Zai jian Beijing...for now

Well, my time in Beijing is coming to an end because tomorrow I take the K279 train south to WudangShan. I embark on a 20 hour train ride to one of the oldest places in China to learn more about taiji and qigong. My stay in Beijing has been a blessing. The hostel and its staff have been extremely helpful and welcoming, especially to someone who doesn't speak the language. In the past seven days, I have traveled to the Great Wall to the Summer Palace and all other glorious sites in Beijing. I have also become accustomed to the spitting (yes, spitting) from the locals. The metro has been my saving grace because I have been able to move around Beijing with ease and able to see as much as the city as possible. I feel at home here in Beijing even though I don't speak the language. The locals are so friendly and when I make eye contact, there is always a friendly gesture and a polite "Ni hao" follows. I noticed how safe this city truly is because I did not notice any crime or see many police around the streets. I think I saw more police in the banks then I did wandering around town.

Today I kept to an easy schedule of arranging my backpack for the train ride and washing some clothes. I know, sounds exciting, doesn't it? I also went to the local market to buy some fruit and snacks for the trip tomorrow. As I was walking down Dongsi Lu, three Tibetan monks approached me and wanted to ask me my name. (I'm kind of a big deal in Beijing...people know me). At first they were speaking in chinese and was able to make out a few phrases like "what is your name". It was a privilege to speak with such holy men on the streets of Beijing. They also wanted to take their photo with me so I happily agreed. I even had them use my camera to capture this wonderful moment. I have to say that this was one of the highlights of my trip. I never expected a Tibetan monk, let alone three of them, wanting to speak with me and take a picture with such a handsome guy...hahahaha.

Tonight I plan on staying around the hostel and chatting with a few of the people I've met over the last few days. I plan on returning to this hostel in January because they have treated me so well. The staff also gave me the nickname "taiji". Every time I walk into the lobby, the girls behind the counter say "Ni hao Taiji". One of them noticed my Wah Lum hoody the other night and asked me if knew kungfu. I told her that I take kungfu and tai chi lessons in the states and she was very impressed. From then on I have been known around the hostel as "Taiji".

So, Xie xie Beijing for such an amazing time in your city. I really love it here and can't wait to return in January for another week before heading home to the states.

Zai jian Beijing...for now...