TravelStream™ news feed for member cacarlson on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/cacarlson en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sun, 22 Jun 2008 23:56:11 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cacarlson/1/1214185860/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cacarlson/1/1214185860/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cacarlson/1/1214185860/tpod.html Sun, 22 Jun 2008 23:56:11 -0400 The Forbidden City

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Chicago, Illinois, United States

I am home. The time went by so quickly and the experience was incredible, but it does feel good to be home.

The flight between Beijing and Vancouver was interesting - again, I was 1 of 3 non-Chinese and on this trip the difference between the cultures was a bit more obvious. Let's just say that we don't share the same ideas about manners, personal hygiene or when and where changing your clothes is appropriate. I'll leave it at that.
It was so great to see a friendly face when I cleared customs in Vancouver. Tom met me at the airport and took me to the hotel (sorry again for the heavy luggage!). After a quick "freshening", we walked to an area that has many restaurants with outside dining. It was so wonderful to see the sky and mountains! We sat outside, had a leisurely late lunch and enjoyed a few cocktails (well, I had to be sure I could sleep). Great food, conversation and scenery - what more could you ask for. Thanks again, Tom.

The flight back to Chicago was completely full - no big surprise these days. It was cruise ship day, so there was quite a bit activity in the airport. There was a lot of "hunter-type" of people on my flight - many sturdy older white men with t-shirts of deer and baseball caps saying 'Alaska'.

I felt pretty good once I got home - I must have had a second wind, because I didn't fall asleep until 4am. Today I felt as if I'd been hit by a truck.

Some final thoughts -

Food - I had all of my meals at the hotel because they were hosting dinners, lunches, etc, so I really didn't have an opportunity to explore. I can say that the fruits were quite good. Their oranges are slightly different than ours - I don't know what it is, but I had to have them every day. Tried their dragon fruit and something else that looked a little like mango, but it wasn't - I didn't especially care for it. We had Peking Duck again - this time no skin with sugar. This was Cantonese style which is slightly different. I think I preferred that style. Had pickled bean curd, which looked like tripe, but thankfully it wasn't. Also had black fungus - it's a type of mushroom that is flat and very slimly - impossible for me to manage with chopsticks - even difficult with a fork. I didn't care for it. But, everything else was really wonderful - interesting seasonings, very fresh.

People - The people from the Hyatt were extremely gracious. I know they want the business, but it was much more than that. I felt a genuine warmth from each of those I worked with and met. There were Germans, Chinese, Tunisian and Korean. A very interesting mix of people, but you knew that they loved what they did.
I also had the opportunity to observe guests of the hotel in the concierge lounge. That was pretty telling. There were many people there on holiday, mostly from Britain or Australia. The business conversations that I observed involved all men - no women. There was a conversation that I overheard that really irritated me. At first it was two men who were obviously discussing business - where to expand, legal issues, etc. The man who was serving as the "local contact" was European, but I couldn't place his accent. I didn't know what nationality the other man was. A third man joined them and was carrying a newspaper. He was of the same nationality as the other and they starting speaking either Arabic or some other middle eastern language - he was reading a newspaper which was symbols rather than words. Anyway, as they were leaving, one of the men said to their "host", is there really anything to see here? He replied about the Forbidden City and Tienanmen Square, but then stated - "I'm not a tour guide, in my opinion, it's just another city". They shrugged their shoulders and left. How arrogant they were - it made me so angry. I was very relieved that none of the hotel staff were around them.

When I was at the airport waiting for my flight, there was a group of Americans sitting close enough that I could hear their conversation. They were from somewhere around Arkansas or Missouri. They must have had some challenging times, because one of them said that it had been a long trip with many ups and downs, but at least he learned something about China. He said that all he knew of the country before he left was what their flag looked like, they were all Communists and they marched straight-legged. I hope he did learn a little more and that his view of the country changed a bit.

Politics - This might not be the right title, but I have to say something about how the US government is viewed internationally. I know this isn't news to many of you, but folks, it's not good. I was able to watch international news stations and the coverage of Bush in the UK. Even though we know intellectually that our image has been tarnished, it doesn't hit you until you watch some of the broadcasts. It isn't anything overt, but it is a bit more subtle. We have a long ways to go to re-establish our credibility. The main topics - war and the economy.

Home - Regardless of what I wrote above, I have to say this. I feel very fortunate that I am a woman of choice. I have options for a career, I can live anywhere I choose, be married or not, choose not have a family or if I do have one, I can have as many children as I want (okay, it's a little too late for that one). I have a home that is more than excessive by world standards and my life is very easy compared to most around the world. It humbles you and makes you thankful. I so appreciate the opportunities I have had to travel to different countries and meet people from different cultures. It is so important in understanding our place in the world. While on this trip, I finally had the time to finish Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson (thanks, Dan). It was the perfect book to read on a trip like this. If you have not read it, please go to the website threecupsoftea.com and purchase the book. There are many valuable lessons to be learned and you will help a very worthy cause - education - which is what I am talking about. Education for ourselves and education for others.

That's it, folks- it must be bedtime in at least one of the timezones that I have been in lately. Thanks for reading - I hope you enjoyed traveling with me.

Peace to all - cac



]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cacarlson/1/1213819200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cacarlson/1/1213819200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cacarlson/1/1213819200/tpod.html Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:33:43 -0400 The Forbidden City

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Beijing, China

Well, it's been a fascinating couple of days. Read on -

Tuesday was spent with the hotel in reviewing space, contracts, meeting staff, etc. The hotel is very open with a more modern feeling than traditional. It is incredibly clean - which is not a surprise. The service is impeccable - very formal, which at times makes me a little uncomfortable. I have privileges for the concierge level and it is better than any I have seen in the States. It is much larger and have it separated - one side is the area which serves food & beverage and the other side is geared towards business functions. They will not allow you to carry a plate or pour coffee - it is something. I won't go into all the details of the meeting negotiations - I don't think I have offended anyone so far! It is interesting that all of the staff that I have worked with have English names - Larry, Kevin, Sandy, Michael, Annie - just not the names you would expect.

I then had my first "Beijing authentic" meal with Annie. We had a lovely conversation and got to know her on a more personal level. Some of what I had was very good, some I would not have again, unless circumstances dictated that I should. There was so much food - I think she wanted me to try several things, but it just seemed a bit wasteful after a while. One of the items we had was the traditional Peking Duck- most was good, but the one thing that I wouldn't have again was the first serving, which is the skin. The skin is very browned, pretty "crispy", but it is still very fatty. It was fascinating watching the chef carve it - it was very precise and in small, uniform pieces. You are to take a piece, dip it in sugar (yes, sugar) and then eat it. My opinion - there wasn't enough sugar on the table to cut the fat. This was Annie's favorite dish and I managed 2 pieces. Still gives me the shivers. Everything else was very good - I can't tell you all that I had. There were a couple of soups, vegetables, the duck and then Kung Pao chicken. Like I said, lots of food.

Our conversation was very easy and interesting. We shared stories of our families, interests, how we came to the hospitality business, etc. The part of the conversation that struck me the most was when we were talking about family - it also pointed to the assumptions that both sides make about each other. I can't remember what prompted her statement, but she said that she thought that American college students/young adults left their families and basically distances themselves from their parents. It was an interesting statement. I told her that many college graduates are in fact moving back home to save money and pay off their education loans and that if they receive a job offer in their field, it may in fact be in another city. I told her that even though my own family is spread across the country we still visit as often as we can and call & email to stay in touch. Of course there are situations with some families that her statement is true, but not the majority (at least I don't think so!). I had asked if she had any brothers or sisters and she said she was an only child. She said it still bothers her that she has no brothers or sisters as the law of having only one child was put into effect shortly after she was born. I had forgotten the law and never thought about the impact of the children rather than the parents.

Yesterday (it is now 4:30am Thursday - still not sleeping) was the day that I visited locations for our dinner event. We started out visiting the Tia Miao (Worship Hall of Ancestors), which is next to the Forbidden City. It was built in 1420 and was the hall the emperors used for high celebrations. There are buildings around it and a large courtyard. Check out the photos. One of the long walls has all of the ceremonial bells that were used - it was incredibly impressive. We then drove north to the Great Wall. Sandy & Tony (hotel staff that accompanied me) said it would take an hour, but I don't think it was that long. On our way, we drove through many different areas of Beijing. One of the first areas that we drove through was Hutongs, which is Old Beijing. I think parts of Hutong would be classified as inner city in our mindset. You could see the lack of modernization in this area and would probably be some of the stereotypical scenes that we have in our minds when we think about China. The people that I saw out on the street had the faces of those who have led hard lives. There is a type of melancholy about them - maybe I was just seeing them through Western eyes. There are parts of Hutong that are being revitalized with shops and restaurants. On some of the small streets that we drove through there were very small shops & food stalls - I would love to be able to walk through the area. Maybe the next time. It is difficult to say how large Beijing actually is - we kept driving and driving and I kept asking - is this still Beijing? After 40 minutes or so, were were suddenly in the mountains. I looked out the window and there they were. It was a foggy day, which was too bad, because I couldn't see all of the mountains very well. It did add to some of the mysticism around the Great Wall. The mountains, from what I could see are very different than the Rockies or the Alps. These were not a jagged - they were "softer". They are so green - maybe that is why they seem softer. They roll into each other. Then I saw it - the first section of the Great Wall. We made our way to the parking lot where we would hold our dinner. It is under a temple like building on the wall. From this vantage point, I could see the Wall much more clearly and how steep it is (at least in this part). There were some who were trying to navigate the very steep steps at its highest peak. The Wall literally lines the mountain - so if the mountain is steep, so are the steps. My photos aren't that great because of the weather - I think it was mostly fog, but was concerned that smog was that far out of the city as well. We climbed up to the "temple" and I was actually standing on The Great Wall of China. I wasn't expecting to be overwhelmed with emotion - I walked away from my hotel hosts as I'm sure they would have thought me a little nuts. How was it that this very average & ordinary person from Rockford, IL was standing on The Great Wall of China? I still can't believe it. Behind the Wall, there were several smaller buildings that were considered temples. There were red "medallions" (for lack of a better description) that you could purchase, write your prayer or wish on, and then hang on a tree or stands. I wanted to buy one, but we didn't see where they were being sold. Maybe next time. There were many tourists there and it was fun to watch their reactions as well. Many of the older female visitors (like me) were laughing at themselves at how cautiously we had to go down the stairs - we were all in line to use the railing. You could always tell when someone reached one of the highest points as there was always a yell of triumph.

We drove back to the City and visited another space for consideration for our event. It is the Dashanzi Art District. It used to be an industrial complex, Joint Factory 718. It was built in the 50's by East German architects & engineers that produced machine tools to power the revolution. It is now art galleries, shops and restaurants. The building that we are considering is still under renovation and we found out that the Swiss government has commissioned the work for their use during the Olympics. Speaking of the Olympics, on our way back to the hotel, we drove by the Bird's Nest and the driver pulled over so I could take some photos. It is beautiful. There are also some photos of the main tower of the Olympic Village - it is truly unique. There are screens built into each side of the tower so that you can watch the games from a great distance. It looks like an abstract of some of the "protectors" on the corners of the Forbidden City.

Today the partner in charge of this event arrives and I'll be meeting with her for the balance of the day and until she leaves tomorrow. I can't believe I'll be leaving tomorrow. There is so much I haven't done yet. Anyway, there may not be much to report on today or tomorrow as it will probably be all business. Although I may try to go to the flag raising ceremony in Tienanmen Square at 4:45am tomorrow - I would have today, but it was lousy weather outside.

One of the many memories I will take with me is the number of people in this city. No matter what part of the city I have seen at what time of day, there are always LOTS of people. The buses are always full, bicycles everyone, people walking. No matter the time of day - it is amazing (I'm using that word too much). The juxtaposition of the old and new is astounding. You can be looking at a modern, sleek building and at the same time see someone sweeping the sidewalk with a broom made from old cedar branches. An Audi driving next to a bicyclist carrying tons more on the back of his bike than the trunk in the Audi could hold. Huge cranes and bamboo scaffolds. It's really something.

I don't know if there will be another entry while I am here, maybe on the back end. Thanks for reading and for your comments.

Oh, one last thing. I really miss the blue sky. I haven't seen it since we descended into the airport. You can feel the sun, but you never see it or the sky because of the pollution. That's the single most aspect of this trip that I regret.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cacarlson/1/1213612620/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cacarlson/1/1213612620/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cacarlson/1/1213612620/tpod.html Mon, 16 Jun 2008 18:13:59 -0400 The Forbidden City

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Beijing, China

Greetings from Beijing! It is still difficult for me to believe that I am in China. Let me start from the beginning - I'll warn you that this will probably be quite lengthy, but since you all know me, you won't be surprised at that.

The first photo you will see is where my trip officially started - San Francisco. I was attending a conference on Green Events at the Palace Hotel. It was a very good conference and was encouraging to see so many people interested in becoming better stewards of the planet while hosting meetings & travel. The Palace is a beautiful historic hotel and was the place where Jean (sister) and I used to go for brunch when I visited her. It was set up in this "courtyard". Jean was the first person in our family to go to China, so I guess it was synchronistic that I start my journey there.

The next photo is the view of the airport from my hotel room in Vancouver. I have to say, every trip to Canada, no matter how long or short is a joy for me. It always strikes me how peaceful the place is - even in an airport. Sure, it is buys and noisy, but it's very controlled, calm and clean. It was hard to be there just overnight.

My friend Tom, from Vancouver had laughed when I told him which airline I was flying to Beijing - honestly, it made me a bit anxious. Well, it was, of course, just fine. I was on China Air - a partner with United. There were maybe 7-10 Westerners on the flight - 3 of us were in business class. What was really interesting is that we all sat in the same row. The man sitting across the aisle from me was someone who looked more at home sitting in the local diner in a small Nebraska town. Cowboy boots & shirt, Wrangler jeans, a fu manchu mustache that extended to his sideburns. Looked just a tad out of place - turns out he supervises the installation of some kind of machinery in aluminum plants throughout the world. He also ranches in the state of Washington. The best way to describe the service is "efficient". No sooner than we took off, drinks & snacks were being served - barely took a couple of sips when dinner was being served. You would have thought the flight was only an hour long! The movies they had were very old - did see a very good Chinese movie, but that was about it. Luckily I had a lot to read. The most interesting aspect of the flight was observing the flight attendants. All were women except to two men - one very young and the other in his mid to late 40's. He must have been the "boss", as I didn't see him do hardly anything throughout the flight. I was having trouble with my screen and as he walked by I asked him for assistance. He tried a couple of things (I think I knew more about the controls than he did), got frustrated and ordered one of the women to help me. He basically read newspapers throughout. Oh, and one other observation - it doesn't matter what culture, men (in general) do not know how to clean up after themselves in airplane bathrooms. I have noticed this on every flight in every country I have flown to.

The Beijing airport is huge and beautiful. I will never again complain about Atlanta or Dallas, as Beijing puts these to shame. It is the cleanest airport I have ever seen and the architecture is gorgeous. I was met at the gate (yes, the gate) by a very young and professional looking woman who escorted me to customs, then to baggage claim. The "L" right before a Cross-Town Classic is virtually empty, if you compare it to a tram to baggage claim. I have never seen so many people crowd on a tram - and they just kept coming. No such thing as personal space. Customs was the most efficient I have experienced - no questions asked - the agent simply compared my passport photo to me (I did get him to smile when I said, "bad photo, don't you think?") and he sent me on my way in about 30 seconds. They X-ray all the bags after you claim them, but don't ask to see your passport again. If Chicago wins the bid for 2016 Olympics, they have a TON of work to do to improve ORD and their "processing". My escort took me down a different corridor than all others and when she opened the door, it was as if I was stepping into another building. There were marble floors, beautiful wood paneling & decor - she said it was for their very VIP guests. As we walked down the corridor that looked more like a hotel, there was my car & driver waiting for me. By the time I walked off the plane, cleared customs, claimed luggage, and was driven to the hotel, it was just over an hour. Unbelievable.

Annie, the Assist. Director of Sales (my primary contact) was waiting for me at the door as well as the Assist. Director of F&B (who was manager on duty). I was surprised that she was there - I didn't want my first impression to be that of this disheveled mass that stood in front of her. She asked if I would like to sit down with them in the lounge for a drink. Frankly, all I wanted to do was get to my room and collapse, but establishing relationships here is very important, so I asked for about 30 minutes to freshen up. She and the front office manager escorted me up to my room and "checked me in" there. I'm in a very nice suite and it is very comfortable. We met in the concierge lounge and chatted for a couple of hours. I had 2 glasses of wine and by the time I made it back to my room (which she insisted she escort me), I was done. I wanted to stay awake until 9pm, but I only lasted until 8pm.

I woke up on and off throughout the night and finally got up around 7am or so. After doing some prep work for the meetings with the hotel, I was finally able to take my first stroll around Beijing. The hotel is only a few blocks from the Forbidden City, so that is where I headed. At first, the smog wasn't an issue, but as time went on, I could feel my nose and eyes starting to burn. About halfway to the Forbidden City, a young man who had been walking next to me started a conversation with me. He had a pin with the American flag with the Chinese flag - his English was pretty good. I wasn't sure what to make of the conversation - he was asking A LOT of questions. Immediately I went into my mode of defense and answered everything very vaguely and did not establish much eye contact. I found myself holding on to my purse much more securely, thinking I was marked for a snatch and grab or something similar. He would not leave me alone. He was giving me interesting information as we walked, but he was attached to me. He told me he was a student and he was here with his class and professor. As we reached the Forbidden City, he was explaining the outside gate to me, etc. - then he asked me to go inside with him to see an exhibition. I was very uncomfortable, so I told him I had to get back to the hotel. I walked over to the side of the street which is where I took the photo of Tienanmen Square. He finally left me alone. I wanted to go in to the City, but waited around and took more photos and looked for him to make sure he wasn't around. So, I ventured in through the gate. As I was walking through the gate, a young lady approached me and asked where I was from (very few Westerners inside, so it was obvious I was "from out of town"). We started talking and she told me this was her first time in Beijing as well. She was very nice and she asked me questions about our language and America in general. Well, turns out she is with the same class and professor that this other guy was talking about and once I made the connection, I felt terrible. There was a section inside one of the buildings that said "Chinese Art Exhibition" - she told me that was her class and her artwork was some of what was displayed. There were some beautiful pieces and she showed me her watercolors & ink on rice paper & silk. There were also some amazing lacquer pieces with Chinese words - she explained to me some of the symbols and for the first time, I could kind of understand how they are conceived. I ended up buying two of her works (balance is important, odd numbers are bad). Okay, you are thinking what I was when all was said and done - sounds like a scam and I am out some bucks. Well, that might be the case, but it wasn't all that much money and I couldn't help but think that Lucas would want me to help an art student whether it was a scam or not. At least I have two pieces that I like and there you go. I never got all the way in to The Forbidden City - it was around 5pm and I knew that there would not be enough time to see everything. I think I will have another opportunity to get over there and see the interior. Oh, and the young man came back in the exhibit and although I knew he saw me, he did not acknowledge me.

Some notes about the photos - I'm not sure why they are showing up so dark - when I downloaded them, they were just fine. You will see a couple of photos of the Chinese Guard training some of the men inside the entrance to the Forbidden City - it looked as though they were training in crowd control. These photos are for Gerry. One of the guards outside the gate looked like he was 14. The women cleaning the sidewalk was interesting - they were scrapping gum - this was in front of the FC. The photo of the door with the big brass knobs - everyone was rubbing them - maybe it means good luck?

A few other things I learned (and then I'll stop writing). You don't cross the street like you do in Chicago - they have street crossing police. You listen when a Chinese Guard tells you "no stopping" (As I was leaving, I wanted to take a picture, but I guess that was not the area you were allowed to). He was polite, but stern. It is very interesting to stand out in a crowd. Had lots of "looks" from the crowd - especially when I was speaking English with my little friend. As I was departing, there were a couple of older women that came up to me and patted me on the shoulder, smiled, bowed and walked away. Have no idea what that was about.

Well, that's about it for now - it's actually 6am on Tuesday as I finish this. I was having technical difficulties with this site when I was working on this last night and finally gave up. I woke up at 3am this morning (big surprise) and so I thought I would give it another go. Scheduled to meet with the hotel most of the day and then Annie is taking me to dinner. More stories to follow - if you are interested, that is!

Cheers & Peace -
cac
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