Thursday was packed full of cultural experiences. In the morning we went to Tiananmen Square. This is a big wide open square in Beijing, and it was really cold out this morning because it was very windy. I am sure glad I packed plenty of warm winter clothing. Something that surprised me, though is that there is no snow on the ground. In fact, even though it is nearly as cold as Minnesota now, they only get snow twice a year. We also visited the Forbidden City and had our first experience with street vendors. Our tour guides taught us how to say "no thanks" in Chinese (boo yao). We also practiced our numbers and some key phrases in Chinese such as "pretty girl" (mei nu) and "handsome boy" (shuai ge).
After Tiananmen Square, we went to eat lunch at another authentic Chinese restaurant. This time we didn't have the option of eating with forks and got a hands-on lesson in using chopsticks. Then we headed over to the American Embassy. There was intense security at the Embassy and we had to leave cell phones and our cameras on the bus. Once inside, our group was led into a meeting room and we were able to speak with the representatives that deal with Chinese and American agriculture relations on a daily basis.
Before going to a Peking Duck Banquet, we had time to learn about Chinese Tea Culture. I was able to try five different Chinese teas including Jasmine tea, green teas, white teas and black teas. After trying some tea, I bought souvenirs at their gift shop including different types of tea and teacups. This was a really neat and fun experience.
We then ate a Peking Duck Banquet which is a really famous dish in China. I had never eaten duck before so it was a great chance to try it. So far I am eating a lot of rice and vegetables. Their Chinese food is very different from the Chinese we have in the United States. I am not use to the different tastes yet. In Beijing, they don't have noodles, but they do have a lot of sticky rice. There is also no sesame, spicy or orange chicken.
Finally the day ended with a Chinese Kung Fu Show. It was an interesting mix of commentary about the history of Kung Fu combined with theatrical performances. I am looking forward to visiting farms and the Beijing Market tomorrow.
Caitlin
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