Sanchuan Hotel Beijing

... not worship.

That evening, I returned to Olympic Village to watch “Swan Lake” at the Water Cube. I was intrigued: how would a facility intended to host Olympic water events work as a venue for ballet? The experience certainly was unique, as the ballet on stage was complemented by synchronized swimmers at some moments and even divers at others! It was a bit strange and felt contrived, but it was worth the fee for how ...

... Foreigners and wealthy Chinese, to be precise. When she returned, the expression on her face was such that you needed no parasol next to her. A jacket over a T-shirt would do much better. "Let's find something else," she just said. "What happened?" I asked. "They said maybe forty five minutes." That was long, there was no doubt about it. We were both hungrier than that. But then again, much as I appreciated her idea of eating "in an interesting place", I wasn't going to lose any ...

... for the Paralympics. We caught the metro (which is free if you have a ticket to the Olympics), which of course meant that it was manic! We were meant to change lines 2 and go 2 stops to the stadium, so we thought we would be clever and walk - it couldn't be that far surely... We came out of the station and joined a queue of people who we thought were going through security to get into the Olympic Green. Turned out they were ...

... All sense of direction and bearing is lost as I am guided along. My tour guide points out various historical items, used to trick the enemy or tunnel offshoots that run for over 8km to the next village in one direction or 20km to another village. We look and peer out of tiny holes at the village above from where the villagers would shoot the Japanese. Then I am taken on a side passage through an area not enlarged and it is quite an experience to ...

... though the official blame was put on factors other than the visa clampdown and the country's oldest trade fair, The Canton Trade Fair, reportedly saw its first decline in visitors and exhibitors in decades. Like the USA in the post-911 era China is using the overreaching "terrorist" label and boogieman to include the "Dalai Lama clique/Tibetan separatists," so-called Islamic separatists in western China and just about anyone who might be suspected of putting a blemish on ...

... side which was a doddle in comparison. Anyhow, I've made a little film to give you an idea of what it was like. Getting down the mountain was novel and unexpected. You can a) walk, b) take the chair lift, or c) Sit in a one man tabogan and take the CHUTE down the mountain. That was the best 40 yuan ever spent.

... with everyone, and I was really glad to be invited. Christmas morning I spent opening presents while on a transatlantic phone call home... it was Christmas Eve there, and definitely good to talk to everyone while we each celebrated a bit, to make it feel a tiny bit more like a normal family Christmas (including the reading of The Night Before Christmas ). A couple of us went out to a French restaurant for Christmas dinner, and then met up with some more people at a bar ...

... from the girls, he commented that I look like just like Zhang Baizhi. I can't say I really see the resemblance, but they swear by it. I'll let you judge for yourselves. Something else curious about the Chinese I want to write about...they often address strangers on the street as if they are family members. For example, when children stare at me, their mothers will often say, "Go say hello to Auntie," "Or, go stand next to your big ...

... we possibly could, which Linda thought was hilarious so she joined in. It took us about an hour to walk through, and we just chatted and took pictures the whole way, with Linda hurrying us along if we took too long so as not to get too far behind the rest of the group. She stuck with us on our climb up the Great Wall as well. That's what I liked so much about my visit to China, was the opportunity to get to know these two students so well. That's what makes the world ...

... and wearing white bands, so Im going to try and get my College involved, on the 16th of Oct there's a world record to 'stand up' against poverty. Im leaving for Xi'an this evening on a 12 hr overnight train and then Ill be meeting the other VSO vols and possibly going hiking in the mountains! Its all very exciting so far...look out for more news soon, bye for now, missing you tons!