A New Year and Beijing

Coming back after my week in the U.S. was the biggest tease. I got to see so many faces I missed but under such terrible circumstances. That first week back was especially hard. I honestly was pretty down and everything about China just pissed me off: its inefficiency, the language barrier, the annoying stares and shouting on the street. While I missed some of my students, I hated my job more than ever. Don’t even get me started on how my sleeping was thrown out of wack (again).

 

Yeah, it was the pits but I had my *single day* off for Christmas and New Years to look forward to. I eventually got my job to play around with the schedule for me to get a chunk of time off to travel. My friend tried convincing me to travel to Beijing and after vacillating over the decision, mostly because my mood was so down, I eventually agreed to go. I booked my plane tickets and I am so glad I did! I got to hike a bit up and down the Great Wall, saw Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, and even had time to visit the oldest mosque in Beijing. It was much colder and less green than Southern China, but definitely an amazing experience.

Here are some pictures I took of the Great Wall:

Walking along some parts of the Great Wall is actually quite scary and dangerous and tiring. Especially when your wearing backpack! But who's complaining now? The wall was a once in a lifetime experience.

 And Tiananmen Square:

The Forbidden City:

 One of three 9-dragon wall murals within China still standing.

So many old trees!

Finally, The Beijing Ox Street Mosque, or Niujie Mosque, in the center of the Muslim Quarter. It was first built in 996 but has been renovated and rebuilt several times.

The Moon Tower from which the Imam determines the beginning of Ramadan.

Of course, I'm back in Shunde now. Dealing with the ins and outs of teaching and counting down the days until the end of the semester this Friday. One semester is practically down. Another one to go!                -XOXOX