March 14, Tianamen square, Hutong, and acrobats

I Despite our 12 hour flight and 1:00a.m. Bedtime, we woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed at 6:30!

Bring on China! 

Our hotel had a huge buffet and a few interesting things to eat like century eggs

and chicken sausage. 

My first thoughts outside the hotel... Beijing is surprisingly like any other city. Tall modern buildings mixed with the older smaller ones. The smell of smog and exhaust. The streets and interstates were really pretty much like Salt Lake. In the early mornings  or really late at night you may even be able to fool yourself into thinking you were in downtown Saltlake. 

Then as the day warmed up and the city came alive, the differences were noticeable. There are so many people on bicicles. They drive pretty much where ever they want. They weave in and out of large traffic with seemingly know cares. The bikes are all different colors and many bikes have large bundles on the backs. In the allies. You see rows upon rows of well warned parked bikes in reds, blues, and greens. These bikes are China's survival! This is how they move and how they make a living. 

Crossing the streets with tons of cars, buses, and bikes feels like your in your own game of frogger or worse! 

There aren't seatbelts in the vehicles. Well there are the shoulder straps but no latches to lock them into. I say a pray every time I enter a taxi. 

Other then stop lights there doesn't seem to be any driving regulations. It's quite the adventure just to sit in a taxi. 

Tianamen square and the forbidden city is HUGE! It goes on and on. 

We became Hollywood stars in the square. One family wanted us to pose with their little girl. 

The Forbidden city was my favorite out of the two. 

Looking up at a building that was built in the 1400's is just amazing!  The forbidden city is basically a large fortress with a palace inside. There is a mote dug around the city and 5 gates to keep the unwanted out. (Of course now you can walk right through but back in it's day it would have been fierce.) The buildings all have yellow roofs and everything is carved and hand painted.  It smells like sun on a stone and old paint. 

We visited the "real China" Hutong. It was my favorite of the whole day. We rode in man powered rickshaws through the Alleyways of Hutong. The buildings are all short. They're made of stone and they are gray. Gray is the common wealth color. 

There were quite a few buildings that were crumbling to the ground. Literally. Some looked like an earthquake had just hit. The buildings seemed to be about 10 feet wide and one after another after another.

 Hutong was all grit! Gray grit!

 I got the feeling the people that live here are a stong people. 

We drove up to  large double door painted in red and it was chipped and peeling. It had a large brass round handle. It opened up into a small court yard. The court yard had an out door cooking room and a few tables. It was very clean. We were guided into a small 8 by 14 room. The walls were plastered in white and had green chipped paint. Our host had hung antiques all around the room. Their was carved mahogany empirical furniture around the room. The table we ate on was a metal folding table. The irony of the chipped walls and beautiful carved artifacts kept you eye moving around the room. 

They fed us a traditional Chinese dinner. 

The food was very good. Lots of veggies and chicken. We are on small 3 inch plates with wooden chopsticks. 

Our Guide, Rock, said that they were wealthy people so I asked it it was expensive to live here. 

30,000  dollars for every square Meter. We were asked how big our house was, how much land we owned and how much it cost. I didn't want to tell them. We are spoiled! 

I'm not sure why I have it so easy and others must work so hard. 

Are guide for Hutong was charming. She calls herself Mickey Mouse. She said to Questen, "Hey boy, I teach you something, I teach you how to say I love you in Chinese..." To which he responded with a blush. Ha! 

After that, We went to the silk factory and an actobat show that was very good. 

But overall, I'm going to bed realizing I love these people. I'm over whelmed with a sense of WE HAVE TO MUCH and they HAVE TO LITTLE and knowing I'm changed again. 

Update: I woke up at 3:00 a.m. China time. I feel like it very important to write a little more on my thoughts. 

People have said to me, "Those People... China is a godless country!"

 NO IT'S NOT! GOD IS EVERYWHERE! 

When a toddler fell in the square today and 6 Chinese people ran over to make sure he was okay, God was there. When the mother held the back of his head and rocked to console him, God was there. When a boy from around the world recieved an animal balloon and all the Chinese people smile at him (Questen) and cheered, simply because he's a child, God was there. When an acrobat fell while performing and the Chinese people clapped and cheered to let her know they appreciated the effort and was glad she was okay, God was there. When  I was impressed to touch our Taxi drivers arm and thank him in his own language, God was there. Rock, our guide, told me only seconds later that the taxi driver was Christian and so was his, Rock's , parents. 

My high school Art Teacher, gave me a farewell on face book of, "Remeber, we are all one." He was right. 

God has not forgotten China. HE does NOT forget. We are all one and God is EVERYWHERE.