Stunning Beijing

This past week I spent five days in Beijing, China. When I stood in the airport, which is the largest building in the world, I was in awe of the open space and grandeur. After throwing my trusty backpack over my shoulder, my colleagues and I took a cab to our hotel. As I walked out of the airport, my skin began to crack from the dryness and change in climate from which I had previously departed. Beijing is quite a contrast to Ho Chi Minh City in so many ways. Beijing is larger than life, and I was lucky to have tour guides, historians, and self-declared foodies to show me their city.

Joanne Li is a good friend of mine and teaches Mandarin at Saigon South International School. She’s funny (even in English), smart, and has a keen eye for good shoes, food, handbags, and on and on. Great people often have great friends, and Joanne’s friends, Mikki and Charles, were gracious enough to show me the sights and take me out to their favorite restaurants. On the first night, we walked around the Forbidden City, stood in the awesome magnificence of Tiananmen square, ate sweet and sour fish at a Chinese restaurant with an open roof, and then chatted the night away in a Tibetan bar where I had my first Tibetan beer and some ginger tea. Mikki and Charles dropped me off at around one in the morning, and I had to get up for my conference the next day, which was the primary reason I was in Beijing.

The conference was a standard IB conference where the conference leader reviews the structure and assessments in the course; however, the school where the conference was held was anything but standard. WAB, Western Academy of Beijing, is more like a spa, or a beautiful little town than a school. There are four or five buildings on the campus and a river runs through the center. Ornate bridges connect the buildings, and life-size art is displayed on the walls and grounds of the school. The high school has a pond with fish, coffee shop, gorgeous furniture, and displays of student art for all to enjoy. WAB is magnificent, and I’m sure, not hurting for cash.

Mikki and Charles picked me up again on Sunday night, this time with a stadium jacket to keep me warm. Flurries of snow fell from the sky as we walked up the “mountain” to look over the city. I loved the park where we began our ascent because there were retirees about every twenty feet or so, singing into a karaoke machine at the top of their lungs. There were so many songs and so much joy at the base of the "mountain". When we reached the top (picture of the stairs below)  I could see into the Forbidden City, and I would have stayed longer, but I was so, so cold with red fingers and a red nose that we rushed off to fill ourselves with Dim Sum.

I guess Dim Sum is more of a Cantonese dish, and I’ve had amazing Dim Sum in Hong Kong, but Mikki and Charles humored me and took me to a place where live seafood swished around in tanks, decorating the walls. While waiting, we ate sunflower seeds and threw them on the floor, so I guess the sunflower seeds were a decoration of sorts. No need for carpet! The Dim Sum was exquisite, but the cow stomach lining was a dish of acquired taste. I had to chew the stomach lining and not think about what exactly I was putting into my mouth. Yummy! We finished our meal, shopped a bit (I bought a tea cup and a bear hat), and caught a cab back to the hotel. The taxi driver spoke to Charles and wanted to know if I spoke Mandarin so he could talk to me about the blizzards in the states. Unfortunately, my Mandarin consists of hello, thank you, and I love you, so I smiled at the taxi driver and shook my head instead.

I was sad to say goodbye to Mikki and Charles, and hope to see them again soon. Thank you so much, Joanne for introducing me to two lovely people.

I am now back in Ho Chi Minh City, but Beijing lodged a place in my heart, so I’m sure I will return next year. Until then.