Jai jian, Beijing! [71-72]

My last day full day in Beijing was amazing. I had great times with great friends. I didn’t know going into this that I might connect with people the way I did. I started out the day beginning the daunting task of packing two suitcases full of souvenirs and clothing. Luckily for me, Celine told me that she was going on a business trip to northern China, and I asked her if I could donate some of my clothing and shoes to the flood victims. I had grown tired of wearing the same clothes day in and day out in China, and someone else might need them more than me. Also, it gave me more room for goodies from China. 

I met up with Jessie at Xizhimen Station to get lunch and return the cell phone that she lent me. I requested that we have Beijing noodles one last time. I don’t think I can ever get the same thing in North Carolina. That goodbye was sad, but I really hope that she makes it to the States someday. She told me that before knowing me, she didn’t have a good impression of the States, but I had changed her mind. That made me feel really good.

Back at the office, I cleaned out my desk, said some goodbyes and went with Celine to exchange my money. For some reason, it feels strange having U.S. dollars in my wallet again.

I told Pang Li to call me when he got off of work so that we could go to the Beer Garden one last time together. We went pint-for-pint for a while, exchanged e-mails and gan bei’d to America. We even got my favorite, boiled dumplings, for the last time. Keith had invited me out to dinner so that I could have Peking duck one last time at a place nearby. He picked me up, and we rode his electric scooter to the restaurant. Itzhel and Pang Li met us there. We had many of my favorite things – roast duck, kung pao chicken, pork bread bowls and salad. The food was delicious and the company made me feel special on my last night in Beijing. Outside the restaurant, I said goodbye to Keith and Itzhel and parted ways, not exactly sure if and when we would see each other again. I think it’s safe to day that we all love traveling, so I hope we cross paths again someday.

Back at the apartment, I struggled to pack while tipsy, which is harder than you would think. Defeated, I set my alarm for 5 a.m., intending to wake up early and finish packing.

I woke up on time, managed to cram everything into two suitcases and two bags and waited for Pang Li and the driver to pick me up and take me to Beijing Capital Airport. My flights went smoothly, and now I’m back in the good ol’ U.S. of A.

Epilogue to come soon.

Nǐ hǎo! I made it! [Day 1]

I'm finally settled into my new apartment in West Beijing. It's… interesting. The door to the apartment looks like a vault at a bank, the shower is not separate from the bathroom, and my bed is as hard as a plank, but it'll do… I'm in China!

As a "novice traveler," I'm still so entertained by flying. Here are a few observations I made in my day-long journey to the other side of the world (FYI, my flight pattern was RDU>JFK>Tokyo>Beijing):

-There were birds flying around inside RDU and JFK.
-First class on international flights means basically having your own bed. I was not in first class.
-Some of the toilets in the Tokyo airport had remote controls. I did not use those.
-Some of the toilets in the Tokyo airport were a hole in the ground. I did not use those either.

I was fortunate enough to not be flying alone for most of the trip. Another intern, Courtney, had the same flights from JFK to Tokyo and Beijing. Not that navigating around the airports was difficult, but not having someone to talk to for 24 hours would be pretty dreadful.

We were picked up in the Beijing airport by Celine and our driver and given a choice of which way to drive to our new abode: the fastest and least scenic way, the way through the business district of China Avenue, or past the Olympic monuments. We chose China Avenue, and I was pleased with that choice. Celine described the city as a set of 6 Ring Roads, the sixth one being constructed currently. Our office and apartment are between the 2nd and 3rd Ring Roads.

We drove past Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the "Chinese White House," the entertainment centers, and a couple of shopping districts. It was all beautiful against the pitch black sky.

And now here we are, at our new home resting up for work on Monday. Courtney and I were the last interns to arrive, and the other interns are out right now. Three of us are from UNC, and two are from App State. Hopefully we'll be meeting them soon!