30 days that felt like 30 hours

My time at Peking University in Beijing China was amazing! And I am glad I went despite I my initial apprehension over struggling with culture shock. I tend to say that I am open to many things but find that I quickly miss my fast internet, air conditioning, and ice!! 

Happily, the weather was cool and only until the last week did we experience high temps that quickly rose to 95 degrees by mid-morning and afternoons that hit 105 degrees! As for slow internet connections and govt-blocked FB and Blogger, I framed the 30 days as a period for detoxing and a gift of living in the moment!  All I needed was to untie the ribbons.  So glad I did.  Muchisimas xie xie, China!

Fire Cupping

I finally got my massage in China.  My feet were barking and I welcomed the opportunity to be able to relax; or so I thought. I ended up getting more than I had bargained for.

Two undergraduate Korean students attending PKU referred me to a place just down the street on Chengfu Road for the best massage around - aka - affordable, ok,  cheap.  I happily chose the 90 minute package where I got my feet and body massaged.  Little did I know that the massage therapist would end up saying that I was out of balance and would need another therapy.  According to traditional Chinese medicine, each of us has a gas or energy inside us.  When in balance, we are fine. Unfortunately, mine was too hot. 

He recommended that I get a cupping session as fire cupping helps with the flow of Qi and blood.  So, I laid down as he lit 20 glass cups, suctioning them to my back for 10 minutes.  This supposedly helped to bring down the heat and get me back into balance. 

Uhhhh, OK.

IU China Office

Perfect timing in that I was able to attend the opening evening reception and dinner of IU's second gateway office on Friday, May 23 at Qinghua University's Technology Park literally steps from Peking University.

The first gateway office was opened in India and the second is in Beijing, China. The office serves as the administrative hub for partnerships, workshops, and developmental collaborations between IU and Chinese universities, businesses and organizations.  

They are already at work with the office hosting its first workshop on philanthropy in China, on the first business day after the reception. So exciting for the things to come!

Serving duck for 150 years and counting

The Quanjude Restaurant opened in 1864 and is 150 yrs young.  Quanjude means:  "quan" means perfection without a flaw; "ju" means gathering without departing and "de" means virtues to be supreme.  All together: perfection, union and benevolence.

Baejun and his wife took us to the seven story restaurant across the city gate by the Forbidden City in downtown Beijing.  The restaurant can serve over 2,000 at once!  There are several special things about the Peking duck here.  

First, each duck has its original ID number, from the time it was hatched to serving time. With it, one can find out everything about the duck (where it lived, what it ate, etc). All the ducks are roasted in open ovens using non-smoking hardwoods like date, peach and pear originally served to the Qing dynasty.  

The day we visited, Lupe and I felt like we were part of the imperial family!

District 798

Every time I met an American visiting Beijing, they'd ask me if I had been to District 798. 

  
What had once been part of a five year socialist-industrial unification plan, is now the oldest and biggest modern art zone where avante garde artists  have amazing studios and galleries.  

798 is in an area of  fifty year old decommissioned military factory buildings with East German and Soviet architectural style.  

I'm so glad that love wins!

A beautiful stairway

Found this beautiful stairway on the Peking University campus after lunch today ... enjoy!

Beijing Olympic Park

The Beijing Olympic Park is HUGE!  Built in 2008, it is comprised of two gargantuon structures:  The nest (Beijing National Stadium) and the water cube (National Aquatics Center). 

A few weeks back I blogged how the Chinese conceptualize the heavens as a round circle and the earth as a square?  Well, the park's design combines modern technologies with Chinese traditional values.  

Moreover, the cube shape dominates ancient urban buildings. Its design is of traditional style yet modern to meet all of the Olympics'  functional requirements.

I really should learn how to take better selfies ...

Having fun in China!

All things stone

It is easy to imagine oneself to be in a land before time because of the unique karst mountains and beautiful rivers that run through them:  the Li and the Yulong in Yangshuo. 

Millions of years ago, this area was covered by ocean. When the plates shifted, the oceans receded, and the mountains were pushed up.  There had been alot of limestone and gypsum in them hills.  Sounds alot like Bloomington and southern Indiana, right? What makes these mountains so beautiful are the remaining formations the water made on weaker stone.  

Some mountains have been named Cloud-Catching Pavilion, Bright Moon Peak, White Horse Cliff, Five

Tigers Catch a Goat Hill, Folded Brocade Mountain.   

That is me in front of Moon Hill

The Yao People

The Yao people are one of 55 ethnicities in China.  

Fighting against the Ming dynasty, they ultimately retreated into the highlands.

Yao originally meant 'dog people', but over time, the pronunciation was

changed to the precious jade people.  I believe it.  The stones and

rocks are a beautiful green and jade color.

And the women are known for their super long hair.

In the clouds...

Fell asleep in the clouds and woke up in the clouds, literally!

We are 800 meters up, if I remember our tour guide correctly.  It is enough to take your breath away, literally.  Not just me, but all the other tourists who climbed up the rice terraces were winded, glistening with beads of sweat and the day's humidity. 

Even the women porters who carried our luggage were exhausted after our ascent to our Tiantou village hotel in the Dazhai Yao hillside so quickly after a heavy rainstorm.

Yangshuo Yearnings