Mom and I dome china 2013

Quick recap of what my life has been in before my mom came to china.Went to school every day, got up the nerve to try Chinese milk ( it just tastes like half and half (and I’m not complaining )). And after a semester long study on student relationships, results show that if coming to China with girlfriend or boyfriend, there is a 95% chance you will no longer be dating by the end. BUT fear not, this study also concluded that if you do break up with significant other, you have a 45% chance to find another relationship within the program.  So I finished the program and had a week until my mom came, I couch surfed people’s apartments. It was the most relaxin week ever. I.did.nothing.

BUT, she is here now!!! And it’s been the most fun. Momma Jolley has been getting the taste of China a little bit at a time.

Tuesday we hit up Tian’an men square and Momma Jolley got introduced to Chinese people wanting to get pictures with us. It was a family with a 6 year old daughter and the cuteness melted hearts.  We decided from that point on if people want pictures with us we get the picture too :P

So we hit up Forbidden City

Then climbed up to the top of the park behind the city called Jingshan and got to look out over the Forbidden City, walking inside the FC you feel like it goes on forever, and this gives  perspective. Forbidden City has over 9,000 rooms.

After lunch came Olympic Park!

The C stands for Carla OF COURSE

Then came Water cube

Outside

Inside

this is the competition pool.... GET AT ME MIKE

So during this entire day it had been in the 80s super hot, when we left the water cube (see picture of water cube) it was sunny, as we walked to the subway station it started to pour down rain, stopped for 10 mins, proceeded to hail 20 golf ball sized chunks, stopped, then become sunny again… GO HOME Beijing you’re drunk.

Next day  Great waLL: The plan, get up at 615 leave at 630 get to bus at 7 take 2.5 hours to get to Mutianyu(section of the wall). Mom Jolley wakes up, “you have 15 mins to get ready.”  “Jonah I’m going to kill you.”

 

 Then we started going on the not-so-kept up part of the wall

Trip back, Her first taste of  push train to get on bus, yo I want a seat. I didn’t get a seat. And I stood for 2.5 hours of Chinese man driving, they don’t believe in gradually de/accelerations.  ‘OH 15 meters from a red stoplight, better gun it to make sure I get there first, then slam on breaks so I don’t hit people crossing the street.’

Day 3 Live to win.
Summer Palace -> Yonghegong lama temple -> Confucius Temple -> Nanluoguxiang street

So far this is Mom’s favorite place

Remember how I said that thing about people wanting to take photos with us, well we made them use our camera this time.

Views from the top

Then we took a boat  to the middle island

So scandalous

                                                                                                                                                                                       

Yonghegong was originally an official residence for Prince Yong during Qing dynasty but then was converted the temple into a monastery.

What up

Its hard to have pictures for this place because all the really cool interesting interiors of these buildings we, weren’t allowed to take pictures

Confucius say….

After the temples we headed over to Nanluoguxiang, which is the alleyway with a lot of cool shops.

We got the cutest souvenirs together.

Today we went to temple of heaven, then the bell/drum tower. Ending with an Acrobatics show and a realll good dinner.

Mom was in charge of camera and couldn’t get enough the fact that this was the hangout spot for all the elderly in Beijing.

To the main attractions.

This temple was used for making sacrifices for good harvest.

The wall around this temple is called the echo wall, we couldn't get it to work. But I swear guys it does

Then we walked out the park to one of the 3 main “fake” markets, and Carla made me bargain for a kite -_- .

Afterward took her to my school’s district, and the restaurant I ate at literally every single day. We had some time before acrobatics show so we decided to go to the Drum and bell tower afterwards. Every hour or so they have a performance on the drums in the tower. These two towers served as the main time keeping for Beijing in ancient times. And during sunrise and sundown they would hit on 24 drums to signify time passing. Its really interesting.

Drum tower

Bell tower

Lastly  

Dinner tonight. Was soo gooood. Momma Jolley wanted her special Beijing duck and we got that here as well as awesome salmon/cucumber spring rolls and eggplant dish and Beijing noodles.

Two things about the dinner:  first, IF you hate eggplant, shut your mouth till you have a Chinese version of it. ( I made my mom a believer and its “a texture thing” for her). Second conversation had between two servers(in chinese) in front of our table regarding me asking for them not to put meet in the sauce for Beijing noodles.

“where is the sauce”

“you said don’t put sauce in it”

“no I said don’t put meat in the sauce”

“but we can’t do that”

“well fuck what im I supposed to use”

“use the hoisin sauce [from the Beijing duck dish]”

“fuck it, alright”

It’s been good Beijing. I'm going to miss the Beijing crew tuff, hopefully be back soon or November on some islands ;)

Tomorrow we are flying off to Xi’an. Main attraction: terracotta warriors.

Hope everyone is doing well! See you all very soon.