First Full day in China!

Thursday, October 23
7:42 am China Time

Well- we made it thru our almost 24 hours in China! woo hoo!

After some well needed showers- we headed out to explore Beijing!

Since our friend, Kristalyn, is fluent in Mandarin, we feel a bit more adventurous to explore the city...

Adventure for October 22- BEIJING SUBWAY SYSTEM!
For about 35 cents, you can ride the subway one- way anywhere in Beijing.  The subway stations are clean and over 50% of them were built just for the Olympics (as are a lot of  new things here in Beijing- many more new skyscrapers, fewer cranes, fewer bikes and more cars since were here in 2005!)

So- 4 trains and about 10 stops from our hotel is the Olympic Park.  It was amazing!  The Bird's Nest is unbelievable- as was the water cube- and everything.  Words can't do it justice (as with most things here!

We were approached by about a dozen people, who were all selling the same little paper Olympic kites, asking us to buy one.  We would say, "Bu yao" (no!) and they would follow us and say in Mandarin, "why not- what kind of parent are you not buying one for your pretty daughter?!"  lol

From the Olympic Park- we took a taxi to our friends, Chris and Paige's, apartment.  At this point XiXi was fading and we desperately tried to keep her awake- not a pretty site. She perked up by the time we arrived at Chris and Paige's place and within 10 minutes, she and Stella (their 5 year old daughter) were laughing and running around.

We went to this FABULOUS dumpling restaurant for dinner.  While we were waiting for our food, one of the wait staff came out with a comb, a mirror, and a bag of hair accessories and did the girls' hair.  Cute Chinese Girl's Hairstlyes.  They looked ADORABLE!

The dumplings were AMAZING!  Some of skins were dyed different colors- they used broth from boiling different vegetables as the dye! We had green, purple and yellow (RAVENS!), purple, yellow, orange- and the traditional plain colored ones too.  I have no idea what was in most of them- but they were all good (esp. the orange ones that had shrimp and cucumber in them!)

XiXi fell asleep on the cab ride home- her last words before zonking out were, "I'm so glad I'm back in China!"  Too cute!

We all slept well last nite- despite the VERY hard beds (a luxury in china!).  We're all feeling much better this morning.  As I type this-Jennie and XiXi are still asleep in their room!

Today we are heading out to either the Summer Palace or the Beijing Zoo- and later we will head to Chris, Paige, and Stella's place.  XiXi has been invited to a playdate @ Stella's apartment this afternoon.

XIXI's CORNER:

Quotes overheard by XiXi yesterday:
(upon arriving at the Beijing airport) "Welcome to the country of my birth!"

(to us as we were riding to the hotel after Ross and I were commenting on the changes made since we were last here) "Well- I remember EVERYTHING about China from when I was a baby too.  And yeah- I even remember Beijing"
Ross: "XiXi, you were never in Beijing."
XiXi: (laughs) "yeah- ok- so I still remember stuff about the country of my birth!"

Cutest quote of the day: "I'm so glad to be back in China!"
Well said, XiXi!  So are we!