Back To School

Location: Beijing, China
Local Time: Monday, May 8, 2006 - 6:53pm

Well, it has been a busy few days.

Zoe, an Australian I met in Pai in northern Thailand, is in Beijing for a couple of days, so we've been running around everywhere. We've been to the Forbidden City. At one time the price of entry was death. Hence the name, Forbidden City. These days it is a bargin at a mere 60 yuan (~ $9 CND).

We wandered around Tianamen Square. The lineup to get in to see Chairman Mao's body was so long we gave it a miss.

Beside the square was a museum where we spent a few hours looking at pottery and wax sculptures.

We wandered up and down Wangfujing street, and found Snack Street, just off of Wangfujing. It is just what is sounds like it is. Vendors selling food, good food. Fried food. Tasty food.

Food that was enjoyed was strawberries on a stick, dipped in a sugar syrup. Think candied apples (called toffee apple in Australia I'm told), only strawberries instead of apples. Tasty sugary goodness on a stick.

Some kind of wrap with fried noodles in it.

Later, we wandered futher north up Wangfujing Street and found a full blown night time food market along a side street. Wow, some feasting went on there. More fried noodles, (a particular favorite of mine), sticky rice with red bean in a pineapple. Various kinds of deep fried tofu.

There was meat on a stick, but I didn't make it there. I was running short on room.

Well, this morning I was feeling a little worried that I had still not found a Mandarin school, but an inquiry I started last week worked out. I'm booked for 4 weeks of lessons at:

http://www.easyou.com.cn

It looks good. There is weekly calligraphy lessons too, nice.