version with pictures printable pdf single page March 4 • March 6
I had a good swim between six and seven a.m. and then tried out the hot spa. That proved to be a mistake as I later fell asleep in our first lecture! We had breakfast in the room out through our lobby and down an escalator to the room where the welcome reception was held. Lots of food in long rows. You could have an eastern or western breakfast or any combination you wanted.
I evidently didn’t start taking notes this morning but we had welcome remarks and were told about our lecturers. The first lecture was on “China’s Economic Growth and Challenges” so I will defer to Phil’s lecture notes for that.
Lunch was included in our tour and we dined first at a lovely glassed in modern restaurant called the China Lounge. According to it’s brochure “it is hidden in a corner of probably the most modernized community in the ancient city, the Lounge overlooks the tranquil water and is surrounded by elaborately crafted terrace. It’s décor was a combination of contemporary elegance and oriental chic and it’s foods a delicate fusion of West and East.” Our lunch was lovely and came in several courses with a lazy susan in the middle of the table. We lunched upstairs at a large round table. Amy and Phil, the two vegetarians in the group, sat next to each other keeping each other good! Amy is very cute and is an intern learning her leading job. She tells us she is working hard to keep up!
Our afternoon excursion was to the Olympic site. We could see the bird’s nest (stadium) as we drove along the freeway. Our guide commented that if you stopped to take pictures you were fined. I chuckled thinking of Wendy Yu who had done just that just two weeks before! We saw lots of workers on the drive in moving stones or carrying buckets. Saw some cranes overhead. We headed to a large building that houses the replica of the Olympic site. It is huge. We were spoken to by the Chinese head engineer that carried out the architect’s plans. In the literature sent to us before the trip, we had read the very interesting account by the architect telling us all the hoops he had to jump through to accommodate both the government and the Chinese people. Enough to try the patience of armies! Unfortunately it didn’t make it home so I can’t refer to it. The stadium couldn’t be round because it was a reminder of something not liked. The bird’s nest was evidently a pleasing shape and symbolic of something good. It is built in such a way that the sun is never in anyone’s eyes.
We spent a long while in this room because around the outside of the room were individual models but in the center of the room was a huge diorama of the whole Olympic village with all it’s buildings. It will be something to behold! I’m sure China will make it by 8/8/08 (an auspicious number) but it seemed that there was much yet to accomplish. Certainly it will be wonderful to have for other competitions and events as well after the Olympics are finished.
Next we were driven to a closer site to the bird’s nest and the swimming stadium which looks like it is made of bubble wrap. We viewed the area from a platform and stayed quite awhile. So much yet to accomplish in the buildings themselves let alone the landscaping. I think they will be working 24/7!
There are absolutely amazing changes here since our first visit in 1979. Many highrise buildings have been built and it seems like hundreds more are under construction. The tallest one will be 74 stories. There is construction everywhere we drive. Millions of workers have come in from the countryside looking for construction jobs and I’m not sure they have good housing.
There was an optional shopping trip planned but we declined. Phil walked and I probably got my legs up and tried to rest. It’s so long ago, since I’m writing this at home, that I don’t really remember. I was still trying to get healthy. As it turned out I only needed two breathing treatments. One when I first arrived and one to counteract my sleepiness. I must say we have been very lucky with the weather here. It was cold but not freezing and we had a mix of sun and overcast. There was little pollution. As we left we were told we probably had experienced the best four days of weather in Beijing this year!
Our welcome dinner tonight is being held in the Golden Hall of the Beijing Hotel. There was an amazing amount of traffic and we were held up probably because of the government sessions letting out for the day. Every five years the government has a special session for two weeks and they are meeting now. I was looking forward to seeing the Beijing Hotel once again. In 1979 Phil and I had walked through the lobby and I bought a ring with a blue stone. In 1986 Steve and I had gone for a look and a sundae! This time there seem to be more defined sections so we didn’t go anywhere near the lobby but directly to the entrance to the Golden Hall. It was quite fancy. I was escorted in through more of a shopping section to the elevator so I didn’t have to use the steps. We sat near the stage so we could see the entertainment.
The hall was quite a fancy one in the old tradition with carving on the ceiling and where the walls meet the ceiling. The dinner was good but not terrific and the wine under par. We were sitting with two couples from Texas that knew each other and the other four of us were strangers. I think we were the only democrats though the republican next to me seemed to like Obama which surprised me. The entertainment was very modern for China (at least what I had seen in China over my visits). There were two sets of very slinky dancers. The first were in blue sequined costumes-very tight and long. They did sinuous dances. The second group after dinner were dressed in yellow sequined gowns and used their hands in undulating ways sometimes in unison and sometimes to give a windmill effect. It really was quite amazing. Phil captured it best with the video but I have a shot or two as well.
Returning home we had been given permission to drive around Tiananmen Square which was all lit up. It was a thrill to see Mao’s picture on the Forbidden City and the government buildings and museums that we have visited on past trips. We did a bit of music listening in the lobby before we went up to our room and worked on the computer before turning in.