Day 4 - the natives

So the fourth day of the Beijing adventure took me out to the confucious college across the street from the Lama temple. I thought about going to the lama temple but it was said to be so full of tourist and the college across the street was not. well both are important confusious sites i might as well be able to enjoy my visit and not worry about tourist right? I am very glad i did. By this time i had gotten very used to the bicycles and a quick cycle down the road i was outside the confusious college. it basically was a university to study the ways of confusisism. china apparantnly plans to open a bunch of them around the world. Neat idea. well of course my day got more interesting than that! while there and taking photos a cute chinese girl came over and asked to take a photo with me. then her friend joined as well. See cowboy hats, EVEN the ones made from straw, are irresistable. it turned out the lot of them, Cindy, David, Leo, and Anna were all olympic workers just visiting Beijing. they asked if i wanted to join them and tour the city! OF COURSE I WENT! WOO!

i have to say that bunch was great fun. we walked around the temple complex. took pictures. just fun kid stuff eh? oh my it was so much fun. they were such a silly lot. After playing around in the college we headed back out into the city. but there was a small problem. i still had the bicycle. they were so nice! they said for me to return my bicycle to the hostel and then taxi back and together we would take a bus to the summer palace and walk around together. well i cycled like mad to get back to the hostel quickly. of course that nearly caused an accident. but i am ok and all was well. 15 min later i was back in the alley way and we were perusing the bus stations for a way to get to the summer palace. sadly we eneded up misinformed that it closed very early. so what should we do?

We decided to take a subway down to the forbidden city and explore that. i had already been but heavens there is plenty of forbidden city to explore! we did not make it far however. we only really made it just inside where anna was so nice and bought me a little opera mask. i apparently choose well as white symbolizes a good guy and red is a bad guy. i choose the good guy and they were very pleased i choose well.

well it was only a moment more before everyone starting grumbling for food. so we started walking south for food. they seemed to know where they were going so i just followed. the girls spoke wonderful english, david did not and leo could hold his own. so i did end up spending most of the time talking with the two ladies.

Walking downward we kept stopping at 50 cent shops where at the 50 cent shop they sold everything from electronic converters to panties. beijing shops i swear are the most random shops i have ever seen. i personally would not put the cup o noodles just below the panty shelf but that is me...

we did end up making a purchase. i bought us all squirt guns and we chased each other all down the streets squirting each other and any helpless unarmed stranger who happened to get in our way. most people laughed but we angered many. but that was ok because it was so much fun! we chased each other, and ambushed each other. we would hide behind buildings and accidentally mistake a stranger for someone and soak some poor fellow.

i tell you it did make the time fly. it seemed almost instantaneous that we arrived at the restaurant. the food was good. we ordered beer and noodles. the appitizer was a plate of peanuts in a sauce. the server brought a spoon for me but i proved them all wrong with being able to use chopsticks.

The food was good but a bit spicy. that was my fault as i wanted to prove myself a good visitor and filled my bowl with the spicy chilies. it was good.

afterward we headed down a famous shopping street where we saw so many shops. everything from jade jewelery to silly electronics were sold. merchants shouting and fancy restaurant waiters beckoned us to spend money. i was tempted sevveral times by some chess sets. china has a different chess game than the usa and i really want to learn. but a 70$ tourist set is not the way to learn. nor is a 40$ ma-jhong set. i know it can be had for cheaper and i want it so. i would rather have a local .99 cent kind the locals used than some fancy set made for tourist.

later we passed a tea shop where the group introduced me to chinese tea. it was fun, it was a full little tea ceremony. we tried several teas but to my taste buds they are all so delicate. just lightly flavored water. dont get me wrong it wasnt ad but i dont think it was the grandest of all drinks either. i like a strong tea like earl grey and the strongest they could offer was green tea.. so i will wait and try more teas. we did not buy any to the disapointment of the sales lady but it was a great day and it was a lot of fun!

afterward we walked down a famous shopping street that at night is beautiful with all the lights lit up but currently is completely empty. not a single shop. it was kind of odd. i guess it was new and buisiness had yet to move in.

by now it was getting late. so we started looking for a kareokee bar to go to. those are always great fun! but they were so expensive!! over 100 yuan each to get in. that is way to much and i couldnt beliee there was none cheaper but i guess so. so instead we went to a night street, or a department store. they ate mcdonnalds but i am sticking with my oath to not eat crap american fast food while in china. i can eat that when i go back to school at texas state.

they did end up feeding me again. they bought me some incredibly spicy noodles that made me cry so much i nearly went dry. it was good believe me but WOW did it have a kick. i was coughing and crying hah a! Then a bit of fermented tofu in another super spicy sauce.
that was the end of that night. it was a great gereat day