Beijing-WOW

Our trip here began with such a fabulous day. We got to our hostel with plenty of time to get ready for church and we actually got to attend the branch that we just listen to over the phone. Relief Society was so great! Sister Ricks gave a fabulous lesson. She's one of the most tender people I've ever met. You would have enjoyed the meeting, Dad. The Lewis's then had us over for dinner. They even provided a van to take us all the way out to their house. So generous. And it wasn't just us they had over. There were four groups. Our nine, four from another ILP school, three from a university up north, and a family that just moved here from Brazil.

Dinner was fabulous! Taco soup with cheese, wheat rolls, salad with ranch dressing, fruit salad and then a cake for one of the sisters' birthdays and homemade chocolate chip cookies with ice cream. I had everything. Licked my bowl clean, had two wheat rolls, a salad and plenty of fruit salad. I was so full from that alone but decided to have a small slice of birthday cake and then two cookies with ice cream in the middle. I felt like I needed to lay on the couch and just moan I was so full. But I couldn't just not have some of that fabulous food! It made me miss home with all of the normal food and good company we have there. Afterwards, we got a group picture on the stairs.

As we were waiting for the van to take us back to the hostel, President Lewis told me to put all of my stuff I was holding in one hand and he grabbed my empty hand by the wrist and proceeded to give me multiple high fives with the other hand. It took me a second to realize what he had done and why, and when I did it was all that I could do to not burst into tears. A few glistening tears did streak my face. Okay, so more than a few. Thank you, Dad. Thank you for being there and reminding him of what he had read in the newsletter. It really made me miss you.

Once back at the hostel we just wanted to chill. We had had a full day. We didn't get back until six with all the time we spent at the Lewis's. It was there that we met up with the two girls that stayed behind in Fuqing while we were in Xi'an.

We woke up the next day and went to the Forbidden City and Tienamenn Square. It was so crowded! So many people. And there's this huge portrait of Mao right before you enter the Forbidden City. Weird. That's like hanging a portrait of Hitler in Germany.

The Forbidden City was cool, but I wish I had known more about it before going. There was a Cartier Jeweler Show that we got to see. Crazy expensive jewelry! Then we found a red wall to take pictures next to. We spent a good afternoon there and then we went to a park opposite it on a hillside and could see the city from the mountain. That was cool!

Then it was off to the Olympic Park! So cool! Now that I can relate to. It was cool to do ancient China and then modern China in one day. The Bird's Next and the Water Cube were so cool! I sat in the arena where Michael Phelps won eight gold medals! I got a cool shirt from there, right before I ripped my pants trying to do a runner's start in front of the Bird's nest. Kind of funny.

The next day was the pearl market! Got quite a few cool things there! And for cheap. Can't wait for Christmas now.

Wednesday was the Summer Palace. The place of residence of the emperor in the summer. So gorgeous! The group was a little pooped so we didn't get to see as much as I wanted, but that's okay. We then ended up with a lot of free time and I did something really stupid, Dad. I went to a Chinese hairdresser and got a perm. It pretty much fried my hair and he cut off quite a bit too. I cried so hard! I've since done things to help my hair recover and it's actually looking pretty good now, but the cut is still awful. I'll just have to wait until I get home to fix it.

Thursday was the silk market. People there were a lot more aggressive and a lot more stubborn. It was really hard to barter. I did get some good things for family for Christmas! I'm so super excited to give them out!

Friday was the best! Nihao ma Great Wall?! Instead of taking the cable car up from the parking lot like most groups do, we hiked up the stairs. So we really did climb the great wall. Took us a good twenty minutes, but it was so worth it. It made it so much more sweet once we were actually on the wall. We ran into the NBA Pacers. That was cool. I think that was wasted on me though. I don't follow basketball or really even care about NBA players. It would have been better if they had bumped into someone else. But on our way down I saw an old man inching along and I offered him my shoulder. He was so cute! He clung to my shoulder and asked all about me. His name is Bill. He wanted to introduce me to his wife. So cute!

Saturday we finished shopping and then headed to the train station. Another wonderful, very smoky twenty hour train ride. It's good to be back to Fuqing, Dad. I still miss you and home. Don't worry.