Getting to be in China during the Lunar New Year was an experience I will never forget. I booked this trip after living in Korea for only 2 weeks. The experience of booking didn't feel totally real. It was almost 6 months away. It was almost not comprehendible to imagine being in Beijing during the Chinese New Year. That's not my life. I don't do amazing things like that. I admire other people's amazing journeys and adventures. However, In the last 6 months, that idea that I had about myself has been changing. I can be the adventurous person. Coming to Korea has enabled me to stop watching life on the sidelines and feel like a front runner. Everyone has just one life to live (depending on what you believe), and in these last 6 months I feel like I'm making mine truly count.
Okay, now that I have ranted, let's talk about Beijing...
We don't get much time off from our job, so when we are set free from the tiny office at Lex Kim, we all scatter across Asia. Some went to Vietnam, another went to the Philippines, others decided on a staycation. We took our Lunar New Year straight to the source, Beijing baby!
A few of us needed to work that Saturday. It was like running a race. Saturday classes are 10 minutes shorter and breaks are 5 minutes shorter. It's a much faster pace than the week days. Blazing through the classes so we could all disperse throughout the continent. 12:30 pm struck and I made sure not to take any students down racing to the elevator. (I really do love the students, but...when it's vacation time, cute kiddies better scram!)
We arrived in Beijing after midnight and were picked up at the airport by the hostel we were staying at. Had my name on a piece of paper and everything #fancy :)
Luckily, we had an extremely early wake up call for our Beijing tour, so we were able to get about 4 hours of sleep (score!).
First stop? Tiananmen Square! I had a limited amount of historical background knowledge before coming. Protests and tanks were my understanding. Our tour guide was so knowledgeable and had a plethora of interesting facts, however, he seemed to skim over, if not totally dismiss any negative historical information. Thankfully, one of my girlfriends Kelsey, with her giant brain, was with me to clear up missing details. It was amazing to be able to see this place in person and learn the history behind it.
Now, on to the Forbidden City!
Considering what I have heard about the Forbidden City, I found myself able to appreciate the history and meaningfulness of this landmark, but I also felt a little underwhelmed. Once again though, our tour guide had an endless amount of knowledge. From the history of feet binding, the emperors concubines, the structure of the palace, the lions meanings, etc. If I learned one thing that I will take with me after visiting the Forbidden City it was that being one the emperor's concubines was a pretty crappy job.
At this point, we had been walking around central Beijing for a few hours listening to extensive historical details about two of Beijing's most famous landmarks. I was appreciating the time I was spending in those two spots, but I couldn't shake the excitement of seeing the Great Wall. Is it really that great?
Why, yes! Yes, it is! It was substaintially colder at the wall than anywhere else in Beijing that day, but I did not mind one bit. I did mind that my phone got too cold and died too soon (NO! It wasn't his time! So much to live for!). *This picture was obviously taken pre-phonedeath*
You see pictures of it, you learn about it, you hear people talk about it, but then you finally see it with your own two eyes and you're left speechless.
Despite what this picture looks like, the Wall is much steeper than I thought it would be (excellent, love a challenge!). I started walking with the girls I was traveling with, but I started to trek on ahead. I had a smile on my face that was growing with each step I took. This is really happening. I'm on the Great Wall of China right now. Maybe people are watching me from space, that'd be sweet. What up astronauts! Don't be jealous! Chinese New Year in Beijing, chilling (literally) on the Great Wall of China. Life does not get more surreal than that.
The picture does not do the view justice. I could have spent the rest of the day looking at this. However, on my way down I decided to be the first person to "log roll" down the Great Wall, and the guards started paying closer attention me...so I don't think I would have been welcome much longer. I tend to make choices that I find funny, but not everyone might find humor. So I tuck-and-rolled out of there! Not before skipping past the guards and obnoxiously chatting, "U.S.A!" Good idea Courtney. Lucky the girls I was traveling with have good senses of humor! :D
After a life-changing experience at the Great Wall, we headed to a traditional tea house not far from our hostel. Obviously, I left with authentic Chinese tea because how could I come to China and not?
We were all pretty exhausted since our 7 hour tour turned into 12+ hrs.
We all agreed to relax the rest of the night...that is until we actually got back to our hostel. Our "quiet night" was clearly not going to be quiet at all.
This is the scene that we walked into after 12+ hours touring Beijing.
"We had a dinner earlier, there might be leftovers," the girl at the front desk told us...so we were able to have the "scraps."
Meat, fish, soup, fruit, beer, veggies, and it just kept coming. I was handed one beer, and then handed another one, and then an apple, and chopsticks for the meat. I didn't even know where to start or what was happening honestly.
So, after stuffing our faces we decided that even though it was the middle of winter we were going to hang out on the roof of the hostel...
And then fireworks started going off in every direction...this continued from 11pm to past my bedtime (I heard them going off at 7 am). Drinking terrible Chinese wine on the roof of a hostel with people that we had only known for about an hour and watching a "ring of fire" surround us was probably the most surreal way to end my first day in China.
The next day, we continued our escapades around Beijing. Chilling at the Temple of Heaven. I didn't initially have a great desire to visit this temple, but I am so glad that we made the trip! We spent a few hours just walking around the water, enjoying the extraordinary views in every direction.
Water frozen over, but the weather was fantastic.
Snack shop at the temple...chicken feet. Right next to the oreos and chips. Classic snacks, not out of the ordinary.
Later we were able to see a Kung Fu show and have some classic peking duck (because how can you not?).
On the agenda or the last day?...
Class Chinese food street. We've got some full on chickens.
Some fried star fish and basically anything else that can be fried was fried.
Prettiest ice cream I have every seen. I didn't get to try, but I did hear they are much nicer to look at than eat.
Final view before we grabbed the subway to the airport...the outside of our hostel.
So, this post took a long time to post. But, it is progress! It was also difficult to try and explain this trip in such few words. I started this post right when I got home in February...as I write this exact sentence, it is almost April. Good job, Courtney. Way to procrastinate.
