Parks and the Northeast

My language partner took me to this great park nearby. Less than a 10 minute walk from campus. It has a beautiful lake (not the cleanest water), a lotus pond, willow trees, and a bamboo grove. The trip to it passes a really filthy stream which always has old men fishing. Also crosses some major highway (third ring road maybe?), sunset from it is magnificent. Nice place to relax, study, and watch the sunrise or sunset. Plan to spend a lot of time there. Then our teachers took us to another park, which was even prettier (we have to write an essay on it). Finally, today we went to the Summer Palace and the People's Park. The Summer Palace was first, but since we're on the subject of parks I might as well first talk about the People's Park. Stunningly beautiful. Gigantic lotus pond, bamboo and willows everyone, and the ruins of western style buildings ironically destroyed by America, France, and England in the 19th century. I still like the park near my school.

Summer Palace was a lot like the Forbidden City: bright colored Qing Dynasty architecture, remnants of two centuries of turmoil with marked a changing China, and flocks of Chinese and foreign tourists. Was one of the few students who chose to hike the lovely mountain nearby. Claim if you reach the top you live to a hundred. Three amazing shrines on top overlooking the lake. One had a multitude of statues, overwhelmed the senses. The other two contained a massive statue and an even more massive statue of Guan Yin. I did bows on the cold stone floor, got some stares from everyone else, snapping pictures despite the sign that said not too. Ironically my own camera seems to have stopped working, lens issues. Hope I can fix it, if not I have the 300 odd photos I took of China, but I'd like more. Hmm... the camera was a Cannon. The company, founded in Japan, was named after Guan Yin, the same goddess on the hill where the camera stopped working. Not sure how to connect these dots.

When we got back I chatted up Hu Wei, Ren Yi, and some of there fellow students sitting relaxing on the first floor. Got a DVD of Mr Liu playing the ancient lute (gu qin), ate some junk food, and talked about life. The two other students were massive Northeasterners (like Mr. Xu). Learned some of the northeast dialect which I hope to impress him with monday.

Finally, tomorrow's the fourth of July! Happy birthday America! I miss you!