On the Other Side of the World: Exploring Beijing

So I know it’s been a while since I last posted, and I bet you’ve been wondering what I’ve been up to. I’ve been exploring in the small amount of time I have to spare when I am not working. Here’s a little bit about everywhere interesting I have been thus far.

1. Lama Temple – We went here the first week during training. My favorite part was this giant statue that was inside the main building. It was unbelievable.

The Entrance

The Tall Buddha

Another Buddha

The Whole Group of New Teachers

2. International Art District – My roommate and I went to a local art district one day, and we were pleasantly surprised with what we found. This place is maybe a 15 minute walk from us and has a lot of cafes, art museums which change every so often, a gift shop, and some restaurants.

A Neat Chair Archway

Posing by Some Outdoor Statues

Neat Piece of Art Showing Chinese Paper Cutting

Random Outdoor Statue

Awesome Light Fixture of Many Lightbulbs

Interesting Armour

Funny Statues

A Wall of Moving Pictures

Outside One of the Art Museums with Random Statues

3. IKEA – After getting our first paycheck, we realized we needed more things to fill up our apartment with. Things like knives, good quality pots and pans, and other miscellaneous goods. We knew IKEA had knives so we went there. (It was hard for us to find knives anywhere, and when you do find them, you have to provide your ID in order to buy them.) After we got to the closest metro stop, we decided to take a little 3 wheeled vehicle to IKEA since it is cheaper than a taxi and it would have been a lengthy walk. Little did we know, we would be driving without the door shut and on the wrong side of the road. Thankfully we made it, and we now have knives.

The Driver

The Open Door

My Roommate and I

4. Temple of Earth Park – This park was nearby our hotel so some people went there every day. For me, I just went once with some friends and explored since it is a rather large park. We found so many different activities going like kite flying, playing music, Chinese card games/chess, and dancing. Yes, we did participate in the dancing for a few songs.

Two of My Friends Dancing with the Chinese Women

This Expert Chinese Kite Flyer

Do You See the Kite?

5. Qingfeng Park – Parks are everywhere in China which is something that I really like. This is the park that is closest to our house. It offers a great view of Guomao which is Beijing’s Central Business District (CBD). It also has a riverside running path, a kid’s carnival area, and a pond. I will definitely be visiting this park rather often.

The Peaceful Lake

Walk by the River

CBD Across the River

6. Rush Hour Metro Ride – With my work schedule, I typically miss rush hour on the metro which is so nice; however, one day I had training at 9 am on a Monday. I had completely forgotten about how busy the metro can be. I waited for the second train since there was no room and was still squished like a sardine. Luckily, I only had to go one stop like this, and then it wasn’t as crowded.

Packed to the Limit

7. Company Water Park Party – Last week, one of my off days consisted of a company party at a waterpark. I would normally be very excited for this since I love swimming and water, but this time I wasn’t as excited. It was supposed to rain all day. Turns out, it only rained in the morning and late afternoon so the middle of the day wasn’t so bad, and we were able to do our dance competition and swim in the wave pool for a bit.