Calling All Emperors and Empresses.

Beijing has been great so far! My friend is part of a work program through University of Michigan, so there are 24 other students around our age here. It's fun to finally interact girls! In Shanghai all my friends are guys, so finally some girl talk! And everyone is so kind and helpful, they make it seem we've been friends for so long.

The Beijing sights aren't that bad either :). Yesterday I was melting/went to explore Tian An Men Square and the Forbidden City. Most of these places I will be going to alone because the work program took everyone on a huge Beijing tour and they have been to all these sights already, and some of these places you have to pay for. Maybe it's because I don't really understand Communism and I don't think Mao ZeDong is not liked through our family, but I didn't really find Tian An Men Square that exciting. They didn't have any plaques giving information about the buildings and monuments, so it was just walking around in a circle to look at things I didn't understand. Though it was still great to be in a place that means so much to China's and controversy.

What I enjoyed more was the Forbidden City. I bought an audio tour guide and I had no idea it was that HUGE! I thought it would be a few buildings that the emperors "chilled" in, but nope they built a whole CITY for themselves. And it was beautiful, so beautiful. No only were the buildings strikingly beautiful, but there was something to every single detail. Every color, every number of something, every animal statue meant something. It was so profound and beautiful that the things are built this way. For example, the number 9 means power, a lion represents power and protection of the building, and EVERYTHING means harmony. I love how the Chinese think like that. Makes me feel a little at peace. And I was just so excited to walk around the city and imagining the emperors and empresses taking a stroll through the city and gardens and sitting on their huge thrones. It's so fascinating to try and think how they lived there. But after 2.5 hours, everything started to mesh together and my feet were going to fall off and of course, melting.

Later in the night, we went out to an area with a few bars. It was pretty fun and surprisingly, not that crowded for a Friday night. I had fun dancing with the girls and drinking cheap Chinese beer.

P.S. I'm still waiting for my parents to spill the secret and tell me I'm an empress from the Yuan Dynasty (yes there is one!)...still waiting parentals... hehe I wish. Especially to wear the empress jewelry and headresses. So amazing :).