The U.S. Embassy really knows how to throw an orientation. Every meal was a feast, snack breaks featured umpteen different types of cookies and cakes and obsequious coffee service, and the line-up of speakers was amazing.
Day 2 featured a tour of the Drum Tower (69 steep steps!), a rickshaw ride in a historic district (utterly beguiling scenery, despite some Western democratic discomfort with the whole rickshaw idea), and a tour of a preserved hutong and mansion with elaborate garden. Here I am in my dorky hat, the hat I paid full price for at the Arts & Crafts store at Wangfujing (much to the salesperson’s delight). I swore never again to pay full price (which is silly; I often just don’t have the energy to negotiate).
Day 2’s evening was capped with a trip to the Minzu (Ethnic Minority) Hotel, where we dined compliments of the Chinese Ministry of Education. From the windows of the bus, we were able to see just how astounding Beijing’s transformation has been — every building on Chang An Avenue seemed to be a new architectural marvel!
The buffet dinner was a feast indeed, and we had a good time talking afterwards as we waited for the signal for our departure. JUST as the signal appeared, I had discovered strawberry ice cream at the buffet (hadn’t found it before)! What to do — keep eating strawberry ice cream and miss the bus? I managed to finish it and scooted out the door in time. The following Beijing Noir photo was from our return trip:
Focusing on food and architecture so far…I have neglected the actual orientation schedule. We learned about health, various other issues regarding living in China, the view from the student and Chinese teacher side, about Chinese-US diplomatic relations, and so on. I took copious notes and have referred back to them several times.
Here’s our meeting room. You’d never guess from this shot what was happening in the suite of rooms next door….that’s right; a fashion lingerie trade show! Complete with astoundingly thin and gorgeous Russian teenage lingerie models! 12 frumpy professors and assorted Fulbright orientation speakers looked on in amusement as the models, announcers, and various trade show organizers and minions hustled about.
Very sorry — I did not get a photo of the teenage Russian lingerie models.
Capping our amazing stay in Beijing, the Embassy staff took us to a Tibetan restaurant — yay, another 20-course banquet! The food was amazing (even though we really didn’t want any food, no more! Please!). The entertainment — Tibetan songs, dances and a fashion show — also fun to watch.
That’s Jane, my Zhongshan University liaison in the yellow sweater…and here is Jane dancing…
More on Jane later — she is a gem! Finally, the Tibetan fashion show:
