Day 40 Last Day of School...

for at least a week...even longer for me as I have chosen to burn some leave time :)

Tomorrow is October 1st, which is the National Holiday for the people of China.  It is the equivalent to our July 4th, of sorts.  This year marks the 65th anniversary of the memorial founding of the People's Republic of China. This is a significant year, as there is a grand celebration and military parade on Tiananmen Square.  We have been told that people started gathering out at the Square, in the rain, since Monday evening.  Keep in mind that Tiananmen Square holds one million people, and still they are lining up two days in advance.

While Wednesday, October 1st, marks the National Holiday, it is also the start of Golden Week.  This is a week's holiday that shuts down the entire country. We have been told that for every one person that flees the city to avoid the crowds, two people come in to the city for Golden Week to join in the festivities.  We had been told weeks ago to book our travel if we wanted to get out. If we planned to stay in the city, we are to avoid the usual tourist spots at all costs.  Even getting around on the subway is torture, and hailing a cab is virtually impossible. Alejandra and Eric are headed to Mongolia, Kirsten is on her way to Australia, Zhuong is returning to Vietnam to visit her family, and most of the rest of us are hanging around here with some day trips planned outside of the city.

Because I have only two one period classes in the four days after Golden Week is over, I am taking some leave time and headed to Phuket, Thailand, to put my face in the sun and my toes in the sand! But I am getting a little ahead of myself...my trip is nearly a week away.

Our last day of classes began with a student body assembly
on the soccer field.  The head of the school (who is a three star)
gave a speech to the kids. I would imagine it was a history
lesson on the formation of the People's Republic of China
65 years ago.  Or maybe he told them to read more books.
I don't rightly know, but it is impressive to see the kids
all gathered, and to hear his voice booming campus wide
over the loudspeaker.  It feels like I am on a military base :)
It's no wonder; BNDS has produced over 60 Generals.

The kids were all packed and ready to head for home for
Golden Week.  The front hallway is typically lined with luggage
every Friday morning, for the kids that board here. They are
usually anxious to head home for the weekend.  It's interesting
to me that nobody will bother with their personal possessions.
There has been a $10 bill laying on a desk in one of my
classrooms for two weeks, and nobody has yet to pick it up.
Sadly, I cannot say that would happen at any of the American
schools I have been affiliated with over the years.

We are allowed four hours of 'bank time' each month, to
literally take care of banking or personal business.  Since it
was the end of the month, and I had yet to use any hours,
I took some time off in the afternoon to do some banking
and get a few groceries.  While I was done teaching for
the day, I had to be back by 9th period to cover a class
for Alejandra.  She and Eric were getting a jump start on
the holiday, and had a plane to catch to Mongolia.  She
is covering one of my classes for me while I am in
Thailand the following week.  While I was out and about
on this beautiful afternoon, I loved the all decorations that are
up all over the city to celebrate their National Holiday.

The dichotomy of this picture just makes me smile.
In fact, much of China makes me smile...
I truly have lots to smile about these days :)

Time for me to get planning on my own little vacation.

Taking a trip- anywhere- gets me smiling every time.

If it involves the sun? And sand? And the sea?

PERFECT!!

G'Nite, y'all!

Day 38 Sunday Funday Workday

We found out on Friday, the day before our one day weekend, that in addition to working on Sunday, (following a Monday schedule- I mean really, who wants to have to work two Mondays back to back?  It's like living in Ground Hog Day here with Bill Murray- geesh.) our day on Sunday was not ending at 4:10pm- we were required to stay at school until 6pm to participate in a Field Day for the students.  The Field Day Event was to bring students and faculty together for some fun competitions and to promote school spirit!!!  (all signs here are followed by lots of exclamations points!!!) Having to stay at school until 6pm on a Sunday?! After which we just followed a Monday schedule?! So now it's a 10+ hour work day, to which we get a brief respite overnight, and then we get to come back and do Monday all over again?!  Seriously, who does this?!   You can see why the trip to Cantina Agave was in order for us on Friday night.  We had just been delivered the news that afternoon that our day was extended on Sunday and our attendance was required at Field Day.  Decisions like these seem to often be made last minute, and very haphazardly, and don't get too excited, because it all could change in the next hour or so.  Figuring it must be 'the Chinese Way', I packed some athletic clothes and gym shoes in my backpack and cheerfully dodged my way through the chaotic morning traffic, armed and ready for my Sunday Funday Workday.

I bought what I thought was blueberry yogurt at the 'free store'
on campus.  It had chunks in it.  What the heck is that?!  Though
I can't read Chinese characters, on closer inspection, I realized
it was blueberry and sweet potato yogurt.  Who does that?!
Some days I get weary of the food surprises here in China.

About 600 students and 60 faculty, all affiliated with the International Department
all gathered on the gorgeous soccer field that never gets used because we have
no organized competitive sports here at BNDS.  We have a beautiful natatorium, too,
that also is only used for recreation...gorgeous facilities that would be the envy of
any high school back in the States. It's a bit strange to work at a school that has
no sports, no dances, no after school activities of any kind, because school
continues until 9-10pm each week night.  This was the Over/Under relay,
and the woman behind me is Betty- they head of all the International Dept.
She's a very big deal, in a very small package- and a really nice woman :)

It is not easy to sprint with a ball between your legs- I sucked at it, lol.

Stephanie and Paige looked like gazelles in the three legged race- they were awesome :)
The red brick buildings you see in the background are student dorms. BNDS
has about 4000 students enrolled all total.  It's like working on a campus the
size of Anderson University back home- where Emily and I both attended.

Rob and Al were not as graceful!  I sat this race out, for fear
I might blow out my ACL again.  It looked like a distinct
 possibility if I were to have tried it.

We all had a good laugh, the kids at our ineptness with
most races.  They are used to seeing us dressed very
professionally each day (men in suits, women in dresses),
so for them, it was hysterical just to see us in gym clothes.

What was even more hilarious was seeing "Harvard" in his idea of gym
clothes- former Naval officer, Harvard graduate, in a button down oxford
shirt, collar popped, 'casual' slacks, boat shoes, and check out those socks :)
We made him run a couple of races for our entertainment!

HOWEVER, you should have seen us Westerners on the American football
relay.  WE NAILED IT AND CAME IN FIRST PLACE!!!
Carlos was a beast at quarterback, and Eric zinged a bullet for the final pass.  

David, a Chinese teacher that got roped in to doing the race with the guys,
was SO HAPPY at winning!  You would have thought we all won the
Superbowl, for all the cheers and high fives :)  Look how happy he is!  Precious :)))

We came in third place over all, which was a pretty respectable showing.  But as soon as the results were announced, I was outta there :) I decided to hop on the subway afterwards to venture down to the Silk Street Market for a bit of evening shopping.  I was trying to salvage my Sunday Funday Workday to some degree. Besides, I was on a mission...

I popped up out of the subway, and quickly realized I miscounted my stops.
I have no idea where I was, but the neon rainbow going across the road was cool.

The Silk Street Market is famous all the world over.  In fact,
it's rich history of making 'knock offs' of popular name
brands lead to a major motion picture that dealt with
commercial piracy and copyright infringement.  (Can you
name that movie?)  Over 20,000 shoppers pass through here
daily, eager to drive a hard bargain on all the best 'name
brands' in shoes, clothing, luggage, outerwear, etc. As I popped
out of the subway, I waded through a number of tour buses
full of Russians who were all spilling in to the market.

I was a woman on a mission...with only one purchase in mind.
Being screamed at by hawkers, and driving a hard bargain
is not my idea of a good time.  I scoped out several floors of
booths, then ventured in for the kill.  I wanted to buy a North Face
backpack, and I scored one for only $5.00 more than what I
wanted to pay.  Winning!  Now about that trip to Thailand...

G'nite, y'all!

Day 36- I'm so excited

There are many, many things I love about my job, especially teaching at such an incredible school as Beijing National Day School.  I have some amazingly cool and interesting coworkers from all parts of the world.  And the kids?  They really are awesome; and so much fun.

I have been teaching about Freud and his theory of personality formation, which leads to a whole bunch of sex talk.  Imagine a group of curious, but introverted, Asian kids with a no-holds-barred American instructor?!  I have been around the block far too many times to pull any punches, and we have the freedom and flexibility to do our jobs- as best as we see fit.  So, there was a lot of sex talk this week, and lots of nervous giggles.  We acted out Freud's defense mechanisms with class skits. We made our own Rorschach inkblots, and we poured through commercials, print ads and music videos for the subliminal messages of sex...most were not the least bit subliminal, because sex sells, don't you know?   I have had a flurry of emails and wechat messages from them all week. (Get on wechat people! We can text, talk, send pics, use our phones like walkie talkies, all kinds of fun stuff- all for FREE!  Look me up- I'm pkaryn :) They sent me emails or we chat message for the things they were too embarrassed to ask about in class.  They also posed the more thoughtful, critical thinking kinds of questions, too, which really gets me excited, because then I know that they are listening and wanting to know more. I mean, I get really excited, but not in a Freudian kind of way ;)

How cute is she?!  She was so happy with her inkblot!

I find it interesting to see best friends holding hands when they
walk.  It's what they do; they are simply best friends.
Sometimes there will be several all walking together,
locking arms with each other.  The Asians are quite
affectionate with their same sex friends, which is endearing.
Yet, with the opposite sex, they are quite reserved,
sometimes even painfully shy.  As a whole, this culture
does not engage in public displays of affection.
Seldom do you see couples on the street holding hands,
hugging, and it's more rare to see a stolen kiss.
Clearly, I am not Asian!

By the end of the week, the board was covered with forty five
hand made inkblots.  It was a fun activity. They look forward to
the end of a unit with me.  There always is an exam,
and these kids are all about making the 'high marks' on their
exams.  After exams, we do a fun lab or activity.  This week,
I have catapulted to their favorite, teacher ever.
Sex talk. sex ads. and crafts, Am I cool, or what?! lolllzzz

Well, if you haven't gathered by now, there are just some things about China that make me smile. There are the things that I can't help but shake my head and laugh.  There are other things that leave me dumbfounded.  And much of the time I am confused, and just plain don't understand.  In those moments, the best I can figure is it simply must 'be the Chinese way.'  In other words, don't ask- just accept that it is what it is.  This week was one of those times that we faculty just simply needed to accept that it is what it is...which lead to an outing....

for this!

Meet my Dean for the Advising program; he gives good advice :)

We were on a quest for the best margaritas to be found in Beijing.  The place
two weekends ago had far better margaritas, but the homemade salsa bar
here at Cantina Agave was amazing.  It was hard to pick a favorite salsa :)

Why all the celebration and fuss?  Because this week we have a one day weekend.  Which means Saturday will be a planning day since we have to work on Sunday.  Yep, school is in session on Sunday. We have National Holiday coming up next week, which is a three day holiday beginning on Wednesday, October 1st.  To allow for a full week of vacation time, they added the following Monday and Tuesday to our five day weekend.  Nice! We get seven days off in a row to maybe do some travelling!  Oh, but wait...

We have to 'give back' those two days in the calendar. So we are going to school on Sunday to make up for that Monday, and we have to work the following Saturday to make up for the Tuesday. Confusing, right?  We get seven days off, but sandwiched between two weekends of which we are only off school for one day.  A one day weekend?!  In education?! I don't get it.  Why not just build those days into the school calendar?  Tack them on to the end of the semester, or something, but don't screw up two weekends!  We already had to work a Sunday a few weeks ago.  But to them, it's just another school day.  Not to us; which is why we all went out on Friday night.

Santosh, Zuong, and I bailed on the group early so we could catch the
subway home before it stopped running for the night.

Besides, I needed to get an early start to my one-day weekend.  I had
groceries to get, banking to do, and a pedi to be had before I started
in on the lesson planning on Saturday.  The good news?  I am pretty well
set now, as far as school work is concerned, through October 27th.
And you know what that means?!
It's time for this girlie to hop on the internet and start planning
a vacation with that time off from school.
I'm thinking Thailand....to put these freshly painted toes in the sand :)

 G'nite, y'all!

Day 35 Oh, the food

Ok, this country girl at heart must acknowledge that she loves down home cookin', straight from the garden or farm, to the table, just the way my grandmother taught me.  There's nothing like homemade mashed potatoes and gravy, a pot roast with all the trimmings, fresh green beans from the garden, homemade biscuits, yeast rolls, or bread, topped with homemade strawberry jam.  The only thing I didn't do was churn the butter, lol.  I haven't been too very homesick yet, but daggone, I miss down home cookin'! (and of course, the eatin' ;)  There are some things about the food in China that just....confuse me....leave me perplexed...scare me...and straight up gross me out sometimes!

As I walk to the grocery store, I can't help but wonder, "How does a man in
China make a living, simply by selling grapes?"  I try to buy my produce from the
street vendors whenever possible.  I have yet to find seedless grapes in China, btw.

Naked chicken feet, just laying out in the open, barely refrigerated, scares me.
Correction.  They gross me out.  I would never buy chicken feet-
refrigerated or not. I do not see the appeal of gnawing on a chicken foot.
The only part of a chicken I have not seen for sale is the beaks.
 I hate to think of where the beaks end up.  Maybe in the wieners
I bought that had corn in them- who knows?!

Ok, shoppers touching the barely refrigerated raw meat with their bare hands,
really grosses me out.  Not that I would ever purchase hog's feet to fix myself
for dinner, mind you.  The only reason I ever would buy hog's feet would be to
bait a crab trap, perhaps.  Even at that, feet- of any kind- simply gross me out.
Ewwww...stop touching the raw meat, woman!  

The strange things that all come in plastic packaging all scare me.  God only
knows what lurks in those packages...I have seen squid, fungi, what looks
like intestines, all in what, I am certain, is a flavorful sauce saturated in
MSG.  It's the Chinese way.  

The Chinese love their packaged foods- packaged crap-
with no nutritional value whatsoever.  Seriously, how
do they stay so tiny?!  I just think of American kids that
would have a field day picking through the snack sized
color packages of sugary treats and salty snacks.

And the jellies!  OMG, they love their jellies- which look like individual
jello and pudding shots- which, of course, have strange things in them.
It's the Chinese way. Nothing says a mother's love like a jello parfait
pudding shot with a creepy thing in it.

I typically try to eat whole foods- one ingredient things
that I can identify- and that are good for me.  So, processed
meats, in general, I find to be pretty disgusting.  But
when they are in more plastic packaging, and sitting
out in the aisles, not a refrigerated cooler, that is
beyond anything I am willing to try and consume.
I can't imagine how much MSG and other preservatives
must be in the tubes of goo- probably chicken beaks, too.

Now when I have been sailing, I buy 'boxed' milk off
the shelf as it stores at room temperature for a very long
time.  I can deal with buying boxed milk, but these baggies
of milk, laying out in the aisles, is just wrong, people.
Can you imagine what a kid's lunch box looks like here?
Goopy 'mystery meat' on shrimp crackers (also nasty, btw)
oodles of individual unidentifiable shots of sugar and
other salty stuff, topped off with a baggie of milk.
I say, where's the nearest McDonald's? The golden arches
seem way more nutritional and appealing that this stuff- but
I quite possibly could be deluding myself there.

I was so excited to recognize a Pringles can!  When I saw
it was green, I thought it must have been guacamole chips.
What?! Seaweed flavored potato chips?!  Umm, no thank you.

Most rice and beans here are sold in bulk; you simply scoop out how
much you want from these bins.  This looked more familiar to me,
like going to an Amish country store for dry goods.  Alas, no delicious Amish cheese
to be found ANYWHERE in this country.  I have tried.  Cheese, of any
kind, is a rare commodity, and it is the one thing that will cost me a small
fortune as it is all imported from somewhere else.  Their idea of
cheese, is more of the processed crap, wrapped in plastic squares.  I'll pass.

I thought I was buying a lime, but no, it was an orange.  Now, I realize that
all oranges start out green, and then ripen.  Not these ones.  They really
are quite tasty, and very juicy on the inside.  They are a little more
tart, kind of like a tangerine, but no seeds.  I eat lots of green oranges :)

All of this talk of food lead to a group of us making dinner plans around
the corner from our apartment complex.  I do love the traditional
Chinese dinners where the dishes are brought out to a turntable
that you spin around and grab what you want with your chopsticks :)

We ordered 'hot pot' and had two different kinds of broth.  One was a clear
broth, like a vegetable or chicken stock, and the other was a red spicy
broth, and was it ever spicy!  We then pointed to lots of colorful pictures
on the menu to throw into the hot pot.  We had some kind of meat,
pot stickers, lotus fruit, a plate of assorted mushrooms (not for me)
seaweed, and such.  The roasted potatoes with peppers and onions
were fabulous, and the green beans here are to die for- seriously.
The red soup to the left was some kind of tomato and beef brisket
that was good, and the pot next to it...

was a spicy red broth with scary stuff in it and FROG
WANGS....which is any and all parts of a frog including
frog penis.  Carlos and Rob were crazy- they devoured it.
When I watched them gnawing along the back and spine
of a frog I nearly tossed my green tea.  O. M. G. :/

I lost count of how many times Rob dipped into the pot of FROG WANGS.
He said he wouldn't have had to go back so much if the frogs were hung better.

With that, it was all Just. Too. Much.  It was time for this girlie to call it a night.  After a pbj, and a cold glass of milk, of course :)   G'nite, y'all!

Day 31- Getting okay

The days fly by, and already it is the end of another week. It's time to be thinking about what is coming up next.  It is Sunday again, and I don't know about y'all, but Sundays for me have always felt a bit stressful.  I know in my heart that it is supposed to be a day of rest.  It is the time to reflect, to get quiet with God, to spend time with family and so on.  I remember when all five kids were at home, and there was the usual rush to get out the door and to church on time.  It was such a contradiction in terms...to be heading to church to worship and be reverent with God, but the getting from here to there invariably lead to lost shoes, church clothes to iron, hair to fix, and almost always, we were running late. Too many Sundays at least some of the seven of us were upset with each other at simply trying to get ready and out the door on time.  It's one of my many regrets. Why did I allow myself to get so easily frustrated?  Why did I not make peace with myself before I started my Sunday?

Coming home from church was often not much better, because outside of the occasional Sunday afternoon nap, I would get stressed yet again in getting my home and kids in order for us to begin another week. I felt compelled to be sure we had clean clothes, that the week's menus were planned, the house was cleaned, and the kids' needs were met for their schedules and plans for the upcoming week, and so on.  The devil is in the details, they say, and I would let myself get overcome with the details. The perfectionist in me did not allow me to 'let it go' as I so often needed to do.  In the words of my wise grandmother, we often 'met each other coming and going,' In spite of the crazy busy-ness of two working parents and five active kids, I desperately wanted to hold the family together.  I wanted, and we all needed, a solid 'home base' for us all; from sharing meals together, to supporting the kids in their sports and school activities, We were largely successful, as is evidenced by the five kids who are all now successful adults in their own right. Looking back at those meal times, with no TV, and often times by candlelight- they are some of my best memories of home.  Conversations easily flowed, funny stories were told, and usually the boys led us in a round of trivia.  Good times.  I have been richly blessed by my family, no doubt.

As I sat in church this morning, I realized the pattern of stressful Sundays continues, and yet I am 13,000 miles from 'home'. I feel as if I really have no 'home' at the moment.  The kids are all grown and gone.  I have done my job as a parent, and yet, here I am, still sitting in church, stressed out at my 'to do list'. Once again, I am overcome with my own shortcomings and imperfections.  As I wait for church to begin, I am on my iPhone making a shopping list and a 'to do' list to get myself prepared for another work week. I am feeling the pressure of time to get it all done before I return to school tomorrow morning... I need groceries, my apartment needs cleaned, dishes need done, two loads of laundry need washed, I need to put the shoe rack together that I bought, and get the pile of shoes off the spare bedroom floor,  I have journals left to grade, I have no lesson plans for this week, and so on, and so on, and so on.  Sadly, this is how my mind works.  And as always, it is not physically possible for me to accomplish all of these things before midnight tonight. *sigh*

The good news is now that I know my way to church. I
found a more direct subway line. Even with two transfers, I got
there before the previous service had let out.  I was sorry I did not
capture it here, but as I walked up to the church, people were
standing in line all down the stairs, waiting for the doors
to open and for the earlier service to empty out.  They do twelve
services each Sunday, and people were waiting in line to get in?!
It's not a special Christian holiday, like Easter or Christmas?!
This is an active church, people, and definitely where I need to be :) 

I made a point to sit up close to the front, and was greeted by Pastor Wu.
It looked like we were having a guest speaker.  She looked familiar, but
I couldn't place her...

As I sat there making my lists, and stressing out, peaceful music began.
I looked up, and this is what I saw.  On the one hand, I like this idea...
a way to transition from the visiting and such, and getting ready for the
 service to begin.  On the other hand, I looked up and saw the clock ticking down
 and it was as if God was saying, "That's all you have for me, Karyn?
Just one minute and 29 seconds to sit with your Father?"
Sometimes my life lessons slap me in the face and pierce my heart.

The worship team and praise band led the full congregation in the singing.
I was happy to recognize some praise songs that we sang at MZWC.
Gospel music has always spoken to my soul.
As I let His spirit and song move me, soon all was right in my world again.

It's a good thing I attend the English service.  I can read
the music, but not the Mandarin, lol.

That's Susie Rowan, the Executive Director of Bible
Study Fellowship! I've heard her speak before; I knew she
looked familiar to me :)  This was her second visit to
Haidian Christian Church.  Her message told the story of
 Moses, from Exodus 2:1-15.  Like Moses was discovered
as a baby in a basket along the Nile River, God directs the
circumstances of our lives- to depths we are even unaware.

Her message fit seamlessly to Pastor Wu's sermon from last week. Speaking from her own experience, she said, "There is a dark side to our souls.  In solitude we can finally get quiet with God. It is where we must face ourselves and take responsibility for our lives.  This is also where we find salvation and redemption.  God will meet us in the darkness.  He will shine His light, illuminating our hearts, and once again directing our lives.  Divine providence is how God demonstrates his sovereign hand of grace and care for us.  By His hand, he protects and directs His perfect plan for us and our lives."  While my fingers furiously took notes on my iPhone, I felt like I was being spoken to personally.

She concluded with Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  And with that, the tears silently flowed yet again.  It is a verse that my Elliebug calls "her verse." Today, it felt like my verse. I spoke with Susie after the service. I shared with her that I felt like her message, and my being there, sitting front and center, was also His divine providence.  There is no such thing as a coincidence. Ever. I firmly believe that. He knew what I needed to hear today, even the painful parts, and that was okay. I was reassured that I am okay.  On the days I don't feel so okay, I trust that I will be okay, because right now, I know this is where I am supposed to be.

As I made my way back to the train station, I happened
upon this cafe, which will clearly be my new favorite
place to get lunch after church lets out.  I mean, really,
what's not to love about a ham and cheese croissant
and a delicious fruit tart?!  That's what I thought :)

And when I stepped on to the train, this cute little pixie
and her momma jumped on the train right behind me.  She was
carrying a rooster.  The cosmos know how much I hate
roosters, so I couldn't help but giggle at the irony of it all :)
I'm okay.  I really am okay.  

G'nite, y'all!

Day 30- Celebrating one month in Planet China :)

   

Morning came WAY TOO EARLY for this girlie, after
imbibing in Mexican food and margaritas last night.  Alas, I had
reservations for a hike, so I forced my sorry carcass out of bed
 and into the 'Beijing haze' (aka 'daylight') to meet up with the rest
of the group. The AQI was 183; oh, dear.  We were all hoping to breathe
some cleaner air further out of the city.  Just as we were
lamenting about the air, another member of the group spoke
up and said, "This is nothing; in the winter it is usually 400+.
The air is so bad, you can actually taste it."  Oh boy, do
I ever look forward to the winter season; cold, biting wind
and air that has to be chewed.  I can hardly wait. pfsh.

Fortunately for me, it was a four hour bus ride out of the city due to traffic.
The good news was I finally woke up feeling refreshed and ready
for a hike, and it was a bright, beautiful, blue sky- hooray!

The group was taken to Labaguomen National Park which
is located in the Huairon District.  I was sad to learn that
I was actually still in the municipality of Beijing.
Dang, a four hour drive and I'm still not out of Beijing!

It was a steady uphill climb, that was a paved stretch of road for the first
half of the walk.  It would have felt like an easy stroll but we were
hiking along some pretty steep switchbacks.  I wasn't complaining, YET,
as each turn up the mountain revealed another beautiful vista.
Then the pavement ended, and we really started climbing.

I had Hank, my usual hiking buddy with me.  We
cracked ourselves up with Hoosier-isms as we continued uphill.
Remember the Redneck Readin' Test?
M R ducks. M R not. O S A R. C M Wangs?
L I B. M R ducks....and there's more where that came from-
we recited it ALL :)))

As usual we had to chuckle at the translation of Chinese
signs into English.  No smoking or flammable...
L I B, whatcha reckon' they meant by no flammable?
Guess that means, 'Boys, don't light yer farts in the woods.'
Good to know- no lighting of farts- Must. Keep. Walking.
I did correctly guess that the third symbol on the top
row means 'forest'...look at me go in Mandarin, lol!

Got no I D what this here sign's a sayin'...

It got noticeably cooler the higher we climbed.  We could
also see that at the higher elevation the leaves were
beginning to turn.  I'll bet bet this hike will be gorgeous
in another week or two.  Fall was in the air, for sure.
It felt good, 'cause we were working up a sweat!

Just as I was ready to tap out climbing hundreds of stairs
after two and a half hours of a constant uphill trek,
Hank told me to "Suck it up, princess."
Way to piss me off, Hank.
 It worked.
I rounded the last switchback, and FINALLY had the pagoda
at the peak of the mountain in sight.
Whew!!! 

We made it!!!  It's all downhill from here :)

Time for a selfie!  I couldn't get over the gorgeous
blue sky.  Man, I miss the color blue; blue skies, blue ocean...

Until we climbed further out from the pagoda onto some boulders. There
we were treated to a gorgeous 360 degree vista.  Oh. My. Goodness. 

I relished in the quiet, y'all.  And the view.

Way down there in the distance was a little village...yet the lines and the
contours of the mountains, the trees, the rocky crags...it was breathtaking.

I was the happiest girl in China on top of that mountain :)

I couldn't get enough of the view, but we had a bus to catch. So we had to
make some fast tracks back down to the parking lot.

We took a shortcut through the white birch forest, and the
late afternoon sun was beautiful the way it streamed through
the trees.  And then there was this silly sign obstructing the
view,  "Green is the best reward of your love."
L I B, I learnt somethin' new today.
"Green is the best reward of my love."

I don't know what this flower (weed?) is, but pretty
colors in nature are always cause for pause in my book.

We somehow managed to get back to the bus nearly an hour before everyone else!  I had an apple, drank my third bottle of water, took off my shoes and socks, and promptly fell asleep with my face to the sun while laying on a warm boulder.  I am part reptile, I am sure.  Or maybe part cat.  I couldn't get enough sleep today.  I pretty much slept the three and a half hour bus ride back to the city, too. We bid our goodbyes to the group, then Derick, Hank and I hopped a cab to a hutong that Derick knew about.  There is a German restaurant that he stumbled upon last year, and a heavy German meal sounded fantastic to us after burning a basquillion calories (it's a number, look it up ;)  The guys
were interested in a cold German beer to go with their brats, but I sucked down that Coke Zero like it was my job.  Dinner was fabulous, and I will certainly go back again.  Apart from Mexican or Cuban cuisine, I could eat my weight in German food, too.

After dinner, we headed over near the Lama Temple to another hutong.  Rob, a music teacher at BNDS was performing a set at a wine bar.  We were looking forward to hearing him play guitar- he is amazingly talented.

But, we walked in just as Rob had finished- dang it- and the after party was in
full swing.  L to R are my friends and collegues, Derick (World Cultures, from
CA), Grant (English, from WI), Kevin (AP Physics from IN- a fellow Hoosier!
L I B) and Rob (Music/Choir/Guitar, from NYC).

Alejandra and Zuong said the music was great- the wine, too :)

So I had one glass of moscato, visited with the dozen or so teachers that were there, then decided to call it an early night.  I wanted to catch the subway home before it shut down for the evening. Besides, I was done in, and I planned to go to church in the morning.  All in all, what an awesome way to celebrate my one month anniversary of living in Beijing- a beautiful mountain top hike, a delicious German meal, and a glass of wine with a dozen or so of my new, closest friends here in China.  Life is good, people.

No- today, life is great :)

G'Nite, y'all!