A Good Lunch

There was more of a selection of things that I was able to eat than things that I couldn't so, for one of the first times since we arrived here in China, I felt satisfied and full after a meal. I'mEn savoir plus
After Lunch

As we were leaving the restaurant some of the people from our group wanted to shop at the stalls set up outside the restaurant but Lisa, our tour guide, kept telling them that there was no time andEn savoir plus
On the Road

We're back on the bus and on the way to our next destination. The traffic seems to be gone and we're making good time. I'm ready to see more of Beijing! Some people in the tour group are grumblingEn savoir plus
Olympic Village

Our next stop was the site of the old Olympic Village when China hosted the games back in 2008. I think it's nice when the host cities leave up the monuments and stadiums connected with the games. NotEn savoir plus
Yingying

Statues of the Chinese Olympic mascots are standing around the Olympic Village grounds. This is Yingying, the Tibetan antelope, who represents earth. He is yellowish orange and he wishes everyone goodEn savoir plus
Kathy and Nini

Nini, the swallow, represents the sky. She is green and her wish for everyone is good luck. Her design is inspired by those on Chinese kites. Swallow is pronounced “Yan” in Chinese, and an ancientEn savoir plus
Pals

Here's a shot of me posing with Nini. Since this is a full body shot, it really shows the scale of these figures. They are pretty big. I'm surprised that none of the other people from are tour groupEn savoir plus
Jingjing

Jingjing the panda represents the forest. He is black and white, of course, and his wish for everyone is happiness. Porcelain paintings from the Song dynasty (960-1279 AD) were the inspiration for theEn savoir plus
Beibei

Beibei the fish is a reference to the element of water. She is blue and her wish for everyone is prosperity. The waves on her head are based on a design in traditional Chinese painting.
Where is Everybody?

I don’t know where the rest of our tour group went but Kathy and I seem to be all alone here. I’m not worried though. We’re close to where the tour bus is parked so everyone will have to walkEn savoir plus
The Birds Nest

We’re thinking that the rest of our group went to get a closer look at the Beijing National Stadium. This stadium, also known as the Birds Nest, was where most of the 2008 Olympic Games were played.En savoir plus
Hello from the Birds Nest!

The opening and closing ceremonies for the 2022 Winter Olympics are scheduled to be held in the Beijing National Stadium. After the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, Beijing National Stadium will witness theEn savoir plus
Beijing National Stadium

Beijing National Stadium has now become the most important public space in China holding various sports events and recreational activities, and it also functions as a tourist attraction.
More than 60En savoir plus
Pangu Plaza

Lisa, our tour guide, pointed this building out to us and she seemed very proud of it. Pangu Plaza, also known as the Dragon Building, was built around the time of the 2008 Olympic Games and sitsEn savoir plus
Bye, Birds Nest!

It’s time for us to start heading a bit closer to where the tour bus was parked. We weren’t given much time to see the Olympic Village and it’s nearly over. I’m surprised that we stillEn savoir plus
Time for a Selfie

Kathy wanted us to take a few pictures of ourselves but, without a selfie stick, we look very close. Well, at least we fill up the frame! We’ll need to get more practice with these sort of photos. IEn savoir plus
It’s Us

Lisa, our tour guide, saw us taking selfies and offered to take a photo of us together. That was very nice of her to do. I had to do a lot of editing on this photo though. She was shooting right intoEn savoir plus
Huanhuan

We had a bit more time so, rather than wandering too far we decided to take some more pictures of the Olympic mascots. Huanhuan is a child of fire. He is red and transmits the passion of sport as wellEn savoir plus
My Favorite Mascot

I’m thinking that perhaps this is my favorite of all the Olympic mascots. Other than their colors they all look very similar but there’s something about Huanhuan that just reaches out to me.
The Fab Five

The people from our group were coming back now and some of them wanted to get shots with the mascots, like we did. Before it got too crowded, I was able to get a portrait style shot of each mascot.En savoir plus
Youyou

I’m not sure who Youyou is but this figure was standing just slightly apart from the five Olympic mascots. Whoever he is, he looks sad and forlorn. He’s obviously been neglected so I’m guessingEn savoir plus
Riding the Bus

We’re on the tour bus again, on the way to our next destination. I love looking out the windows, watching Beijing passing by us. This looks like what the “real” Beijing is. We haven’t seenEn savoir plus
Learning About Chinese Medicine

Our next stop was at the Tong Ren Tang Traditional Chinese Medicine Institute. Kathy’s mother is a big believer in the Chinese medicine but Kathy isn’t. As for me, I have an open mind and I’mEn savoir plus
So Interesting!

The lecture we were given about traditional Chinese medicine was absolutely fascinating to me. Everything they said made so much sense to me and it made me wonder why this type of medicine isn’tEn savoir plus
I’m a Believer!

Chinese medicine, I learned, is more focused on prevention rather than treatment. I think that this is a great idea. The doctor giving the lecture told us that if you get sick it means that yourEn savoir plus