Oct 13 – Exploring Beijing

Oct 13 – Saturday was a day of exploration for CSCChina42.  We toured Beijing.  We visited the Olympic Park, saw the Beijing Olympics “Birdsnest” National Statium, and climbed 10 floors of short stone steps to view the Forbidden City.  It was a fascinating glimpse into a culture that is thousands of years old.  This is the most culturally inspiring part of being in China’s capital city.  We also went to:  Beijing National Aquatics Center, Jingshan Park, Qianmen Pedestrian Street.  It’s the first day that I’m paying attention to air quality but not really noticing any effects on me.  However, I did note that those short, stone steps really winded me and I had to take a couple of 30 second breaks that hurt my pride.  I’m fit for goodness sakes!  Got about 15,000 Fitbit steps in, so it was a good day.  A number of my colleagues are wearing masks and I’m thinking:  “is that really necessary?” although I could have used one when we stopped for a couple of colleagues to use the public “toilets”.

There are clearly marked roadway lanes, but car drivers, scooters, bike and pedestrians clearly don’t think they apply to them.  At times, it feels like a Formula One raceway.  I’m learning to adapt.  I close my eyes on the freeway, I walk boldly into traffic now as my new friend Nikki has taught me, and look in front and behind me for scooters when walking on streets and sidewalks.  There is lots of horn blowing, which I’m learning to block out as I learn to stop hitting the imaginary brake in whatever seat I’m in.