Dad & Bro in BJ!

When I first arrived in Beijing in Nov 2004, dad & mom were very anxious to see me settling in well. Afterall, this is the first time I am staying away from my family outside home country, and I am moving to a new job and environment without knowing anyone in Beijing.
So dad & bro came to visit, and helped me move into my first apartment!

It is also my first white Christmas, and first experience with the cold harsh winter in Beijing.
I still remembered the climb up Great Wall in the freezing temperatures and cold wind against my face! But being on the Great Wall, standing on a piece of magnificent history, is an unusual experience. I wondered how the soldiers survived the cold harsh siberian winter winds!? The brainchild of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, who was probably one of the most, if not most, brutal king, also known for his reunification of China after 400 years of civil war, his great book burning and massacre of dissident scholars.


We also visited Tian(1) Tan(2) - Heavenly Temple, walked around the back streets of the Forbidden City and wandered around Shi(2) Sha(4) Hai(3) - a small lake next to Jing(3) Shan(1), where you can also see spectacular views of the Forbidden City from the top.
Being a skiing lover, brother got us out to a ski place about 1 hr drive from Beijing. Daddy's and my first attempts at skiing! I think we were pretty good!