Beijing

On Monday I flew over the North Pole from Chicago to Beijing. When I arrived at Beijing, a friend of a friend met me at the airport. She is a young Chinese girl whose English name is Amy. She studied in Australia for a few years and now lives in Beijing. Amy drove me from the airport to the hotel so I could check in, and then we went to a restaurant for Peking duck, the specialty of Beijing.

The duck did not still have its head on. I was slightly disappointed and slightly relieved.

After dinner, which was very good by the way, Amy drove me all around Beijing. I saw Tiananmen Square, government buildings, and construction in preparation for the Olympics this summer.

The rumors I heard about Beijing before I came all seem to be true: it is crowded, noisy, there are lots lights and signs, people on bicycles, and the drivers are crazy. No one follows any rules of traffic. U-turns, driving on the wrong side of the road, and stopping traffic to turn around are all common. Also, pedestrians often walk within inches of quickly moving traffic.

The people in Beijing are very hospitable. Many of them speak some English, so if I had a question at the airport or hotel, someone was able to help me. Strangers who wanted to improve their English would start a conversation with me as well.

I spent less than a day in Beijing, which is not enough time to take even part of the city, but it was a good first two days in China!