1000th Post & Pics From Beijing!
Well, it certainly has taken me long enough! Some say maybe too long, but, hey I'm sorry I don't post ever time I take a dump or beat off (ahem, DirectFiesta!). I usually post on here when I need some content, or have a webmaster question, or the occasional haterade posts 
.
Anyway, so last summer I decided that for the New Years I didn't want to stick around for the New Years in Houston, so why not plan a crazy trip solo-style and have some adventure? Well, I had found some amazing beaches in Phillippines, and was planning on that, then I checked my US State Dept. country warnings, and noticed that my head would be in danger of being severed by some "friendly" Muslim groups in the islands. So I scratched that off the list and decided to goto a Communist (but safe) country for a little sightseeing.
I flew from Houston to Newark, and switched aircraft to a 777, which was my first time on this jumbo jet, and we actually flew over Greenland and over the north pole all the way into northern China on our way to the northeast to Beijing. I arrived to the city on my birthday actually, and customs was surprisingly fast (even faster than Cancun, Mexico). I walked outside and into a new world basically, where the sky was thick and foggy with barely any sun, and the crazy taxi drivers and the even crazier people on the bikes thinking they are invincible.
So what did I take back and learn from when I was in China? Well, for starters, even though China's economy is booming, most live nowhere near the standards of even US "poor" citizens. A cup of Starbucks coffee for the common folk is virtually unthinkable.
Also, we all seem to only hear the bad things about some countries. When we hear China, we think Tiananmen Square massacre, we think human rights violations, we think that the people are silenced. Not entirely true in China today. Now, the Chinese are living better than they ever had in their 5000 year old history. Though some freedoms are restricted, they are basically free in many ways. Everyone has the internet now, and people are free to express themselves (unless it damages the image of the ruling Red party of course) in ways that they never were allowed before. I spoke to so many common peeps, and nearly all of them want full democracy, but they are content with taking baby steps. Their government won't change overnight, and they understand this, and they seem to be content with that. Communism may bring many bad things, but they realize that through their government recently, they have had access to new services and money-making opportunities that they never have had the opportunity of experiencing before.
I also learned that yours truly is a walking pimp in a country like this. I can't tell you how many times when I was walking by myself that a cute Chinese girl would stare at me in awe. I liked the attention, because it's certainly not what I get in my city I really like the way the women treat you here, they want to please you in every single way. Just so completely different from American girls, kind of makes me bummed out in being back here now 
heh. But it was a great experience, learning about a complicated culture, meeting all kinds of different people and talking with some of them, and flirting with many girls. I must say it was an adventure, and if nothing else this trip has really made me want to visit other places far away. I recommend solo trips like this because you don't have to be on anyone's schedule, you can just get up in the morning, randomly decide where you want to go and get into some crazy adventures! Hope this was an interesting yet informative post, lol.
BTW, if you like the pics, I'll post more if you want. My server's pw was changed last night so I can't ftp, thats why I had to resize and lower the quality of these monster images and use some shitty freepic hosting place!
.Anyway, so last summer I decided that for the New Years I didn't want to stick around for the New Years in Houston, so why not plan a crazy trip solo-style and have some adventure? Well, I had found some amazing beaches in Phillippines, and was planning on that, then I checked my US State Dept. country warnings, and noticed that my head would be in danger of being severed by some "friendly" Muslim groups in the islands. So I scratched that off the list and decided to goto a Communist (but safe) country for a little sightseeing.
I flew from Houston to Newark, and switched aircraft to a 777, which was my first time on this jumbo jet, and we actually flew over Greenland and over the north pole all the way into northern China on our way to the northeast to Beijing. I arrived to the city on my birthday actually, and customs was surprisingly fast (even faster than Cancun, Mexico). I walked outside and into a new world basically, where the sky was thick and foggy with barely any sun, and the crazy taxi drivers and the even crazier people on the bikes thinking they are invincible.
The sun sets in the east BITCH!
Where's the sun? You rarely see it in Beijing in the winter, the clouds are always foggy like this, pollution or no pollution.
An area near my 4 star hotel. Looks like some old slums right? These places are all over, some right next to 4 or 5 star hotels and rich areas..In USA you wouldn't see this, we would separate old and new..Chinese seem to not mind
The Prime Hotel of Beijing, not too shabby. Notice the two dragon statues guarding the front entrance? This is almost standard on any Chinese building, they see it as a way of keeping out evil spirits..Chinese are VERY spiritual, not necessarily religious, but spiritual.
Wangfujing Ave, aka the Times Square of Beijing. Here you will find nearly every Western name brand stores, as well as almost never-ending flow of people who approach you and say "Hello friend, I am art student.." (at this point just say No I cant in Chinese and they will get the idea) they are only trying to sell you cheap fake art for about 15x the real price to naive Westerners.
A park next to Tiananmen square. Very old, then again, everything in the city is old, Beijing is one of the oldest cities in the entire world...I liked how they really kept up these places, no trash anywhere
Ahh, The Forbidden City, also near Tiananmen Square. This place is from the 1300's, the ruling Ming dynasty lived here. Only the royalty and their servants were allowed inside these buildings, and no one else.
The Great Wall. I went to the highest point on The Great Wall (approx. 1000 meters high), same spot Michael Jordan went a couple years back. Let me tell you, this is the hardest workout you'll ever endure, especially in the snow!
Ahh, a girl I met named Yan. She showed me around the best spots (and showed me some other stuff too ).. Very small girl, weighs about 90 lbs! Man, I love Chinese girls 
).. Very small girl, weighs about 90 lbs! Man, I love Chinese girls So what did I take back and learn from when I was in China? Well, for starters, even though China's economy is booming, most live nowhere near the standards of even US "poor" citizens. A cup of Starbucks coffee for the common folk is virtually unthinkable.
Also, we all seem to only hear the bad things about some countries. When we hear China, we think Tiananmen Square massacre, we think human rights violations, we think that the people are silenced. Not entirely true in China today. Now, the Chinese are living better than they ever had in their 5000 year old history. Though some freedoms are restricted, they are basically free in many ways. Everyone has the internet now, and people are free to express themselves (unless it damages the image of the ruling Red party of course) in ways that they never were allowed before. I spoke to so many common peeps, and nearly all of them want full democracy, but they are content with taking baby steps. Their government won't change overnight, and they understand this, and they seem to be content with that. Communism may bring many bad things, but they realize that through their government recently, they have had access to new services and money-making opportunities that they never have had the opportunity of experiencing before.
I also learned that yours truly is a walking pimp in a country like this. I can't tell you how many times when I was walking by myself that a cute Chinese girl would stare at me in awe. I liked the attention, because it's certainly not what I get in my city
I really like the way the women treat you here, they want to please you in every single way. Just so completely different from American girls, kind of makes me bummed out in being back here now heh. But it was a great experience, learning about a complicated culture, meeting all kinds of different people and talking with some of them, and flirting with many girls. I must say it was an adventure, and if nothing else this trip has really made me want to visit other places far away. I recommend solo trips like this because you don't have to be on anyone's schedule, you can just get up in the morning, randomly decide where you want to go and get into some crazy adventures! Hope this was an interesting yet informative post, lol.BTW, if you like the pics, I'll post more if you want. My server's pw was changed last night so I can't ftp, thats why I had to resize and lower the quality of these monster images and use some shitty freepic hosting place!
~Accepting design works~ 
!
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