Archive for January, 2009
Saturday, January 31st, 2009
Spring [for earplugs and elastic waistbands] Festival
Spring Festival, also know as Chinese New Year, is the biggest holiday in Chinese culture. I can now safely say that nothing can prepare you for the living hyperbole that is Spring Festival in Beijing.
The festivities began around January 18, when I started hearing the odd firecracker in my neighborhood. Within a few days, I [...]
2 Comments » - Posted in Beijing, Culture!, n00b by Caitlin
Friday, January 30th, 2009
The Great Terminus
A few days ago, Kieran and I took a trip to the end of the Great Wall, a town called Shanhaiguan. Although the wall seems endless when you’re climbing thousands of steps up to a high peak, or gazing out at the long, snaking trail of it out to the horizon, it does indeed have [...]
1 Comment » - Posted in Tourist Noobs by Caitlin
Sunday, January 25th, 2009
Lack of…
Last night we ended up eating at a Belgian restaurant with some friends from Caitlin’s program. It was expensive by Beijing standards but normal for ours. I had rabbit in mustard sauce with stewed red cabbage and potato croquettes. Two things surprised me. The first was how full I felt after finishing. Eating a large [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Beijing, Culture!, Food by Kieran
Tuesday, January 20th, 2009
Kieran’s First Impressions
I’m visiting Caitlin in Beijing. It took 23 hours, door to door, in 9 separate vehicles. There were three trains each in New Jersey and China, two airplanes, and one people mover at Dulles International Airport. Luckily for me I don’t mind traveling.
China is a place of contradiction. After 12 hours in Beijing, most of [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Beijing, Culture!, Tourist Noobs, n00b by Kieran
Saturday, January 17th, 2009
There and Back Again
I left for San Francisco on December 20, and just got back to Beijing after what felt like a very short break. Although there was lots to write about while I was away, I wasn’t too motivated to do so, so I’ll just summarize some of my thoughts now that I’m back.
I flew in to [...]
