I started a blog about Beijing, but have been struggling to finish it for some reason. I think partly because Beijing itself did not impress me, it was hot, humid and smoggy! We never saw the sky, and it was made me a little depressed. However, seeing all the sights that Beijing had to offer was amazing, and thus I have plenty of pictures to show. So, here are some pictures of my time in Beijing. I spent the majority of my time with Beth, Toriann and Mark. We met up a few times with Will (who teaches in Beijing and who we spent time with in Shanghai).
Sights we saw: Forbidden City, Summer Palace, two duck restaurants, Tienanmen Square and the Beijing Zoo.
If I ever get the motivation to write more about Beijing I will come back and post more!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Being a Christian in Seoul
During my six months in Seoul I have been around the least amount of Christians ever in my life. This fact alone is really not that concerning or alarming to me, but I have also never felt so personally attacked because I am a Christian. I have a good amount of people in my life who I love and respect a great deal, who do not share in my beliefs, yet we both share a mutual respect for each other and it has never once got in the way of our relationships. In fact, quite a few of these people have said on numerous occasions how they admire me more for this belief. During my six months here I have met numerous people who are atheist. This does not bother or make me uncomfortable. However, the outspoken opinions and views of those who are non believers of any faith does bother me. I do not go around saying I think people who don’t believe the way I do is wrong and that they are “irrational” or “unintelligent”. However, I am called both these things. I understand people not respecting organized religion or complaining about how people use religion in a negative way to harm others or to promote their own agendas. However, I don’t do either of those things, yet, I am placed in the same bracket as those who are. Also, most people who get to know me see I am not like this and thus can respect me and my beliefs. My family and friends don’t see my time of pray or at church as a waste of time, they instead respect me and I in turn respect them.
This year so far has taught me a great deal about myself and my own personal relationship with God. I have struggled a lot in my life with maintaining a strong relationship with Christ, and it has faltered a lot over the years. I am surprised with myself that in the face of so much opposition and doubt that is surrounding me, I am actually doing really well and feel a stronger connection to God than I have in a while. Considering I just went to church for the first time since I got here, this is saying a lot for me. I have found in the past I have used and needed church to keep this connection strong, and with the lack of church in my life I thought I would be distance. This first six months has reminded me just how fortunate I am to have the amazing friends and family I have in my life, Christian or not.
This year so far has taught me a great deal about myself and my own personal relationship with God. I have struggled a lot in my life with maintaining a strong relationship with Christ, and it has faltered a lot over the years. I am surprised with myself that in the face of so much opposition and doubt that is surrounding me, I am actually doing really well and feel a stronger connection to God than I have in a while. Considering I just went to church for the first time since I got here, this is saying a lot for me. I have found in the past I have used and needed church to keep this connection strong, and with the lack of church in my life I thought I would be distance. This first six months has reminded me just how fortunate I am to have the amazing friends and family I have in my life, Christian or not.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Great Wall
The Great Wall
The Great Wall is something Toriann and I have been talking about for a few years now. We always said that one day we would make there and hike the Great Wall together. When we both decided to teach in Korea we naturally assumed this would be the time to go to the Great Wall. We began planning our trip to China a few months ago and quickly realized we might not actually get to go together to the Great Wall. I was flying to Shanghai first with my cousin and Toriann was meeting Mark in Beijing. Mark and Torainn were planning on going to a guest house near the Great Wall for two nights, and it was not the part of the Wall the tour buses traveled to. Before leaving Shanghai to go Beijing Beth, Casey and I had decided we would join a tour group and head to the Great Wall on Thursday. When we got to Beijing and begun talking to Toriann and Mark they informed us their plans had changed a bit and thought it would be a good idea for us all to head to the Great Wall together and have lunch with them at their guest house. This idea made both Toriann and I very excited, it meant we were going to experience the Great Wall together after all the years of talking about it. The driver came got us at 8 am and Casey was supposed to meet us, but due to some complications she ended up not coming and it was just the four of us. We were a little unsure exactly where we were going to be dropped off once we got to the Great Wall and how much we were actually going to want to hike of it since it was so ridiculously hot! After about a 3 1/2 hour drive we arrived at the guest house. We stepped out of the van and the first thing I saw was the Great Wall. The weather turned out not to be quiet as hot as excepted and we were excited for the hike in front of us. We all decided where our final destination should be when hiking; it was the highest watch tower we could spot from the guest house. Since we were beginning the hike from the guest house, this meant there was so no one else around. The section of the Great Wall is not usually too crowded to start off with, but it is closed right now to the public unless you are staying at the guest house. They are doing some repairs to that section of the Wall, which at first made me a little nervous, but once on the Wall I realized it was just fine. The first part of the hike was probably the worst part; It had the steepest inclines of that section of the Wall. Once we finally got past this section we were drenched in sweat from head to toe, but there was a cool breeze, so it made the hike bearable. We hiked about 2 hours to get to our final spot, stopping numerous times to take pictures and just take in what we were seeing. Once we reached our final destination, we celebrated with our Oreo cookies we bought at the hostel earlier in the morning. The hike on the Great Wall was probably one of the greatest traveling moments of my life. I feel so blessed to have been able to share that moment with Toriann and my cousin. I could not have asked for better people to hike the wall with or a better experience. Before going to China I imagined I would be on some tour with 1,000s of other people trying to cram for a spot to take a picture on the Great Wall. Instead, I was able to hike the Wall without seeing another person the entire time.
After our hike we went back to the guest house where we had the best Chinese food I have ever tasted in my life. It was the perfect way to end our perfect experience on the Great Wall. Beth and I left after lunch and returned back to Beijing. On our drive back we reflected again on how surreal the whole day was and just how fortunate we were to share this moment together.
Welcome to China!
My journey to China began with my co-worker Casey and my cousin Beth; our first destination was Shanghai. The journey to get to the airport to go to China proved to be more challenging than expected and at times I was even unsure we were going to make it to Shanghai. We had to wake up at 5am to make our 8:40 flight. Between 5 and 8 more things went wrong than I could have planned for. I realized I lost my wallet(I had my passport though), Casey overslept, the first bus to the airport was full, we waited in the wrong line at the airport, and they wanted to see my Alien Registration Card before I boarded, which was in my missing wallet. We finally made it through security a little after 8, grabbed a coffee and boarded the plane! We figured everything that could go wrong on our trip happened in the first 3 hours of our morning, so our trip was bound to be great! (My wallet was returned to me a week after I got back to Seoul, only in Korea would a Taxi driver mail you your wallet)
We arrived in Shanghai around 9:30, where Casey, Beth and I met Casey's friend Will. He is teaching in Beijing and flew over to meet us in Shanghai because he hadn’t been there yet. It was so helpful having someone who understands Chinese culture and can navigate better than we can in China. We started off our trip by taking the Maglev, a fast bullet train, with speeds of 240 miles per hour. I have to admit I actually got a little scared on this! The only other one of these in the world is in Japan, which I think I will be forced to go onto again when I am there next month. We arrived at our hostel, which was one of the best hostels I have stayed at. Part of the reason I choose the hostel was because of its name, the Koala Garden Inn. And I have to say the name proved true. It was an adorable hostel, will very friendly staff members surrounded by the art district of Shanghai.
After refreshing a bit, we headed to Renmin Park, where we found a nice restaurant that over looked the pond at the park. We sat back, enjoyed a beer, and took in the scenery. Next, we headed to Park hotel, right across the street from Renmin park. We read this hotel had some amazing views of Shanghai so we figured we would see for ourselves. The hotel was beautiful and the views were just as breathtaking as the book described. After this we headed to the Bund to see more views of the city. Our goal was to go on a boat cruise since it was sunny and clear out, but we accidentally bought tickets for a ferry instead. The ferry was crowded and all in doors, we quickly bailed and deiced it was ok to lose the 40 cents the ticket cost us. We headed back to Renmin Park, where we had seen Happy hour signs for a restaurant attached to the Art Museum. Taking taxis in China is an experience in itself. First, the drivers speak no English at all, and even when you show them on a map., written in Mandarin, they still can’t figure out where you want to go. I am very thankful for Will being there and having some experience with taxi drivers. Also, everything in China is cheap, including taxi rides. The average cost for a taxi ride was about $1.50. When we arrived at the Art Museum we had a little trouble finding the actual restaurant but once we did, we understood what all the hype was about. The restaurant was on roof top of the museum with an amazing view of the city. They weren’t really too eager to serve us the happy hour menu, but after some convincing on our parts, they finally gave in! Although extremely overpriced and snobby, the view made up for everything else.
Our second day in Shanghai was the definitely the highlight of our time in Shangahi. We started off going to the Bazaar. Here we learned the art of negotiation. It was a game to see how low we could make the shop owners go to get what we wanted. Beth and I definitely bought our share of goods that day. We learned what happens when you insult them with too low of a price and how when you walk away 9 times out of 10 they follow you and give you the price you want! After the Bazaar we went to Yuyuan Gardens and feed the fish in the ponds. We then headed to the Bund again to take the sightseeing tour. This was the most ridiculous experience ever! The book described it as such, but to actually go on it is like nothing I can even explain accurately. It is an underground gondola that transports you to one side the river to the other. You go through numerous psychedelic light rooms, some of the ones I remember are: “The Magma Room” and my favorite “Paradise and Hell.” When they said this last one everyone on the gondola stopped and became silent and then just burst out in laughter. Other highlights included blow up Santa dolls. It was a mind blowing experience, and well worth every penny! Once on the other side of the river we walked to Jin Mao tower, China’s second largest building. The plan was head to the observation deck on the 88th floor, but the line was too long and we were tired and hungry. Instead we headed to the 87th floor at the Cloud 9 bar. We enjoyed an experience drink and took in the views. I recently decided that I am skyline snob and really appreciate pretty skylines. I compare most to Seattle, but Shanghai may outrank Seattle in the most breathtaking category. At the end of the day we all agreed this was a perfect day and we couldn’t have asked for a better day together.
Day three in Shanghai, also out last day, was a bit more of a culture shock experience. We went to the Jade Buddha temple. I have never been to a Buddhist temple before, but I have been to other religious temples and thought I knew what to expect. I can usually find some sort of peace and spiritual experience at any religious building despite it not being Christian. However, at the Jade Buddha temple I had an uneasy feeling the whole time we were there. From the moment we walked in all it was a shopping experience and the workers of the temple trying to push merchandise on us. There was nothing spiritual about this place at all. Even in the various rooms where people were supposed to pray to Buddha, they were selling items and taking really loudly. I saw some people who I am assuming were Buddhist kneeling and doing their ritual practices, but even so it seemed like such a production and show. Then, to see the actual Jade Buddha we had to be extra money. I didn’t want to out of principal for how sacrilegious the whole experience was, but I chose to only to say I went there and no one should waste their money. The Jade Buddha was a sigh to see, but not worth the rest of the experience. I left feeling like I had lost something in myself by how corrupt the whole experience was. I want to go to another Buddha temple because I can’t imagine them all being this disrespectful to Buddhism.
After this experience we found a local Chinese restaurant where Will ordered us some amazing Chinese food! We enjoyed a long lunch and then headed back to the hostel before we left for our over night train to Beijing. I was sad to leave Shanghai, but excited to meet up with Toriann and Mark in Beijing!
We arrived in Shanghai around 9:30, where Casey, Beth and I met Casey's friend Will. He is teaching in Beijing and flew over to meet us in Shanghai because he hadn’t been there yet. It was so helpful having someone who understands Chinese culture and can navigate better than we can in China. We started off our trip by taking the Maglev, a fast bullet train, with speeds of 240 miles per hour. I have to admit I actually got a little scared on this! The only other one of these in the world is in Japan, which I think I will be forced to go onto again when I am there next month. We arrived at our hostel, which was one of the best hostels I have stayed at. Part of the reason I choose the hostel was because of its name, the Koala Garden Inn. And I have to say the name proved true. It was an adorable hostel, will very friendly staff members surrounded by the art district of Shanghai.
After refreshing a bit, we headed to Renmin Park, where we found a nice restaurant that over looked the pond at the park. We sat back, enjoyed a beer, and took in the scenery. Next, we headed to Park hotel, right across the street from Renmin park. We read this hotel had some amazing views of Shanghai so we figured we would see for ourselves. The hotel was beautiful and the views were just as breathtaking as the book described. After this we headed to the Bund to see more views of the city. Our goal was to go on a boat cruise since it was sunny and clear out, but we accidentally bought tickets for a ferry instead. The ferry was crowded and all in doors, we quickly bailed and deiced it was ok to lose the 40 cents the ticket cost us. We headed back to Renmin Park, where we had seen Happy hour signs for a restaurant attached to the Art Museum. Taking taxis in China is an experience in itself. First, the drivers speak no English at all, and even when you show them on a map., written in Mandarin, they still can’t figure out where you want to go. I am very thankful for Will being there and having some experience with taxi drivers. Also, everything in China is cheap, including taxi rides. The average cost for a taxi ride was about $1.50. When we arrived at the Art Museum we had a little trouble finding the actual restaurant but once we did, we understood what all the hype was about. The restaurant was on roof top of the museum with an amazing view of the city. They weren’t really too eager to serve us the happy hour menu, but after some convincing on our parts, they finally gave in! Although extremely overpriced and snobby, the view made up for everything else.
Our second day in Shanghai was the definitely the highlight of our time in Shangahi. We started off going to the Bazaar. Here we learned the art of negotiation. It was a game to see how low we could make the shop owners go to get what we wanted. Beth and I definitely bought our share of goods that day. We learned what happens when you insult them with too low of a price and how when you walk away 9 times out of 10 they follow you and give you the price you want! After the Bazaar we went to Yuyuan Gardens and feed the fish in the ponds. We then headed to the Bund again to take the sightseeing tour. This was the most ridiculous experience ever! The book described it as such, but to actually go on it is like nothing I can even explain accurately. It is an underground gondola that transports you to one side the river to the other. You go through numerous psychedelic light rooms, some of the ones I remember are: “The Magma Room” and my favorite “Paradise and Hell.” When they said this last one everyone on the gondola stopped and became silent and then just burst out in laughter. Other highlights included blow up Santa dolls. It was a mind blowing experience, and well worth every penny! Once on the other side of the river we walked to Jin Mao tower, China’s second largest building. The plan was head to the observation deck on the 88th floor, but the line was too long and we were tired and hungry. Instead we headed to the 87th floor at the Cloud 9 bar. We enjoyed an experience drink and took in the views. I recently decided that I am skyline snob and really appreciate pretty skylines. I compare most to Seattle, but Shanghai may outrank Seattle in the most breathtaking category. At the end of the day we all agreed this was a perfect day and we couldn’t have asked for a better day together.
Day three in Shanghai, also out last day, was a bit more of a culture shock experience. We went to the Jade Buddha temple. I have never been to a Buddhist temple before, but I have been to other religious temples and thought I knew what to expect. I can usually find some sort of peace and spiritual experience at any religious building despite it not being Christian. However, at the Jade Buddha temple I had an uneasy feeling the whole time we were there. From the moment we walked in all it was a shopping experience and the workers of the temple trying to push merchandise on us. There was nothing spiritual about this place at all. Even in the various rooms where people were supposed to pray to Buddha, they were selling items and taking really loudly. I saw some people who I am assuming were Buddhist kneeling and doing their ritual practices, but even so it seemed like such a production and show. Then, to see the actual Jade Buddha we had to be extra money. I didn’t want to out of principal for how sacrilegious the whole experience was, but I chose to only to say I went there and no one should waste their money. The Jade Buddha was a sigh to see, but not worth the rest of the experience. I left feeling like I had lost something in myself by how corrupt the whole experience was. I want to go to another Buddha temple because I can’t imagine them all being this disrespectful to Buddhism.
After this experience we found a local Chinese restaurant where Will ordered us some amazing Chinese food! We enjoyed a long lunch and then headed back to the hostel before we left for our over night train to Beijing. I was sad to leave Shanghai, but excited to meet up with Toriann and Mark in Beijing!
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