7-11-04 Third week in Beijing
Sunday, July 11, 2004
HEY,
I'm not sure when you're going to visit David...but I think it's now?? or soon! Tell him hey if you get this before!! And HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! I'm going to send him a letter but not really sure when I can do that and when it will
get there!
So I guess I left off a week ago?? This week we had school Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Wednesday we went to Tianjin to the Free Trade Zone (3 hours away, see map) but I don't really know what we did....the bus ride was the only thing that I can remember really - we had a tour of Caterpillar chain making place, ate lunch at this amazing restaurant (huge indoor pools with a speed boat inside and indoor tennis and badminton courts), then we went on a tour of a warehouse, and then a tour in our bus of a ship cargo place.
This week we didn't do much...a lot of people went out of town and we just hung around. We went out Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, and Saturday we went to the Temple of Heaven which was pretty and then we went to an Antique market until it started pouring...not pouring in a good way but it was like all of the water in the entire world was coming down to the street.
Erin, Krisin, Kim, and I left our teacher and friend and went out in the pouring rain (with 2 umbrellas for us four)...we started out up to our ankles in fun water and then up to our knees. NONE of the cabs would pick us up (we were pretty far from where we lived) and we stood in the pouring rain forever. Finally we went inside a tiny shop and I was talking to the lady (she actually spoke some English) and she said we could go to the subway...so we walked to the subway and then I asked more people if they spoke English and they helped me...good thing I'm not afraid to ask random people for things! (I've done this a LOT here).
On our walk to the station we saw cars stuck in the water and were glad we weren't in them!! WE finally got back and were soaked, and went to a Mexican restaurant to see a guy I know from Tech (not on our program) play the guitar there.
We have our last class Monday and our final on Wednesday and then one more class. I can't really concentrate because it's dark in here and we're in some random internet cafe place...but I hope y'all are having fun and update me more!!
Next weekend we're hopefully going to Xi'an, once we get our tickets. OK I'm sure we did more things but I can't remember...I have my FOURTH flat tire today (I had to ride here on the back of someone's bike-a normal thing for me now) soooo it's annoying!!
Anyway I think it' raining again.,.we saw on the news that this was the worst downpour since the 60's and that Beijing's drainage system couldn't hold it.
Have fun!
Love,
Katherine
