Picture Palooza

My legs: Chinese people are much more kind and hospitable than Chinese mosquitos. 

I'm going to post some pictures here because my Facebook connection isn't working fabulously. There hasn't been a lot going on since "China Nationalism Tour Day 2008," besides Traci and I eating donkey sandwiches and shark soup for dinner last night. Most of our group, along with some Australians, went to a karaoke "venue" last night, a popular activity in China. It wasn't a bar, per se, but there were private rooms with couches and big screen TVs. We all smashed into one room and sang classics like "American Pie," "Wannabe," and "My Humps." We were served huge plates of sliced watermelon and bananas, grapes, sunflower and dried melon seeds, and nuts; the air conditioning wasn't working, and there were built-in flashing neon ceiling lights. It was sweltering. At one point, a glass bottle fell off the coffee table, so I went to ask a worker for a broom. Being a phonetical sign language "expert," I tried to act out vigorously sweeping a broomstick. He seemed to understand right away, walked into the room, stopped the karaoke mid-song, and turned on loud bumping techno music. He thought I was a terrible dancer who wanted to get her groove on. Priceless. Anyway, here is a pile of selected pictures from the last couple days. We're supposed to go to the famous night market later, so there will be yarns to spin and more pictures to be shared at that time. Zai jian! 

Megan, myself, Alysha, and aforementioned outrageous/amazing Chinese popsicles. 

(Unlike the two of us, Megan is a respectable picture subject.)

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Waiting to cross.

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A man, child, and pool inter-tube on the go.

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Finishing touches for the Olympics are still being worked on around Beijing.

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I found where all the Sizzler buffets went: the Oriental Plaza Mall in Beijing, China.

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Donkey sandwich. DELICIOUS. A delicacy for a reason. 

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Shark soup. Not as good as the donkey, but certainly not too shabby.

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Steaming hot and spicy soup from a Korean restaurant on campus. 

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Traci's lunch from the Korean joint. Tasted like spicy, marinated cabbage and meat with tofu. Really, really good.

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On campus, a father is pushing a bike, with the daughter taking a nap (while balancing) on the back rack, resting her face on the seat. The mother is carrying an umbrella to block the sun, a common practice among women here. They were a very sweet looking family. 

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