Life in Beijing

Well, after a 12-hour flight we made it to Beijing! Because of our flight times, flight path and crossing the international date line we had 23 hours of daylight. By the time we got to Beijing we were really ready for good sleep. But, we know that the best way to beat jet lag is to stay up until at least 9:00 p.m. (local time) so we don't wake up in the middle of the night. To do this we went out to the grocery store and bought some colas to keep us up. Even with the caffeine in our system we could only make it until 8:30.

After three days in Beijing we are settling into a new pace of life. (We are here for three more weeks for training.) Our first day was spent exploring the city with some Chinese students who are studying English. We had the best guides! Galen and Olive were very sweet and very helpful. We were able to see some of the most popular sights in Beijing: Tiananmen Square, the Drum Tower and Wangfujing Street (shopping!!!). Part of the challenge of the day was spending time using public transit. The subway in Beijing is very easy to navigate, and the busses stop often. We were very impressed.

Since then we have learned a lot in our training classes. Part of our training was in how to order food at a restaurant. We are having fun with that! Speaking Chinese and reading Chinese are two different animals. We have only been focusing on the speaking part so far and are quickly learning how important it is for us to learn how to read it as well.

All in all, we are having a lovely time and enjoying the new friends we are making. We'll keep you posted!