China 2009

I arrived at the Beijing airport at 5:30 am local time on Christmas morning to change planes for the flight to Guangzhou in Southern China, about a 3 hour flight.  The sun was just coming up and the sky was turning a brilliant blue.  Who said Beijing is so polluted? The cold penetrated the glass walls of the new terminal building . It was a long trek through the terminal by moving sidewalk and walkway to the immigration station, and then a train to the baggage claim.  I stood chatting with a young man who was on his way to Hainan for his younger sister's wedding.  They both live in the US as do their parents, but they are having the wedding in their hometown for the benefit of the extended families.  The wedding would be traditional with the bride wearing a red qipao.  Once the luggage was loaded onto a cart I headed out to the domestic flight area.  This is on level 4.  I rushed because my flight was scheduled for 7:30.  They didn't tell me when I rechecked my bags that my flight had been cancelled and I was on the flight at 9:05.  

I have rented an apartment on the south bank of the Pearl River, close to the North Gate of Sun-Yat Sen University.  The apartment is on the 12th floor and faces the river.  I enjoy seeing the tour boats go by at night, some of them have large video screens, probably showing "America's funniest Home Videos".  It is quite small, but it works, only the shower doesn't have a stall and I keep getting my towels wet.

On New Year's Day, which I think is a holiday all over the world, we took my grandson to the amusement, wild animal park, waterpark(opens in May) and circus at Chimelong.  There is also a hotel with a white tiger in the middle of the restaurant.  We spent most of the time in the amusement area for small children where my grandson very seriously enjoyed some rides.  We watched a Las Vegas style dance show interspersed with acrobatic routines.  The stunt show with the flaming cars and lots of bang bang frightened the baby so we didn't stay.