Godsons in BJ!

My friends brought their children, my Godsons, to visit me in Beijing, and left behind wonderful and very treasured memories of our time spent exploring Beijing!

We took a 3-hr train ride out to Bei(3) Dai(4) He(2) to check out the "old dragon head" a term affectionately referring to the start of the Great Wall, and where the first gate is located - also called the "Tian(1) Xia(4) Di(4) Yi(1) Guan(1)". Part of it extends out to the sea, runs a short distance along the coast! We also spent some time at the beach and went on a sand slide!

Back in the Beijing city, we made our way to BJ Zoo - and though I was as excited as the boys to see live pandas, but these lazy bears were snoozing away! We also went apricot picking in one of the many fruit orchards in suburban Beijing. We went home with 2 basketfuls of apricots!Depending on the season, one can go apple and pear picking too!

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!