Blueberry potato chips?

Check out these blueberry potato chips!  Crazy, huh?  But not half bad.  Thank you, China, for a little bit of variety in my diet.

The Forbidden City

We visited The Forbidden City--home to emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties (from 1425 to 1911).   It covers 7,800,00 square feet.  It is huge!  The last emperor lived there until 1926 (even after the dynasty had fallen).  If you haven't seen "The Last Emperor," it is a movie that I would highly recommend.

Chip's Chewables: China's Elderly

Chew on this:  By the middle of this century, fully a third of China's population will be age 60 or older, compared with 26% in the United States. China's projected 438 million senior citizens will outnumber the entire U.S. population. (Click on the title to read more)

Stinky doufu

Last night we ventured out to the Night Market on Wangfujing street in Beijing.  Here you can find just about any meat on a stick--snake, squid, scorpion, even starfish.  The smell of fermented tofu (known by foreigners as stinky doufu) permeates the air.  I (Mallary) found it hard to breathe and quickly lost my appetite.  Check out the video to see the excitement of it all--minus the smell.

I am loving being in a big city.  There are endless things to see and do.  I am learning some basic language and how to maneuver around the city and order food.  I still have a lot to learn!

Beijing Amazing Race

We were paired up with two other teachers and two local college students to complete a scavenger hunt throughout the city of Beijing.  Here are a few photos from our Amazing Race.

Qianmen

Tiananmen Square

Catholic Church at Xuanwumen.  Built and established by Italian priest Matteo Ricci in 1605.

We made it to Beijing

We landed in Beijing around midnight Wednesday local time.  The Wileys and their luggage are safely in China!

Travel Review

"Qufu, home to Confucius and his next 75 generations. A town of 2500 years of history and UNESCO listed, on paper this place is impressive..."(As I was surfing the China blog networks, I found this travel review post on Qufu. Click on the title if you want to learn more about the city we will call home over the next year.)