a guest Red Carpet Reporter for People.com. One of my friends has a video camera here and I decided to give it a shot and make an audition tape! It was really fun but I wish I had more time to make it better (the video was due the next day). If I make the top 10, it turns into a public vote to find the winner so I will keep my public updated :) Check it out at
Or search "VoJo Awards" on YouTube.

Tonight some of the boys are playing basketball versus some of the University of Iowa boys. We are going to cheer them on and then go out for some pizza ... so American. Don't worry though, I am getting very cultured here by both the people and the food. I think this trip may actually be an experience that changes me as a person.

XOXO,
P

Lakes, Acrobats and BlaBlaBla...

Two nights ago a bunch of us went to a Mexican restaurant called "La Bamba." This was our second time there and it has pretty decent Mexican food with the closest thing to real cheese that I have been able to find. Afterward we went to Hou Hai Lake, which is pretty touristy but fun nonetheless. My friend Adam is here studying Chinese so we met up with his friends. I was really jealous because they were all speaking Chinese. They sounded fluent to me, even though they have only been here for a month. Adam taught me a few new phrases which I quickly forgot or thought I remembered but only received puzzled looks when I attempted using them on the locals.

Starting tomorrow I will be training everyday until the Olympics begin. Because of that, the last two days have been pretty relaxing. I really do feel like I live in Beijing and no longer feel obligated to go exploring the Top 10 sites in my Lonely Planet travel guide. Actually, I have seen all 10. I would, however, like to venture to the outskirts of Beijing, maybe even as far as Shanghai. Unfortunately, I don't know if my training schedule will allow me to do so.

Last night about half of us went to the Beijing Flying Acrobat Show. I have seen Cirque de Soleil and I can honestly say that this show was comparable. It was amazing!
This is a picture of Sarah Orschelen (my roommate), Sarah French and me before the show. I am going to try and upload a video I took in secret since no photos were allowed inside the theater. It was truly amazing: Chinese acrobats on bicycles riding around the stage, jumping from one person's back to the next. At one point, 12 women were on one small bike supported by one little Chinese woman.
It was incredible!

After the show we went to the BlaBla Bar. It is a really laid-back bar. We sat outside and played card games for a few hours before heading back to Renmin to go to bed. I have become so close to the people on this trip with me, it's been great. We all get along so well and because of the amount of time we spend together, I feel like I know everyone pretty well.

Tomorrow it will be exactly three weeks since I landed in Beijing. It has gone by so fast but the most exciting part is yet to come: The Olympics!

XOXOXO,
P

"You give me joke price, no?"

Above is a video from the day we went to the Great Wall. It is a little shaky but I think the video captures more of the intense beauty the wall and the day we were there offers. Hope you like it :)

The past two days have been pretty low key. We started our training and finally I have my official title for the Olympics: Venue Media Center Press Tribune Assistant. It sounds pretty cool, unfortunately I have yet to figure out just exactly what I will be doing.



The other day a few of us went to the Wanfuijing Snack Street. It is the epitome of modern Beijing. There is everything from a Nike store to a Starbucks. There are also a ton of shops that remind me of something similar to a Wet Seal or Forever 21. I went into one and decided to try on a dress that looked cute. If you didn't know, people are much smaller in China than they are in America. So when I went to the dressing room to try on the size Small I had picked out, the sales lady laughed, shook her head and ran back into the front of the store where the dress was. A few minutes later she returned with a size Large. At first, I was a little insulted. However, upon trying on the dress I was very grateful that I did not attempt to put on the small. I got the dress on and it fit fine but after inspecting myself in the mirror I decided not to get the dress and began to take it off. The only problem was: the dress would not get over my head. I panicked at first but then retried and literally could not get the dress off! I reached my head out and my friend Joanna saw what was going on. So did the sales lady who decided to come into the dressing room with me to help me get the dress off. Needless to say, I did not get the dress and will never be returning to that store again. The poor sales lady who was helping me had to reach around and help me pull the dress off for a good five minutes. Maybe it's a sign I should stop shopping? Or adopt the Chinese lifestyle in order to fit into their clothes properly.

That night we went to this bar/restaurant that I found online. There was a "Chinese American Ukelele Band" coming into the bar "Salud." About 12 of us got dropped off and wandered around the cutest street I have ever seen. If I lived in Biejing, I would undoubtedly live in the Sanlitun District where shops, bars and restaurants stay open forever. People were riding around on their bicycles, drinking fresh watermelon smoothies and sitting on rooftop lounges enjoying late night dinners. I have finally found my favorite part of Beijing! So, we go into Salud and sit down at long wooden table and order draft beers that come with a free tapa (bread with red pepper spread and a potato and cheese pancake wedge) all for 20 Yuan (under $3). The ukelele players consisted of one Chinese guy and an American-looking guy who was actually from Ireland. They were really great and I enjoyed the crowd of both westerners and locals that filled the seats of the cozy Spanish bar.

Last night, after our first day of training which mainly consisted of a tour of the National Indoor Stadium and sitting around for a couple hours, me, Lauren and Amy decided to go to a bar/lounge called 16 mm. We had seen it the night before when we went to Salud and saw that they played movies inside for free. Last night they were playing Atonement. We got there around 9pm and ordered some popcorn (it was sweet and cold instead of salty and hot) and relaxed on the comfy couches with young Beijingers. The movie was in English with Chinese subtitles. The place had such a cool atmosphere and was so relaxing. I felt like I was anywhere except the bustling, polluted streets of Beijing.

In the last few days I also ventured to Beijing's Pearl Market where my blond hair is an easy target for Chinese woman to yell things like: "Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, you like?" "Pretty lady, you want this Gucci?" or my favorite during negotiations: "No, you take my money. That joking price!" As stressful and chaotic as my experiences at the Pearl Markets were, I truly enjoy the haggling process. A wallet that starts at 280 Yuan gets down to 30 Yuan through tactics like the hard walk. Walking away from the vendor can almost guarantee a 50 percent price decrease.

After being in Beijing for over two weeks and discovering what the city really has to offer, I have decided that I want to have a job in restaurant researching. I have found so many restaurants/bars/cafes/etc. that I want to try out before I leave. There are a ton of really cool hole-in-the-wall places that look like they should be set in New York or somewhere in Europe. I finally feel less like a tourist and more like a person who lives in Beijing.

Miss and love everyone at home!
XOXOXO,
P

Photobucket ...

Below is my new photobucket account. Just click on the photo and you will be linked to my whole album of pictures! The first one is a little big ... I'm trying to work that out for next time but once you get to the photobucket site just push "next" and the pictures (with descriptions) should come! Enjoy!! I'll write more tomorrow!! Night :)

Beijing July 1-15

Photobucket Album

.... and ice cream

The past three days have been spent touring Beijing with BOCOG (The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games). Unfortunately, the majority of the time we were on buses or in restaurants eating rice, soup and cabbage. The first day we went to the Water Sanitation Plant (interesting ...) and then to a traditional Chinese "village" which was complete with wooden beds and a golf course... The term "propaganda tours" have been thrown around in our group as none of us believed the "village" we were taken to was traditional. However, it was nice to see the suburbs of Beijing. It is really lush and green right now, probably because of the rain.

The second day we went to the Great Wall. I have been most excited about seeing the wall. We arrived in the morning just as the President of Mexico was taking his own personal walk along the wall. Because of him, all the tourists were forced to stay off the wall. It was so crowded and very, very hot when we were waiting to go in. People were very aggressive and being the claustrophobic person that I am, I was a little put off by the massive number of people around me. When we did finally get in, it was amazing. The wall was crowded with people walking, sitting, eating and snapping photos. We only had an hour so I walked as far as I could to a lookout point. It was truly beautiful and amazing. We got lucky because that day was the most clear day I have seen in Beijing so far.

Yesterday we went to the Summer Palace and the Winter Palace. They were both very beautiful, but I enjoyed the Winter Palace more because of the Lotus Gardens. There was a pretty pond and remains of stones and buildings that had once probably been very amazing. It was really hot by the afternoon and I really wanted ice cream! I was so happy when we arrived at the restaurant for dinner to see a Dairy Queen! We planned to go down after dinner. Sadly, everyone had our same idea and after waiting in line for 20 minutes it was my turn to order and they were sold out! We were all a little disappointed but luckily they were able to manage one more that we all split. After the ice cream we went to a classic Peking Opera. It was definitely a cultural experience. My favorite part was the costumes, not the singing. It was extremely loud and unlike anything I had heard before. I took a little video of it and will try to get that uploaded so everyone can listen!

Today is one of our last free days before we start training tomorrow. Right now I am getting ready to go to the Pearl Market and hopefully bargain for some earrings and necklaces!

XOXOXO,
P