Going Home

After being in Beijing for only one and a half months, I decided to go home. Friends in the states don't get too excited, I went home to my family in Zhuhai, China. It was nice to go have a home cooked meal by my grandma and have the comfort of being with family. Not to mention Zhuhai is much more peaceful and quiet than Beijing! It is also on the sea and there are palm trees (I love it). The massages are also cheaper in Zhuhai! There is a lot I like about it...
Most importantly, I have family here in China. Many people I meet here ask me how I plan on staying in China for up to two years without going home to see my family and friends and I never put too much thought into it (like everything else I do). I guess it is because I have family here in China and it is my second home. Also, I miss my friends but at the same time I know I will see you all again and here I have the opportunity to meet tons of people and make more friends.
(picture from left to right: my cousin Annie, Apo (grandma), and Loyee (my other cousins daughter)

The Farmers from Beijing go to Shanghai

I went on my first trip in China last weekend to Shanghai. My roommate, Davide, has a bunch of friends in Shanghai so we had a place to crash when we went there. After being in Beijing for over a month, I guess I have adapted to the life here in Beijing. I experienced a bit of a shock in Shanghai because it is much more "city-like" and much more hustle-bustle. There is obviously much more western influence in Shanghai. It was noticeable in the architecture and prices. The first day we got there, we went to a shopping center and had dinner there. I was joking around when I approached an escalator and acted as if I had never seen one before. I guess it was only funny for Davide and I. The ironic thing is that we had a bunch of farmers who all had orange baseball hats on and were guided by a tour guide of some sort on our flight back to Beijing who must have never flown before. When we got off the plane and proceeded to baggage claim within a sea of people, a little old lady walked up to the escalator and stopped dead in her tracks! She was absolutely terrified to get on the moving stairs and I thought it was the funniest thing since I felt a little how she felt when i got to Shanghai. But I do feel bad for laughing...but i wasn't the only one laughing.
China's growth is apparent in the photo above. The skyline that you see didn't exist 20 years ago! Now they are building the Tallest building in the world! They broke ground on the skyscraper around July of 2006, now, less than a year later it about the same height as the tallest building in Shanghai. 88 (more or less) floors in less than a year! Impressive.

Fresh Cut Grass

I just got the first whiff of fresh cut grass the other day in Shanghai and again today in Beijing. I must say it reminded me of home and when I was younger. I guess what the say about smell being the strongest reflex trigger of memory is true. So I must say thanks mom and dad for always making me cut the grass. I always complained, "why do I have to do it?!!" I was told it was because Ben, my older brother, grew past that chore (really quickly) and Alex, my younger brother was too young and it was dangerous...so I guess it wasn't too dangerous for me. Besides, I valued $10 bucks a week a lot more than my brothers did at that age. Thanks mom and dad for making me cut the grass, how I never thought I would smell fresh cut grass on the other side of the world and for a split second feel closer to home.

TIAN'AN MEN

This was my first visit to Tian'an Men since coming to Beijing a little over a month ago. The weather was great last weekend and my tongwu(roommate) and I decided to check out the Palace gate and walk around the square. I will have to go inside the forbidden city another time when I have all day to just walk around, relax, practice my kung fu, taichi, and meditate. I started watching the movie "The Last Emperor" the other night. Great movie and it is an easy way for me to learn a little bit about the history. I think I can rely on this movie for information the only problem is I fell asleep while watching it. I'll have to finish later.

Davide and me. In the background is Tian'an Men square and Mao's Mausoleum where Chairman Mao's embalmed body lies. His casket is raised from a refrigerated chamber for viewing in mornings and afternoons. The line is pretty long to see it and I wasn't there on time, more-over, I have never seen a dead body nor do I want to!