Tuesday, February 14

We’ve all been having a fantastic trip, and can’t believe it’s already
halfway over! The boys have been great; flexible, adventurous, and
delighted by all the wonderful sights and activities (as well as the
shopping opportunities). Here is a selection of their journal entries from
the last few days.

Tiananmen Square

Tut:

China has been very interesting so far. We started out very tired and
burned out, but it soon picked up when we visited Tiananmen Square
yesterday. Looking at the actual real life square and the Forbidden City
was really cool after learning about the two in Mr. Mundy’s history class
last year. The rickshaw ride was very fun, and Henry and I found out that
a lot of the people on the streets of Beijing are very nice, saying hello
whenever we said hi to them.

Tea Ceremony:

Bradley:

China has been very interesting and fun. One of my favorite experiences
was the Tea Ceremony. We had five different types of tea: ginseng oolong,
jasmine, pu’er, litchee black, and fruit tea. Ginseng tea was not strong,
with a little sweet taste. Jasmine was a pretty strong taste and was
delicious. Pu’er was the strongest tea. Litchi black was a little sweet
and not very strong. The fruit tea was tart and delicious. After the
tasting we got to buy teas. I bought fruit tea for my mom because she
loves tart things. Overall, that experience enhanced my love of tea.

Jackson:

When we went to the gong tower, there was a tea ceremony place inside. We
went in and tried all of the tea. I liked the oolong tea the best. After
the tea ceremony, we went to the shop to buy tea and other things. I
bought fruit tea for 100 yuan and a cup for 105. I later found out at the
Pearl Market that I could have gotten the same tea and cup for five times
less!

Pearl Market:

Chris Dann:

Last evening I had a very interesting and fun experience. I went to the
Pearl Market, which has knockoffs of every big name brand for cheap. Some
examples were Gucci and Rolex watches for 50 yuan, and Beats headphones
for 30 yuan. Overall, it was a fun experience and great for practicing my
Mandarin. Lastly, I was able to purchase some jewelry and souvenirs for my
family and a few things for myself.

Alex Brown:

The Pearl Market was very exciting. It was a good opportunity to use our
Mandarin and bargaining skills. Once I walked in I exclaimed, “This is
like the Macy’s of bargaining places!” The market had a total of four
levels, every level a different department. The first level was watches
and electronics. This is where I spent my time on our first visit, because
I was hoping to buy some Beats*. I was ripped off by a guy who was selling
them. Although the Beats work well, I paid 365 yuan, and I later found out
I could have gotten them for like 200. I was unhappy for the rest of the
time we were there because I had run out of money for that day.

The second day I got a necklace for my mother and a laser pointer for
myself. When getting the necklace, the price was high. But with the help
of Mrs. Huber (the bargaining superhero) I got the price down from 160
yuan to 60! The laser pointer had a reasonable price to begin with so
there was no need to bargain. I actually left the Pearl Market with money
this time!

* Editor’s note for people over 25: Beats are a popular brand of
headphones coveted by young people


Nicholas Jong:

The other day we visited the Pearl Market for the second time. I was
walking around with my group: Mr. Jackson, Timmy, George, and my assigned
partner, Chris Dann. Chris and I had seen fake Beats the day before and
Chris had gotten a pair that had broken already, so we both set out to buy
a better pair for each of us. Louis had already bought the pair we wanted
for 200 yuan, but we thought we could buy for a better price. Chris and I
walked to a vendor that was selling the headphones we wanted. We asked to
look at the headphones and asked for the price for two. The vendor entered
400 in the calculator which was used to communicate with the customer.
Chris haggled from 400 yuan to 330 within a few minutes and handed over
the money, but to our dismay, they only gave us one of the right
headphones and one of the cheaper versions of it. After seeing this,
Chris, wanted two of the better kind and demanded that he get it. A woman
came behind the desk and told Chris that two of the same were 420 yuan.
Chris said that was way too much and demanded that they give him his money
back. This went back and forth for 20 minutes as Timmy and I told them
that Chris really wanted his money back. Eventually we got two of the same
type for 340 yuan. We had succeeded!







Great Wall

Spencer:

Yesterday we went to the Great Wall. We got to see how long it actually
was. It was an amazing sight! Instead of climbing down stairs, we got to
go on sleds. At first it was challenging, but then I got the hang of it.
It was a thrilling ride!

Dane:

All my life I’ve seen pictures of the Great Wall. I knew it was really
long, and old, too. I had heard dozens of stories abut how amazing the
view is. As soon as I stepped foot in China, that was the exact thing I
couldn’t wait for. The day finally came: the day we were going to walk the
wall. The bus drive there was long, but very worth it. When we arrived, I
was so excited!

We were then told we had to climb a mile worth of stairs. This seems bad,
but it was actually quite fun knowing the Great Wall was waiting for us at
the top. When we got up there, the Great Wall was nothing short of its
reputation. In fact, it was greater. The view was breathtaking and just
being there was so overwhelming. After our walk, we got to slide down the
mountainside of the wall in a toboggan. When we got to the bottom, we had
the opportunity to get some quick bargaining in with some of the locals. I
got some awesome souvenirs!

Louis:

I have loved the China Trip so far. My favorite part was when we slid down
the Great Wall. I was in the front group between Bradley and Chris D. I
rode down at a high speed. I enjoyed turning and speeding on
straightaways. My favorite part of this was having time to think and be
along while having fun.

I also enjoyed walking on the Great Wall. I got to see how high the wall
was. I imagined the Chinese being on the wall and the Huns attacking it
from the Mongolian side.

Timmy:

Yesterday our group climbed up the Great Wall of China. On the two-hour
bus ride, you could feel the group’s anticipation in the air. When we
finally arrived, we knew this would be a day we would never forget.

The first thing we saw when we left the bus was street vendors shoving
their items in our faces. We had been told not to show any interest so
they would leave us alone. After we fended off the vendors, we ascended
the hill that led us to the wall. We were not prepared for all the stairs
we would have to climb, but after a long hike up them, we had made it to
the Great Wall. There was a spectacular view and way in the distance you
could see the Great Wall continuing, so I could really see how long it
was. As we walked along, we stopped a few times to take pictures, eat
snacks, and enjoy the scenery.

After our long walk across the Great Wall, we got to slide down the whole
side of the mountain on a slide, which was a ton of fun. It was really
long and took about three minutes to slide down. It was definitely a
highlight of the trip so far. When we reached the bottom, we had a bit of
time to bargain with vendors. Yesterday was a day I will never forget.

Ethan:

One of my favorite parts of this trip is the Great Wall of China. Although
I have been on the wall before, this was still one of the best parts of
the trip. When we got off the bus at the bottom of the wall there were
many merchants and vendors selling souvenirs. Then there was the
treacherous journey up many flights of stairs to the Great Wall itself. We
soon reached the wall. The sights from the wall were unbelievable. To
think that each and every stone block was hauled up the mountain by hand!
After admiring the views and architecture, it was time to sled down the
mountainside on a toboggan. This was an exciting and exhilarating
experience. The Great Wall was fun, exciting, and amazing.

Isaac:

Today we visited the Great Wall of China. First, we had to walk up many
stairs to get to the Great Wall. It felt like I was walking up to stand on
something that has always been standing over me. I’ve always been amazed
about the Great Wall. Once we were on it, I couldn’t believe my eyes. You
could see the old Great Wall, and its beauty. You could see how well-built
it is. I was astonished. The towers, the sniper holes, the view; all so
amazing. Walking along it was exciting. After a while of walking on the
Great Wall, we came to a place to toboggan down to the bottom. It was
cold, but fun. I feel that this morning, I have accomplished something
very big.

Miles:

When I got up in the morning, I could only think about getting to the
wall. It was a long bus ride, but I forgot all about that part when we got
off the bus and looked up at the mountain. The wall was one of the most
incredible sights I have ever seen! It was simply beautiful looking at it
from the bottom of the mountain. But, we had to walk all the way up the
mountain to get to it. When we got there, however, the sights only got
better. I could see many more mountains that the wall was on, and got some
fantastic pictures. And of course, the toboggan run down was a blast! I am
very grateful I had the opportunity to go to the Great Wall.

Rex:

Today we sledded down the Great Wall. We rode in sleds with wheels on the
bottom and a lever on the top that controls the speed of the sled. The
metal half-pipe tube we rode in curved many times, with points where we
had to slow down before the turns.

Before we went, our guide, Simona, pointed at someone and said that if we
went as fast as him, we would be going too fast. Unfortunately, I missed
him, and saw a slow rider. I went second in our group and without knowing
it, I held up the line. Through most of the course, I went at a
power-walking speed until Alberto caught up to me. After that, I went at
full speed down the last third of the track.

Even though I usually don’t like roller coasters, this was an amazing
experience. The incredible speed combined with being chased by Alberto
became an even greater thrill. Although I held up the line a little, I
didn’t care. I got to have an experience I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise,
so I was glad that I didn’t go very fast in the beginning.

Night market

Leo A:

So far the China trip has been really fun. Last night, we went to the
Night Market. They had many different foods, such as dog, cat, and sheep
penis. Some of the foods looked good and tasty but others smelled bad.
Most of the food was on a stick, raw and waiting to be grilled. To
conclude, the Night Market was very eye-opening.

Justin:

Last night we went to the Beijing Night Market, a row of shops selling
interesting food. The shops were a long line of red, bright shacks with
vats and trays of freshly cooked food in front of them. We looked at the
many snakes, beetles, bugs and body parts alike with wonder and much
disgust. We thought this because, well, we don’t tend to eat bugs, or as
far as I know we don’t. We also passed bright, delicious looking foods
that were glazed, fried, and smelled wonderful. I felt like the fresh
fruit kebabs glazed in honey were calling my name. After it was over, most
of us were ready to fall into bed and dream about this great experience.

George:

Last night, we went to a very lively night market. Small bright red tents
lined down the skinny sidewalk. They seemed to go on forever. We marched
down the cobblestone street with our digital cameras in our hands. Street
vendors waved food on a stick saying, “Do you want to try?” We saw about
every food that we could think of. Beef, juicy fruit, scorpions, snake,
even cat and dog all on a stick. But the one food on a stick that really
stood out to me was the sheep penis and the bull testicles. I thought it
was very funny how the vendors would shout at us, “You want to try sheep
penis? Makes you very healthy!” and “Tastes very good!” If I am going to
remember something about that night market it is going to be my experience
with the sheep penis.

Alberto:

Last night, we spent time at the Beijing Night Market. I was very excited
to see the food the vendors were selling. Before we got there, we were
told to notice anything that was unusual. When we were walking through the
market, there was all kinds of food. There were some foods that looked
really good and some food that was very unusual. I saw snake on a stick,
insects on a stick, testicles on a stick, penis on a stick, meat on a
stick; almost everything on a stick. The only thing I wanted that was on a
stick was the strawberries on a stick. After the market I talked to Ms.
Thaler about the snake on a stick and she made a really funny face, so I
took a picture of her expression.

 Food:

Ms. Thaler:

Every meal we have eaten in China would be considered a feast in the US.
We sit in groups of ten at large round tables with a Lazy Susan in the
middle, and we are brought dish after dish of tasty food. Without fail, at
the moment when I think we cannot possibly be given any more plates, a
server comes by with two or three more items. We’ve tried beef, pork,
chicken, fish, tofu, cabbage, mushrooms, bean sprouts, eggplant, noodles,
and more, and it has all been delicious, but one particularly delectable
highlight was the Peking duck, which was expertly carved tableside into
thin slices, each with a morsel of crispy skin attached. As the server
placed it on our table, a student joked, “It’s funny that Peking duck is a
specialty of Beijing. Isn’t that like saying that Chicago-style pizza is a
specialty of San Francisco?” I’m always a fan of the teachable moment!

Other culinary items of note, besides the delicacies at the night market,
have included cooked lettuces (common in China, unheard of at home), dried
cherry tomatoes being sold alongside other dried fruits at the base of the
Great Wall, and rambutans and mangosteens that we bought from a roadside
cart. We are looking forward to trying Shaolin Monk cuisine!