Acting My Age

So Steve said that my blogs sounds like I am writing for Corey. I will admit he’s been my primary audience. Whenever we travel I find myself saying “wouldn’t Corey think this is funny” about a dozen times a day. However. Once I start to sound like a 14 year old myself, it’s time to modify my mojo. So I will spare you the Freddie and Velma update (Mr. Hau & Joyce) except to say that we bold face lied to her this afternoon in order to ditch them this evening.

We had an amazing day in Beijing. This place is mindblowing. Actually the past few days in Asia is hopefully just the kick we need to go from talking about getting an “auntie” (in my mind this means a nannie who does the household logistics so we can spend more time with the kids) that can also teach the kids Chinese to actually getting one. I can think of few things more important for them to get out of their formal education. As much as Joyce is driving me crazy – I would put her as a leading candidate. Can’t image what could better prepare her for making $$ in 2008 than 2 years of English in the States.

The highlight of today had to be seeing Chairman Mao’s body. Ok, maybe I’m half joking. Steve believes that it’s the actual body preserved in an anti-oxygen coffin. I would put my money on a giant hoax and Madam Toussard. Either way it was a little creepy and a little cool. Joyce said that all they teach the kids is that “Mao founded China”. The cultural revolution is sort of a big blank in their education. They know cultural revolution cost many people their lives so they just skip it and focus on the future. Hmmm

However, it seems that in focusing on the future, they realize the value in the past…

The Square and Forbidden City are both more enormous that I’d even imagined. Many of the Forbidden City buildings and the external gates are under renovation for 2008. Apparently no one ever thought of (or could afford) to renovate these treasures for the past 100 years. I cannot imagine they can catch up so quickly, but the stuff that is restored is amazing. Upon closer inspection, the facades of a number of the buildings in Forbidden City are refreshed, but if you walk closer you realize the undersides of the roofs and the backs of the columns have not been restored.

I am also happy to report that there is plenty of outdoor seating – albeit most of it in straight repeating rows – but some of it in the night markets and along the riverfront are even set up for alfresco dining (and ostensibly drinking since they server beer with food here). Unfortunately it’s below freezing and windy.

Like yesterday we had killer food today. The same way pastries and café are lost in the French/American translation; Chinese food and Peking Duck are woefully bastardized in the States. Steve and I were worried about our ability to eat Chinese food for 3 weeks, but if it stays this good we’ll be happy.

We also went to Peking Opera tonight in this very old historic theater. I love the Monkey King and the boys would recognize the music from Big Bird Goes to China. To my sensibilities the music is cacophonous and the costumes garish, but seeing it all together was very cool.

I originally was going to include some of my favorite pictures from the day – but looking at the ones I chose a second time I realized I like most of them because they capture “spaces” that had a visceral effect on me. However since Steve is not a professional photographer the pictures themselves don’t exude the same feeling I felt – they mostly just look like really odd pictures. Therefore I’ll stick to a few basics.




We go to the Great Wall tomorrow (which means 90 minutes in the mystery machine!)…and we’ll be one day closer to getting our baby, which is all we really want to do right now….