Oh, China!

It seems like China Fever has swept the world as everyone watches the Olympics over the next few weeks. The elaborate opening ceremony last Friday stirred up all the excitement and the athletic events and spirit of competition seems to be continuing the fervor. I love watching the bike races that weave up to the foot of the Great Wall and seeing all the ancient and modern architecture in China.

So in the midst of this China love fest I thought I'd post some of my pics from a semester I spent studying Mandarin in Beijing during grad school a few years ago. It's the Beijing I came to know in a way I never expected...the bikes, people, jiaozi shop around the corner from my school, shopping, and cultural and political icons. Whenever there were moments when I was amazed or frustrated, in love with or hating that city and country...my friends and I could only express it best by saying, "Oh, China!"

Gu Gong - Forbidden City/Palace Museum, Beijing

I turned 25yrs old in Beijing. That night the maintenance

man in my building told me I should get married asap. Later

this group of college students asked me and my friends to

fill out a survey on what Beijingers could do to get ready for

the Olympics and its visitors. They bought me flowers after

they found out it was my birthday.

Some kids playing in a spring somewhere outside of Xi'an.

Bicycles parked outside a Beijing middle school.

The typical Great Wall photo-op.

Beijinger taking a break in his rickshaw while waiting
for some tourists to peddle around the hutongs.


American Antics with an over sized door at the Palace Museum/Forbidden City


Crazy Beijing...such good times!