So, I’m a day late & dollar short on this post.
I mean, geez. Take long enough?
I really lagged at this post because honestly…I was nervous on how to describe Beijing.
Sometimes when I’m feeling a creative block, I need time & space to think of an execution plan. This Beijing post needed thought.
Mainland China is so different than ANYTHING I’ve ever seen so I wanted to make sure I’m describing it very accurately.
Ok so here it goes:
Beijing, China was well, different.
Different foods, different smells, different sights, just different.
Not a bad different, not a good different. Just a different, different.
We arrived to the hotel in Beijing & first things first: I needed to wash my F-ing hair.
I know that sounds weird, but to be real- it’d been a week ( & half…aka two ) so it was time to get acquainted with the shampoo. I also brought hair masques by Hello Hair & asked the stylist to do a mask on my hair ( note to self: ALWAYS bring these hair masks, they’re a total lifesaver!! ). The masks totally made my hair feel revitalized & stress-free. LOVE!
There was a tiny salon across from our hotel so I headed over for a 4 pm appointment.
I made friends at my appointment.
Friends with the hair stylist, the receptionist, & the customers. Everyone was so nice! The stylist even gave me a bottle of Baijiu ( which kind of tastes like a SUPPERRR POTENT VODKA ). After the salon we headed to a famous peking duck restaurant.
Michael was dying to try peking duck.
Me? Not so much. I’m not the biggest duck fan.
I ordered a salad, rice, & some soup. After dinner we headed to this little bar called D Bar. We had a friend we were meeting & randomly ended up running into a girl from San Diego ( SOOOO weird, right?! ). At midnight it was Michael’s birthday so we did a celebration & then immediately went back to the hotel to crash! All in all, the first day was a success.
The first day we also: bought a selfie stick ( half the population in Beijing has a selfie stick ), drank the most delicious cold brew coffee, walked the art district, & headed to The Forbidden City.
For the next three days we mixed it up: we walked The Forbidden City, hiked The Great Wall of China ( I couldn’t walk for like, 6 days after— it’s SUCH a crazy hike ), dined at an amazing restaurant called Capitol M, bought another selfie stick, went tea tasting ( <<< so fun! ), enjoyed the Summer Palace, & met up with another friend.
The friend we met up with on the second day is a producer/director in China & obviously very into his incredible culture. One night he showed us how to make ‘hot pot’ which is where you cook your own lamb with lots of different veggies. The second night he took us to the most insane spot called J.E. Mansion.
And thennnnnnn….
Ok, wait pause. This is part 1.0 of the trip, will share the rest next Monday since there’s so much more!
Have you ever been to Beijing? Thoughts? xx
I love love love Asia. I speak Mandarin and studied over there for several summers. It is definitely such a unique experience and culture shock. I got to sing at the Beijing Olympics which was amazing and I learned so much about a different culture.
The smells definitely take getting used to but everybody is so kind and warm and when you are willing to ask and learn about their culture and speak to them in their language it is just so appreciated. I miss China so much. Going to Hong Kong is not really experiencing china since it is so westernized and is such a British influenced city. Amazing and exspensive, but until you have sweated your ass off without air conditioning, haggled in a night market, and been told that ice isn’t good for you so have some more hot tea, you haven’t experienced the real china haha. I love the selfie sticks, they are HUGE over there!!!
It’s so funny when you are in Beijing and see another lost looking American person, you feel this shared sense of “where the heck am I?” Haha
hey I was in China last month, it was so different from everywhere I have been! I’m currently teaching in China and heading back to Beijing next month, check out my blog – superhanhanworld.blogspot.co.uk
Look forward to reading your next post! xx
That food looks incredible! I can’t wait to hear about the rest of your trip 🙂
I don’t think I’ll ever have the opportunity to check out China so I love this recap! I totally had to break down and buy a selfie stick for our honeymoon to Greece because I just don’t trust giving my camera to a random stranger. Glad to know you got one 😉
You perfectly described Beijing – different! Two summers ago, my boyfriend and I visited Beijing, Xian, Yangshuo, and Shanghai. I loved China, but it was the most intense culture shock I’d ever experienced in my life. My favourites were definitely the Great Wall and riding the river in Yangshuo.
I had the exact trip summer of 2013 and it was the most inredible trip ever!! To walk the Great Wall, nothing like it!!
Noooooo!! I was SO into this post. Like, I felt like you were SPEAKING to me and when you said wait, pause. Nooo! Hahaha. Excited to hear the rest!
Haha! You can’t just stop in the middle of your story
Love Beijing! Peking duck was the best thing I ate there! Isn’t the great wall crazy?! It really is a hike! I went during the winter and when we were done we went to the Starbucks at the bottom because we wanted hot chocolate. Our tour guide thought we were crazy for wanting hot chocolate. But it was so cold. I want to go back when it is warm out.
I thought that first pic might have been taken using a selfie stick . . too funny! We went to Beijing 5 years ago and I totally agree with your description . . it’s very different! One thing that completely overwhelmed us was the amount of people. Did the tea tasting and Great Wall as well (in 20 degree winter weather). LOVE, LOVE, LOVE hot pot. There is an awesome place in SD that does hot pot soup as well.
Always wanted to go to China! and peking duck is my all time favorite meal! This is at the top of my next trips.
So funny about the selfie stick! My boyfriend has never heard or seen them before (um what planet does he live on?! but okay) and was just in awe from all of them he saw in Japan. That feeling of ‘different’ is so spot on. It is amazing culture and change from what we are so used to here in California, or even the US. I thought it was pretty wild, because although there was so much noise, so much commotion and SO MUCH going on, the only person I could hear and understand was my boyfriend – and vice versa – and it was strangely tranquil and brought us closer. I know it sounds weird typed out? You’re so right, even typing this I find myself second guessing and using my words carefully because as much as I loved it — I would move to Japan tomorrow if I could — I still do not know how to begin explain it. So excited for the next post and the pictures are incredible! I love the colours in that first pic, and those hot pots are SO COOL. I love the culinary culture in Asia.
I’m dying of envy. Lived in Beijing for three months, miss it all the time. Give the duck a second chance!
http://thatumamilife.wordpress.com – a clean eating bento blog.
Your photos from your trip have been so fabulous! Sounds like you guys had some amazing adventures {and a super fun birthday for Michael}. Love love love your recaps!
xx, Lindsey
http://www.thecurlydiaries.com
Gorgeous photos! Beijing looks so cool. Also loving your grey tee and black bag/glasses combo – it pretty sums up the fashion philosophy I stick to when travelling! Super basic 🙂
xx
Very cool post. Through your Snap Chat and TSC Blog I feel like I’ve been to Asia. Thank you for the interesting journey xo
This past January my boyfriend and I went to the Grand Canyon and I swear everyone there had a selfie stick, I was so so so jealous. Instead we had to ask someone to take our picture (the couple we asked ended up being from the county over from where we live strangely enough!)
I really want to go to Beijing! 🙁