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Beijing, what a busy place. The new and modern mixed with ancient footprints. We saw a little of both. The Great Wall was quite the sight. It is hard to imagine what an immense undertaking it was, especially back then without modern technology. There were so many people there as it was a special holiday weekend, something like our Labour Day. Young and old alike made their way up the steep uneven steps to different lookout points.
Many of them seemed to think I was more interesting than the view, and I obliged posing for picture after picture. Some didn't even ask but instead snuck pics from the side or had their family pose a few feet away to get me in the shot. I find it flattering and amusing but wonder how and why they think a blonde foriegner is worth a place in the family album.
Seeing the Great Wall was a big highlight of this trip for me. Something I never thought I would see with my naked eye. I scooped up some pebbles to take with me, they will be the most prized in my global rock collection.
The night scene in Beijing was just as busy, with markets and shopping malls open for business late. Enormous screens and lit up billboards adorned almost every building with huge faces of blonde western models advertising all the high end brands. We passed by a Rolex store and I thought, am I in New York? If a building didn't have a billboard or screen it was lit up like Las Vegas. Streams of colour slinking and twinkling, flashing or falling, make Beijing the most colourful city I've ever seen. Even the cars had lit up accessories.
A few of us wandered down a street with food vendors offering creatures I would sooner step on than eat. Scott and I were the only brave ones sampling small deep fried scorpions on a stick. Mmmm.. tasted like deep fried potatoe chips, but watch out for the stinger, they poke!
The remnants of such unique ancient tradition nestled amongst the exploding westernized Chinese culture is now deeply ingrained in my mind. Beijing, I have one word to describe you: WOW.
Bobbi Boyd, a NWCC Business Administration Certificate student is part of a group of students taking part in a scholastic exchange to Qingdao Technical College (QTC), sister college to NWCC in Qingdao, China. She will be blogging during the exchange from April 23 to June 6.
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