Just when the monotony of my job abroad started to wear on me we had a nice long week off. I was faced with a bit of a decision, there are so many places in Asia that I would love to go to but I had to narrow it down to just two. I decided to take the first half of the week exploring and discovering Beijing with my friends Dan and Josh. Spending a few days in China really put Korea into perspective.
Portions of the trip were what I expected. The food was incredible. Loved every single meal. We had famous dishes like Beijing Duck, and sometimes just randomly picked side street restaurants. The tourist attractions were breathtaking. The temples were overpowering and the artistry was overwhelming. Everything you would have imagined. Unfortunately it wasn’t all peas and gravy.
Some of the words that comes to mind when you talk about the Forbidden City or Tiananmen Square or the Great Wall are majesty…sacred…hallowed…revered. So imagine my surprise when we were MOBBED by dozens of vendors ever 6 yards trying to sell us the same crap. I mean we’re literally 10 feet away from the spot where Tank Man had his famous showdown on Chang'an Avenue and I’ve got some guy pushing t-shirts in my face. Really takes away from the feel.
We certainly made the best of the trip though, looking through the “slightly off limits city” (there was nothing forbidden about it) walking the Great Wall and seeing the Olympic village. We made it a habit of jumping into as many group pictures as we could and hopefully we’ll end up on the desks and walls of all those people’s homes and a part of their memories. It certainly wasn’t a traditional Christmas, but for one year I think it was an interesting change of pace.
Looks and sounds like you had an interesting break. But as always time off has to come to an end. You'll have the memories though for the rest of your life. I pray that the new year brings alot more great adventures for you.
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