|
- -
|
Thursday, July 06, 2006
|
Yesterday we got up at 3am and couldn't go back to sleep. We went down for breakfast at the hotel which was really nice. We then did a little bit of walking down Wangfujing street where we bought a battery charger and Mason got some sandals. At 9am we met Maggie and the Brennan family in the lobby. The Brennans are really nice and we like them a lot. The first thing we did was the Temple of Heaven. That is where the emperor used to go to worship the god and say prayers for a good harvest. Back then the emperor had declared that only he could directly talk to the god and that he would speak on behalf of all the people. There were different parts that served different purposes, such as a hall for prayer, a hall for fasting, a large area with fire pits for burning oxen for sacrifice, and a place where the emperor would stand to talk directly to heaven because the way its built it magnifies your voice when you stand on it and say something. Around that is the echo wall where if you whisper something on to the wall, someone else standing along the wall can hear it. It was really neat being somewhere and knowing back then only the emperor himself was allowed there at all.
Outside the temple of heaven is a park. Its amazing! Not so much because of the park itself but because the people who hang out there. Maggie said the senior citizens pay like a monthly membership to be there in the park. They do tai chi, dance, play cards and chinese chess, ribbon twirling, tai-ji ball (I think that is how you say it), sing, and play music. Its just amazing how many of them are out doing these things. They would always invite us to join them too, they loved showing us how to do things. There was an 85 year old man who was dressed like a maiden and did a traditional chinese maiden dance. He was too funny. A little boy loved us and stopped us to take a picture with him. He took one with me and Mason, then one with Joe Brennan and another with Pam.
After that we went to lunch at the same restaurant as yesterday only this time the Brennan's joined us. Next we were supposed to visit Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City but plans got changed a bit and we went to the Lama Temple. We couldn;t take many pictures there because it is very disrespectful to take pictures of the buddha. The tibetan buddhists decorate very ornately with lots of color and style. It was really nice. In one of the rooms was the tallest thing I've ever seen in my life that wasn't a building. It was a buddha statue carved out of a single piece of wood. 75 feet tall! You couldnt even see it all if you stared up at it, you really had to crane your neck. Outside the Lama Temple we had a run in with the vendors. Pam, Joe and I were standing there alone and they swarmed us. We kept saying we didn't want things but they persisted and would shove things in our faces and follow us around. They circled us so it was very hard to move away. Finally most of them backed off when Maggie came back to us but they still followed us out of the place shouting at us to buy things. We and the other family did get a watch but that was what started it off, they saw us buy one thing and swarmed us.
After that we went to the Pearl factory. The pearl store guide asked us to guess how many pearls were inside one oyster she held and the winner would get a pearl from inside. I won because I guessed 9 and everyone else guessed lower, but it was way over 9. Since 9 is a lucky number in China I got two pearls for double happiness. We looked around a bit and ended up buying a few things. I got a nice small necklace of good quality pearls and Mason got a single black pearl on a chain. I would love to know what they would cost back in the states. The store had a photo of Eva Longoria on the wall and when I asked they said she'd been there last year and shopped. She's Gabrielle on Desperate Housewives for anyone who doesn't know.
After that we went to dinner at the most amazing restaurant. It was a large building with a concrete pathway. When you enter there is a bridge with water and trees on either side (yes inside the bldg) and a bench. I got to have my picture taken with the concubine's hat on :) Following the path there are different rooms where you eat. We went into ours and were served a large meal family style. There were fried pumpkin sticks, fish, pork and pea pods, chicken, steamed veggies and lots more. After we ate a girl in a traditional costume came in and danced for us.
We were supposed to see the acrobat show after that but there was an accident that blocked the roads so we went back to the hotel instead. Mason and I went and walked down Wangfujing street again, only further this time. Shopping in the non government stores is crazy. You can't walk without a clerk screaming "hey you like? you like? come here I show you! please dont go, come I just show you! see? very pretty? you buy, okay?" One lady asked us where we were from and we said America, so she asked what part. Mason said Houston like Yao Ming. They knew him and a man standing with her pantomimed basketball. Then he told everyone "they know Yao Ming! He is their friend!!!!" and they all thought that was really cool. We tried to explain that we don't know him, we're just from Houston like where he plays. I don't think they got it. I'm sure they excitedly told everyone they met a friend of Yao Ming last night! The streets are absolutely PACKED at night. It seems everyone pours out onto the streets at night. Its like all the cars and bikes stop and everyone walks outside in droves. The place is lit up with signs and large tv screens like Time Square. Any of you visiting here owe it to yourself to walk around here at night. Just don't make eye contact with the vendors :)
Mom, if you are reading, there is a large beautiful catholic church down the street. We took pictures of it in the day and at night when its lit up. I think you will recognize it in the pictures. Its so pretty.
Okay, on to the pictures and I'll get ready to go down for breakfast! The pictures are slow so check back to this page later and there will probably be more as i can't upload them all before I have to go.
Miss you all!!!!!!!!
To view pictures from yesterday please visit this link - http://www.babyjellybeans.com/web/do/site/photo?ID=100796 I'll be updating with more pictures later too, since they take SO long to upload. Check back for more.
| |
|
|
1 Comments:
oh mason you bad boy. going all the way to china to get a pearl necklace!!!!! I'm sure if you asked nicely someone here would have given you one.
Post a Comment
<< Home