This is a picture of cute Kara and dad at The Summer Palace. The Summer Palace is another must see when in Beijing. The cold and calculating Empress Dowager Cixi http://www.chinapage.com/biography/cixi.html rebuilt this palace in the 1800's and used it during the summer months to escape the humidity in Beijing. Note the first photo of her on the above link. Twenty five years ago we walked into the room where this painting hangs and I have never forgotten it! (Today, you cannot go into any of the rooms!) Her fingernails were deliberately cultivated to that length, as it was a symbol of high status. In fact, she even had gold fingernail covers crafted to keep them protected! She also employed 128 chefs to prepare approximately 150 dishes for every meal. Some of the dishes were for smelling, some for looking at and some for tasting. It is said that she would only take just a few bites from several dishes and then have the food taken away. Now I know there is a sermon in that story!
This picture is of the famous Marble Boat. (thats right...Marble!) She had diverted the monies earmarked for the Imperial Navy to renovate the Summer Palace and build this boat. The upper level was a tea house...of course she didn't have to worry about spilled tea in a boat that 'stands it's ground' so to speak!
This is The Long Promenade Of Thousand Steps Corridor! It is spectacular! It showcases over 8000 paintings on the beams and side panels. Check out this closeup...
This must have been a sight to behold--watching the artists create these paintings.
When we first arrived at the palace, there was a man holding two large calligraphy brushes--one in each hand. With water as his ink, he would simultaneously draw the Chinese characters! It was fascinating to watch and he was delightful to chat with....
Now remember, each brush is creating its own masterpiece in concert with the other hand!
After we were through with the Summer Palace, Dad asked Kara if there was anything that she wanted to see. Her response? "Well, I have always wanted to see the panda bears!" Dad said that he would love to take his Bear to see China's famous bears. So we paid the admission price to the Beijing Zoo just so Kara could see her bears! What fathers won't do to make their little girls happy!
However, before you can witness the meeting of the Bears...please observe the following...
Together at last!
Now a funny thing happened on the way to the bears...apparently we were going to pass by the Olympiad Park. Our guide asked us if we would like to stop and see it. With our resounding Yes!--he tells the driver to take us to the park. As we are driving along on the freeway, we could see the famous Birds Nest Stadium off to the side. The driver pulls off on a side road and stops. To our complete amazement, we, along with other tourists climb up an embankment and walk on the shoulder of the freeway taking pictures of the famous structure! In a country where their is a multitude of police everywhere you go, there was not one to be found on the freeway to keep us from being a potential traffic hazard!
The cars were whizzing by at freeway speeds!
Last, but not least, I want to share with you a cultural gem that resonated with me...In every village, or palace structure that we saw in China, the doorways always have a riser built across the threshold, causing the person to have to step up and over to get into the room. I asked my Chinese friend, Athena, why this was so and why were some threshold risers taller than others. She said that this was done to give the person entering the room an opportunity to be reminded of the respect that was to be shown to the occupants of the house. The taller the riser, the greater respect. Wouldn't it be wonderful, if when entering homes or places of worship, that as we step over the thresholds we figuratively step up, giving us pause to think about whose house we are entering--and then act accordingly!
I could post more about The Forbidden City--but I think this gives you a taste. However, do not despair, we still have The Summer Palace and some odds and ends to cover--plus a another quip!
While googling to find out what time the torch was to pass by our building, I discovered something interesting about the torch that I didn't know. The torch relay is a modern event. It was begun for the Berlin Olympics. Noted Nazi Joseph Goebbels instigated the torch relay as a means of promoting the ideology of Nazism throughout the world! Thankfully, I don't think many people realize that when they are viewing the torch relay. 
As for us, we decided that the side balconies of our building were the perfect venue to view the torch, as they overlooked Fleming and there would be no obstructions. When the torch finally made its appearance, the crowds would cheer as the runner passed by. I have to admit, we all cheered as it passed by our vantage point. 
Side Note: After we were through watching the event, I stepped back into the room from the balcony. Our DTA, Terry Oakes said he was relieved that the balcony hadn't collapsed! I laughed...he laughed. Funny man! Later that night when Dad came home, I told him about the torch. He asked where we had watched it. I told him that we were all on the little side balconies. Dad said, "Really?" Those balconies are not built for load bearing...only for decorative design." Apparently Terry was really laughing from relief...not so funny after all!
We decided that we would take a trip to Shanghai and Beijing. Kara had not been to Shanghai before, and it had been 25 years since I had been, so we were excited to go. This is a picture of me in a newly renovated upscale shopping district. It used to be an old housing neighborhood. However, the upper stories are still tenant occupied...check out what Kara is pointing to....thankfully NOT for sale! Pretty Funny!
Now what are the odds of Kara, Shaka and Maui (I am ignorning the second half of the name)coming together in Shanghai?
We went into one store and encountered this very large and contented cat. Couldn't resist the photo...the eyes were mesmerizing! 
In this newer shopping district, we were bombarded with festive Chinese New Year decorations. They were plentiful and colorful...making "The Year of the Rat" most appealing! 
Later that night, we were dropped off across the Huangpu River to view "The Bund" in all its night time glory. This is supposed to be one of the most spectacular waterfronts in the world. We were told by our driver that he would pick us up in one hour. Kara and I wandered down to the waterfront and looked in vain for 'The Bund'--as we were not 100 percent sure what we were supposed to see. Unbeknown to us, Shanghai over used their electricity quota and had begun to economize by NOT lighting up The Bund--or at least on the night we were there. Just our luck! This is what we were supposed to see. 
The next day we went to the countryside. We visited an old Chinese water village. It was a quiet and peaceful glimpse into what life must have been like hundreds of years ago. Thankfully the sun came out, making it a beautiful day to browse!
We took a water tour of the village and our oars person happened to be a lady! About 5 minutes into the ride, she asked if she could serenade us--to which we enthusiastically said "YES"! People were stopping on the bridges and sidewalks to watch her row and sing! Simply delightful!
We had a wonderful time in Shanghai. I would go back again if given the opportunity. When we went there 25 years ago, we were told that we would never see that China again. It was true...the China I saw those many years ago has been absorbed into a new China...different, but still fascinating. Now we're off to Beijing! Who wants to come?
