Inner Mongolia.

September 12-14, 2008.

This was a once in a lifetime trip into the unknown. This trip reminded me of the China that I visited as a child 16 years ago. It is the simple life where everyone is content with what they have and have no concerns for material things and luxuries of our world. They are happy with the life and role they are born into and make the most of it. I was forced to use whatever Mandarin I had learned and it assured me that I had made some progress. There was no running water or plumbing, and I didn’t shower for three days. Yet, I felt better than I had in a while. The locals were friendly and very hospitable, and I left with a humbling that will always stay with me.

After a rough ride in a “Minibus” over bumps and along mountainsides holding onto our lives, we made it! We made a 6 hour drive in just four and a half with our driver, Mr. Ye blasting his techno disco music the entire way. Mr. Ye was great. As soon as we crossed into Inner Mongolia, he cracked a beer and said “no police here.” He saw nothing wrong with drinking and driving except that in Beijing he had that chance to get caught! His favorite phrase was “Minibus, good!” He was a great driver and had an infectious laugh. Here’s to you Mr. Ye and your Minibus.

Olympics.

August 2008
The Olympics have come and gone. It’s been a fired  up seven years while China has been preparing for these games. Overall, I think it was a great success for China! Here are some firsthand snapshots.

Xi’An.

August 9, 2008. Xi’An. I went to Xi’An with uncle Saturday to see the terra cotta warriors. It was a great site to see and incredible to see what was created in 210 b.c. The Chinese were using methods that were way advanced for their time and that cannot be duplicated to this day.

Great Wall.

July 13, 2008. Great Wall of China. This trip was one of, if not, the best trip I have taken. I went to the Simatai section of the Great Wall with Tom, Christian, Will, Halliday, BD and Jess. On the ride there, we had some good laughs and we planned out the route up the Great Wall.

We got to the Great Wall, but before we could begin our journey, we had to be fully equipped…

With hats…

Hats on head, we began our jorurney up the Wall.

The boys took every opportunity to play lacrosse on and against the wall.

And to teach the locals about the game…

We finally made it to the top! And had to leave our 1 Lacrosse mark…

Then it was time to head down, but since we were tired, we decided to take the zipline!

We finally made it to the restaurant! But before we ate, we played some games with the waitress.

As soon as the food came, it was gone. After 5 hours of hiking in the 90 degree heat it was one of the best meals I have ever had!

We were really happy after making it up and down the Great Wall and eating a wonderful meal! Can you tell?

Overall, a great trip to the Great Wall!

A Special Day.

May 24, 2008. Lama Temple. Tiananmen Square. I visited the Lama Temple and Tiananmen Square. I lit and burnt some incense and prayed for the victims of the Sichuan Province earthquake.

I don’t think I need to say much about Tiananmen, but for those less informed – here is the Wikipedia blurb. A day after the death of Hu Yaobang, supporters of liberalization started small scale protests. The movement lasted seven weeks. In Beijing, the resulting military response to the protesters by the PRC government left many civilians dead or injured. The reported tolls ranged from 200–300 (PRC government figures) and to 2,000–3,000 (Chinese student associations and Chinese Red Cross). Following the violence, the government conducted widespread arrests to suppress protesters and their supporters, cracked down on other protests around China, banned the foreign press from the country and strictly controlled coverage of the events in the PRC press.

This day meant a lot to me.

Yuan Ming Yuan.

May 18, 2006. Yuan Ming Yuan (Old Summer Palace.) It seemed as though the only way to clear my mind while I was in Beijing was to get out of the city. I guess that’s not hard to believe in a city with somewhere around 17 million people.

Trips.

A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving. ~Lao Tzu

Some trips and adventures I took.

April 4, 2008. Liu Du. I took a 2 and a half hour bus ride Southwest of Beijing to go on a bit of a hike. It was great to get away and get some fresh air and a little bit quiet. I went with some coworkers from 1L – Rose, Teresa and Brian. If you ever need to clear your mind, try sitting on top of a mountain.