Beijing - Spring Festival

Beijing, the capitol of China and the center of production for a new globally minded economy of dollar stores and shoe retail outlets. Spring festival, three days and two nights of firework illuminated, Holiday Inn accomodated, and greasy duck and malty beer fueled mayhem.

Our tour consisted of 34 Canadian, English, American, and Australian English Teachers from South Korea and was led by Charlie. A man of many insightful comments and a Buddha belly.



It was my second trip to Beijing and my third trip to China overall and I was really amazed at how much more modern the city had become since 2002 when I had last visited. The whole country is gearing up for the 2008 summer games and has invested untold fortunes into modernizing their transportation, upgrading their tourist facilities, repainting the temples and palaces, and teaching people how to que up or lines. (no, seriously! The second of every month is line etiquette day and patrols of volunteers run around the city enforcing line "kindness")



The countdown is on!! The sign outside of the People's hall counting down the seconds to the opening of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.