My two weeks in China

Are nearly over. I've got some great pictures, that I will post a few when I am home. The last two and a half days we've done so much - Silk Market (did not like), back to the Pearl Market (did like), Tiannamen Square and the Forbidden City. Hiking on the Great Wall.

Saturday was our day to putter around the city, which a group of eight of us did via subway. I was nicknamed "Julie" as I was the designated cruise director. Since one of our number usually filled that role (and he's a guy, them calling him Julie was more poking fun at him in a good-natured way) he was all for abdicating responsibility to me.

I got us where we were going, through various hurdles and Subway stops, and back where we belong. And six of the eight of us were internet engineers. Herding cats, anyone?

But we walked through Tiannamen Square and the Forbidden City, came out the other end and found the subway south to the Pearl Market where we had a late lunchish snack, shopped until the market closed and took the subway home again. Love them all, but four of the eight didn't seem to have much of a sense of direction. It was a Really Good Day.

Sunday we were up really early and the hotel provided a small bus to go out to the Wall. We went to the Mutianyu section, rode up the chair lift to watchtower 6, walked/hiked/crawled along the wall to watchtower 1 (and actually beyond the "no admittance beyond this point" sign to a ruined watchtower we dubbed minus-one. Took lost of pictures, hiked/walked/crawled back to Watchtower 6 and took the luge/slide/tobbogan down the side of the mountain to the bottom where we fortified ourselves with hot tea and coffee for the ride back to the hotel.

Then we had a late lunch, I was fitted for a custom made shirt I bought (and which I will pick up in a matter of minutes) and got ready for our massage. Massage (Chi Balance) and dinner, and early bed.

So I have just the shirt to pick up and pack, and then we'll be headed for the airport. We've dubbed it the (name of my client) Express, since we know TONS of the people on this plane!

Anyway, I am ten hours into a day that will last me almost fifty hours, so time for me to turn this off and get moving! See you all online when I get home!

♥

Lets Review, Shall We?

Woke up Monday morning, around dawn. In Beijing. Finished packing, had breakfast, picked up my silk shirt, and started for the airport with M at 11am. Beijing time. Got on the plane around 1pm. Sat on the tarmac for an hour or so, finally got underway an hour late.

Landed in San Francisco at 9:30am Monday Morning Pacific time. Raced to get myself and my stuff through customs, back through security and to my gate Just in Time to make it on board. Sat at the gate while the mechanic changed an indicator lightbulb.

If there is some punchline that has to do with mechanics and changing lightbulbs I am way way way too tired to make it.

Landed in Boston at 8:00pm.

Also on Monday.

To make a very long story only slightly shorter, my bag decided SFO was the airport to be at, and did not make my connection when I did. A courier will bring them, hopefully overnight, as it did manage to catch the next flight out. It should have landed, and I am really really looking forward to the end of this endless Monday. I've spent nearly fifty hours inside this Monday alone. No one should spend two straight days living out a Monday. That is just cruel and unusual.

To recap: Monday dawn, Beijing, 6isham. First Monday sunset, somewhere over Japan. Second Monday sun rise, about two hours from the California coast over the Pacific. Second Monday sunset, just south of Chicago.

Current score: Etakyma: 0 --- Monday, November 15, 2010: Eleventy Billion

Can't sleep yet - too tired. Glad to be home, but man, not looking forward to getting up tomorrow.