An Appetite for Adventure

From [08.09.30] Forbidden City and Houhai

I’m drowning in a tumultuous sea of Chinese characters, application essays and math logic problems. My life is pretty lame right now. But it also explains why I want to procrastinate by adding some updates.

Which is probably why I haven’t posted in a long time despite having the week off from school. Yep, it’s Golden Week, a.k.a. the National Holiday, a.k.a the week the whole of China piles into Beijing’s city limits. October 1st marks the day modern China came into existence. In honor of the occasion, we received a week off from school. Well, in exchange for an uninterrupted week of no class, we had to attend lessons last Saturday and Sunday. Yep, we went to school on the weekend. Only in China.

As mentioned, I’ve taken advantage of the time off, but not in the usual way I would by doing cool things, taking trips, exploring hidden corners far and wide. No, I’ve been glued to my computer and books, cramming my head full of algebra and geometry, wrestling with Chinese hanzi and basic expressions, and condensing the greatest accomplishments of my life into 6 meticulously constructed essays. It’s starting to get difficult to see where my ass ends and my desk chair begins, I spend so much time sitting at my desk. It’s oppressive to the free-spirited, curiosity-driven adventurer in me. I feel trapped and tethered, at least through the beginning of November.

Not to mention that I came down with a nasty cold that kept me bedridden for the better part of the beginning of the week.

Bitching and moaning aside — but thanks for letting me get it out there; I feel a lot better — I did manage to spend one nice day out and about. On Tuesday, Sean and I — along with the whole of China, practically — ventured out to the Forbidden City. The compound was the stomping grounds for the emperors of the Qing and Ming dynasties, remaining so until the last emperor fell in the early part of the 20th century. Also ravaged during the Cultural Revolution, the complex full of winding pathways and magnificent old Chinese architecture was preserved as a museum, and remains the centerpiece of Beijing’s tourist sites (though it’s quickly losing ground to the Olympic Park). When spent the afternoon wandering through Chinese history, then capped the day with a visit to Houhai, the area around a small lake in central Beijing, now home to a plethora of trendy eateries and bars.

Take a look at the pics here:

[08.09.30] Forbidden City and Houhai