Well, I guess I’ve confirmed that I’m not good at blogging, annotating, or writing about my travels.  That’s okay and I accept this.  So, I hope my photos will at least tell some of the story.

I was a bit surprised when my handsome MacBook offered me a choice of three wireless networks to choose from.  I don’t know why I was surprised. I have wireless at the school and if I’m really lucky, I can get internet at home. I guess I wanted to get off of the internet, have a coffee (and maybe some cheesecake) and do my reading.  Too bad for me.

Seriously, it’s amazing. I knew little more about Chinese history than the couple of overviews I had read in different guides. It seemed like everything was muddled in the ever-changing emperors and dynasties, but taking a tour of the Forbidden City laid a basis for beginning to grasp the complex and varied events of Chinese history.

(I apologize in advance that that photos at the end of this clip are of a bluish tint.)

Sorry.  Although I was never destined for bloggerary fame (feness?), I should be posting more.  I’ll try harder in the future.

So, below is a clip of pictures I quickly threw together of the 隆兴寺 (Long Xing Buddhist Temple) my host family took me to visit a couple of weeks ago.  It’s amazing to think that the creation, or continual renovation began around 586.  You’ll notice in the middle of a clip a couple of ‘dusty’ pictures of a bronze statue.  This is the 22-meter high Kwan-Yin statue that has over 40 arms and is one of the largest bronze statues in China.

First meal in China.

Shijiazhuang at night, from inside the train station.

The Egg: The National Center for Performing Arts, Beijing

Another view of The Egg.

The Islamic Shahadah on a door in an old section of Beijing.

Mao. (Tian’anmen)