My Last Week in Beijing, in a Nutshell

**This post was written in July but I forgot to post it. Apparently blog maintenance takes more time and effort than I anticipated - my bad**

Wow, I can't believe it's already that time to say goodbye to Beijing and all it has to offer. Living abroad is very different than being a tourist abroad. As my last few days in Beijing creeped up on me; I realized I didn't do all those wonderful touristy things one should. Sure, I went to the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and Temple of Heaven during my time here but I've been slacking. So, Jules and I put our heads together and planned out a week of tourism in Beijing. This post is a recap of my last week in Beijing.

National Museum

Our original plan was to go to the Eunuch Museum, but due to the rain we were forced to choose a more suitable venue. The Eunuch museum has outdoor displays and statues, and we didn't want our experience to be ruined by the rain. So, we decided to eat at Capital M (delicious) and then make our way to the Nation Museum of China. Upside: this museum is free. Downside: Chinese history/culture is very rich and it was a little overwhelming trying to take it all in. At one point, we realized we were wandering around aimlessly staring at pots, vases, scrolls, etc. It was at this point that we decided to make our exit. I was satisfied with the visit, and now I can tick it off the list. 

Hua Shan and Xi'an

Finally, I got out of Beijing to do some hiking. I met an awesome girl at Ultimate who was looking to hike Hua Shan (Mount Hua) as well. Hua Shan is one of five sacred Taoist mountains in China. Before leaving Canada, I had it in my mind that I would do a lot of hiking. Regrettably, that hasn't been the case, but I can't complain because I've been on some serious adventures since I've been here.

We left Beijing Tuesday evening on the overnight train and arrived in Xi'an at around 830am on Wednesday. From Xi'an, we hopped on a bus to take us to Hua Shan, which is a two hour commute. We began our ascent for the North peak at around noon and made it there in just under three hours. This was much faster than we had anticipated. There is a section of the trail called Golden Lock Pass. It is a literal name, as the path is surrounded by iron chains that are covered in golden locks and red ribbons. You can get your name, and anyone else's name, engraved on the lock and then attach it to the chains. Once it is locked, it allows for family and friends to pray for your health and safety. 

Inner Mongolia (你妈妈爸爸忙马?)

Question: Was 42 hours on a train, to and from Inner Mongolia, worth my time? 

Answer: Without a doubt! 

Last week, eight of us packed out bags and set out for a desert adventure in Inner Mongolia. We opted out of seeing the grasslands and hopped on a 21 hour train to Western Inner Mongolia. Flying would have been ideal but not easy on the wallet. 

This was my first overnight train ride experience in China, and I survived, with few scars. Sleeping accommodations were fine. Like everywhere in China, there were a lot of people in a small space. There were six beds in one sleeper. We were all assigned to the top bed in different sleepers, which meant we didn't have a space where we could all fit. Thankfully, some very nice Chinese teachers allowed us to share their bottom bunk. They were playing card games the entire ride, and when the invitation to play with them was extended, I joined. If you're wondering what I learned, here it is: my Chinese is terrible; my Chinglish is also terrible; always have a fluent bilingual friend to explain card rules; I can now play euchre.

Update - 2 months

Hi All,

Can you believe it, it's been two months since I left Canada for Beijing. I can't get over how fast time is passing me by. On one hand, it is great because that means I'm much closer to seeing Alex again (can't come soon enough). On the other hand, I've been here for two months and my Chinese is still terrible. But, I am definitely learning a lot and seeing amazing things.

I will start off by evaluating my goals from last month:

Great Wall Class Trip

On Wednesday, all A-level classes took a trip to the Great Wall. I was very excited to go because it was a gorgeous day to be outdoors. My classmates like to poke fun at my love for the outdoors (apparently this is very Canadian of me). My favorite line of the day: "Oh look, the Canadian is in her natural habitat.

Once we arrived we were told to meet in the parking lot at 12:40, which gave us about just under three hours to wander around. Most of the students from my class were able to attend, plus one extra :)

We thought that all fees were included in our tuition fees, but little did we know that this only included transportation. We walked through the souvenir filled streets and eventually made our way to the gondola lift. Surprise, it's 60 kuai for a 30 second ride! I wanted to climb to the top anyways, so this was a great excuse for others to join me.

Qing Ming Holiday: Shenzhen, Hong Kong & Hainan

The Qing Ming festival, or Tomb-sweeping Day as it is commonly referred to as, is a holiday where you honor and remember ancestors by visiting their grave sites. The holiday is also a seasonal symbol that welcomes new life to country after the winter season. It encourages people to go outside and enjoy being in 'nature'. This year, the festival fell on April 4th, which meant that I didn't have classes April 2-4. Unfortunately, to make up for those days, the weekend was a working weekend; no days off for anyone, not even students. Ahh, only in China. 

Because I value my weekends, I decided to take the Saturday afternoon, Sunday, and the following Thursday and Friday off from my classes. My personal vacation dates were March 31st -April 8th :) I left beijing in the late afternoon, after an hour delay, and landed in Shenzhen that Saturday night. The hotel was amazing, but not as incredible as seeing Emma Russell!! 

Silver Mountain: CHECK; Pagodas: FAIL!

Today's adventure took us to Silver Mountain & The Pagoda Forest, which is roughly 50km North of Beijing's city center. The Pagoda forest is situated on a mountain and consists of peaks, cliffs and boulders. During the winter season, the mountain is covered in a silver-like snow, hence the name.

Let me start off first by saying that we couldn't have chosen a better day for hiking - it was absolutely gorgeous. Myself and five others hired a driver to take us north of Changping District to this beautiful location. Earlier this month was an international Strawberry Symposium in Beijing. On the drive to the mountain, it felt like we were driving through the World of Strawberry Shortcake. Another interesting observation: Beijing has a residential area called 'Vancouver Forest'. This real estate area is designed to  mimic the natural landscape of Vancouver. I must say, I did feel a touch of Canada while driving by and I had a moment of 'I wish I were back in Canada'.

Update - 1 month

Hi All,

I've been in Beijing for a solid month now and I thought I would update anyone who is interested in following along. I think monthly reflections on my time in China will give you an update and allow me to track my progression.

I am going onto week 4 of classes and I feel like I have learned a lot and nothing at all - how is this possible? I've learned that there is an enormous learning curve when it comes to this language. Everyday I am learning new vocabulary, which is great, but at the same time a bit overwhelming. I will be the first to admit that I haven't been the most studious since I have arrived. This realization that I won't just 'pick up' Chinese just hit me last week. So, in an actual attempt to learn Chinese, I will have to put forth more effort. No more falling asleep while studying and drooling on my pages. So, goal number one: study hanzi (characters) for 2 hours a day outside of class. I think Mary McKenna would be proud of my SMART goal. It is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. *Nerd alert for remembering this acronym!* After a plethora of classes on 'wellness' one would think that my goal setting skills would be well developed. Apparently I need to make it a goal to set more short-term goals.

Ming Village

A couple weekends ago, myself and six other friends ventured 90km outside of Beijing to the Cuandixia Ming Village. This village is has been virtually unchanged since it was built. During the Ming and Qing Dynasty, the village was built by a single extended family and consists of more than 70 courtyards.

It is truly an ancient mountain village. The roads are built from funky stone and wind throughout. There are approximately 500 rooms in the village and it is known for its local honey.

As we wandered about, we stumbled upon a 'honey for sale' sign. This kind old man gave us a sample of his honey -delicious! We bought 4 containers, I think, of this sweet treat. He said that if the season is good, he can gather enough honey to fill the barrel in two weeks. This is incredible as the season is only 40 days long. I wonder what they do with the rest of their time...

After spending a few hours here, 8 of us piled back into the 7 seater van. On our way back to the city we were stopped at some sort of check point. The driver said that if the van wasn't full of foreigners, resident permits, registration, etc., would have been required. Being an expat in China definitely does have its perks in circumstances like this.

 The 2 hour drive back to Beijing was pretty uneventful. I have a hard time sleeping in vehicles, planes, etc. so I stayed awake while the others slept, with exception of one.

Hiring a driver was definitely the best way to travel. In comparison to tours, we paid one third of the price. I recommend making sure that you have someone who can speak Chinese though. Thank goodness for Richard!

The Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven was heart of imperial ceremony and symbolism for five centuries. It was completed in 1420 during the reign of Emperor Yongle. The temple was conceived as the meeting point between Earth and Heaven.

Round temples and altars stand on square bases. The reason for this is because Heaven was considered round and Earth square, thus 'Temple of Heaven'. The whole park is a semi-circle sitting beside a square.


Following the main path will lead you to The Round Altar, which consists of three marble tiers that represent Man, Earth and (at the summit) Heaven. The Throne of Heaven used to sit at the center of the top terrace, which was considered to be the middle of the Middle Kingdom.

Standing on the top terrace of the Round Altar

I entered the park at the North Gate and made my way through this large park. There were people dancing, running, walking, practicing kung fu and t'ai chi all over. The park is beautiful and tranquil with endless rows of trees and paths to wander on. I am told that the best time to visit the Temple of Heaven is early in the morning where you can witness people

The Summer Palace

I have been in Beijing for two weeks now and I haven't visited the tourist spots yet. I know I have several months to see everything here, but I am hoping to avoid the massive crowds by seeing the sights during the low season. The Summer Palace is only two subway transfers from the nearest station so I thought that would be a great place to start.

I will give you a little background information on the Summer Palace, also known as Yiheyuan. Empress Dowager Cixi (Emperor Xianfeng's concubine) ruled China in place of her son after Emperor Xianfeng died in 1861. Yiheyuan was considered Cixi's pleasure ground. She rebuilt palaces after they were destroyed by foreign troops. When her son died, she installed her nephew as Emperor and imprisoned him to retain her authority.

No happy endings at this massage

After that day of hiking, I thought it would be a great idea to get a nice foot massage. I was jokingly advised to exercising caution when choosing the right massage parlor because I might get more than I bargained for. We chose the first massage parlor that we saw and requested a foot massage. Once in, we were escorted to a private room where we spent the next hour and half. The massage started out with a lovely foot soak followed by a shoulder/back massage. I wasn't anticipating to have my shoulders and back tended to, so this was a nice surprise.

The foot massage was just what I needed. I was frightened though when I saw flames at the foot of my chair. I didn't realize that I was going to experience traditional Chinese cupping. It was an odd sensation and I was surprised that my feet didn't catch on fire! I was told that cupping is meant to increase blood circulation. I am not sure if I reaped the benefits of this technique, but it certainly didn't harm me. To finish off the massage, the therapist pulled out hammer-like tools and started pounding away at my legs. I think this part would have been more enjoyable if my calves weren't so sore from the hike.

Switchback Great Wall Hike

Last week I booked a hiking trip to a part of the Great Wall through Beijing Hikers (http://www.beijinghikers.com/). I am finally starting to feel a bit better which was great news to me because I didn't want to cancel the hike. We departed at 8:00am and traveled 2 hours North-West of Beijing to a section of the Great Wall called Switchback. This section was constructed near the end of the Ming Dynasty.

Our guides were knowledgable and fun. One of them wore a t-shirt for the entire hike, which is ridiculous because it was cold and snowing. He said he has been taking cold showers for 18 years and rarely gets cold! I managed to lose my Buff on the commute to the pick-up point. This doesn't surprise me because I have a tendency to misplace/lose a lot of things. This seniors moment was unfortunate because I didn't take an extra hat with me. Thankfully my hood provided me with enough protection. Maybe I should consider taking cold showers from now on so I don't end up in these predicaments..

Is that fog? Nope, it's SMOG!

I felt that it was necessary to dedicate an entire post to my inability to adjust to the air quality. I knew that the level of pollution was significantly higher here than anywhere else in the world, but I didn't realize I would adjust so poorly. I suppose that is what some would call naive, but I like to call it wishful thinking. Whatever you want to call it, I am not benefiting from my optimism.

I don't get sick very often. I have been in Beijing for 11 days and I have been sick for nearly half of those days. I contribute it to the nasty particles polluting my lungs. In an attempt to fight this chest cold, I have resorted to Chinese medicine and some good o'le Vitamin C.

In hopes of ridding myself of this cold I am trying some Chinese medicine.

Life as a student at BLCU

Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU)

For those of you who don't know, I am studying Mandarin at BLCU in Beijing for one semester (20 week program). My studies started late February and run until early July. I am a very beginner class and with students from 15 other countries. In a class of 20, you become very familiar with your fellow classmates whether you like it or not. There doesn't appear to be any rhyme or reason as to why others are studying Chinese. Some are in the same situation as me; they have graduated from post-secondary studies and are in between phases of their lives. Others are learning Chinese because they are interested in studying or working in China down the road, and some of my classmates thought it would be a great adventure to spend 6 months abroad. Whatever their reason for being here, I am glad others are joining me on this quest for learning the 'hardest' language in the world. 

Let's try Chinese food (?)!

If you know me then you know that I enjoy cooking, baking and experimenting in the kitchen. Because it is so cheap to eat out, I haven't been cooking. To be honest, I don't think I will do much cooking for myself while I am here but I do hope to learn how to prepare an authentic Chinese dish at some point.

Since I am not able to experiment in the kitchen, I have decided to try everything that is put in front of me - yikes! This could end very badly but so far, I have had more success than failure. I've managed to try massive dumplings, deep fried everything, duck legs, pigeon, and many other dishes that I can't identify. I have learned that it is better to not ask and just enjoy. I tried duck feet for the first time last week. The texture was not overly pleasant. When cooked, the webbing becomes slimy and chewy, and the cartilage is tough. In addition to the unpleasant texture, the feet were tossed with wasabi. I wasn't particularly fond of this dish but on the bright side, it did open up my nasal passage. 

While browsing around the supermarket, I stumbled upon packaged chicken feet. I figure that while in China I should do as the Chinese do, so I bought them. I also bought dragon fruit and what appears to be some sort of Asian candy.

Domestic Duties

I never thought that I would blog about doing laundry, but I wanted to give you an idea of my daily living experiences here in China. I am fortunate to have a washing machine in my apartment, but unfortunately, I have no clue how to operate it.

 I brought minimal clothing with me in hopes of doing a little shopping. After a week, I was in desperate need to doing some laundry.

It doesn't look too scary... from afar.

After I realized there was no English translation, I resorted to using my phone to translate the characters. Sadly, I can't draw to save my life and the only character I could draw accurately enough to find a meaning for was 'small', which I concluded meant the size of the load.

Ni Hao from Beijing!

Arriving & Settling In

I MADE IT! After 24 hours of travel, I landed in Beijing! I had 2 hours of delays and no lost luggage, which is pretty amazing. I think I handled my jet leg reasonably well. At first I was getting up at ridiculous hours (5am) but I am now on a schedule and I am settling into a routine. 

My accommodations were arranged before leaving Canada, so that alleviated a lot of stress. I landed, dropped my things off at my apartment, ate some delicious huǒ guō (hot pot) and slept for 10 hours! 

I have a pretty good setup. I am a 15 minute walk from the university, which is super handy. Some of my classmates travel 2 hours to get to class (we start at 8am).