Today’s adventure

Chapter 3 (New day)

Before I get into today’s adventure, let me finish the events of the 8^th, the 12 hours (not 24 hours) on the 9^th, and a very full day today. Back at O’Hare on Tuesday afternoon, the plane was finally ready to take off at 3:30 p.m. with the mechanical problems solved and the ticket holders relatively calm about the delay. The plane taxied out to the tar mat and the pilot came on the PA and announced that he would be shutting down the engines to conserve fuel as there are many planes landing and we needed to cross two of the landing strips to get to our runway. At 4:00 p.m., the engines started and the pilot announced that we were on our way. We did fly over the North Pole and it was amazing! Most people kept their shades down because we had bright light/sun all the way to China. We went from brown landscape spotted with snow to frozen tundra. The pipeline was visible and, at 9:30 p.m. CT time, we were flying over the Queen Elizabeth Islands at 34,000 feet at a speed of 559 mph. There was a large screen that gave vital information every few hours and also showed the plane in relationship to the land mass. At 11:45 p.m., we were over the North Pole and, no, there were no signs of a sleigh or the jolly old man in the red suite. 2:35 a.m. tracked us at 38,000 feet, cruising at 545 mph. over Siberia. At 4:45 p.m., we were crossing Mongolia. We landed in Beijing6:15 a.m. CT time on April 9^th and 6:15 p.m China time. at Dan Gregg from the State Department picked us up and had a van waiting. Our Trip to Tiananmen Square had to be postponed and dinner was the first stop before the check-in the hotel. The restaurant was gigantic! We had a private room with two large tables that seated 21 of us. Twelve dishes later, plus soup and desert (cake to celebrate Dr. Crossman’s and Mr. Gregg’s birthdays), we were off to the hotel very much stuffed and proud of our first meal in China with chopsticks (and everyone a pro already). After check-in and getting things arranged, Mr. Smith from Bolton and I decided to take a walk in our new surroundings. It was about 10:30 p.m. China time. Traffic was still busy and there were a number of post high school students out hanging with friends. The barber shops and beauty parlors were still open and had a number of customers. A few eating places were packed with people sitting outside enjoying a meal and the nice spring evening. The city abounded with flowering trees.

April 10, 2008

Breakfast at 7:00 a.m., on the bus at 8:00 a.m. In a city of 14-plus million people with industry and construction going full tilt, there are a few things that seemed to stand in contradiction. People wear face masks to help their breathing because of the smog and pollution, yet the hotel we stayed in, which is relatively new, has many GREEN incentives. When you check in and get your CARD KEY to the room, once the door is open you need to put the key in a slot by the door. I didn’t go into the room and, within 2 minutes, the lights went off. We soon learned that the key turns all electricity in the room on. When the key is removed, the power goes off within 2 minutes, thus saving electricity. Also, I meant to mention as we entered China, you could see the large white windmills that covered acres of land. On the way back downstairs this morning to begin our tour, I shut the door leaving my key in the room and thus being locked out.

Our first stop today was to the Ministry of Education, a beautiful new building where we were ushered to the second floor and into a meeting room that resembled the “Board Room” – the only thing missing was Donald Trump. The room was done in a lot more marble and had some mahogany walls and beautiful crystal chandlers. The Board table easily sat our contingent of 23 as we picked up the Assistant Superintendent from Glastonbury, her son, and a teacher from there who is teaching in China this year. The Assistant Director assigned to the Connecticut connection gave us a briefing about the initiatives in Chinese education, including their compulsory education for 6 to 15 year old students. After the hour-plus information session, we were allowed to ask questions, which was helpful. Each of us had a teacup with a cover and note pads, writing implements, and speakers. Before we started, three young women came in and filled our cups with green tea and continued to do so every 20 minutes. It was a good morning! From there, we went to lunch with another sumptuous round of Chinese dishes and women dressed in traditional costumes including headdresses with peonies on them (the flower of the emperors). After dinner, we took a ride over to the Olympic village to see the “Birdsnest”, the “Aquatic enclosure”, and the many other buildings which need to be completed by August. It was just unreal! We then headed to the University of Peking where we spent the afternoon with a professor who is renowned for his knowledge of Western and Eastern philosophies. His lecture was on Confucius and its impact on China. We finished the day at the Summer Palace and viewed the opulence of this palace situated on a lake. We sensed the power that a mother queen wielded over the emperors and her hand in the downfall of the Chinese Empire. The day was finished at yet another original restaurant with sumptuous dishes, including Peking duck and the first thing (a dessert) that made my colleagues laugh after I tasted it. After that, no one else dared to try this butterscotch, cube-looking “food”. Tomorrow is the Great Wall. My best to all!