All That Glitters Isn't Gold...

Well, I'm running into some problems posting pictures and videos here. I would like it so much better if there was a way to have a folder that you could click on and it would take you to all my pictures and videos. That's my West thinking there...I just think it would make the blog look a lot cleaner. So I'm looking for other options. I think I may make a photobucket account and post the link here...maybe that will work? I don't know.

I'm writing today about yesterday, since it seems I always write the next morning...which just seems more convenient. We continued our orientation today, if that is what you want to call it. It was the finalization of what we may be doing throughout our stay here. We also signed up for our site-seeing tours and our dinners.


We have...


*3 Full Day Trips: Summer Palace, The Great Wall and The Forbidden City


*2 Half Day Trips: Temple of Heaven and The Lama Temple


*4 Dinners: Hot Pot (mmm...good), a traditional Chinese dinner, Peking Duck! and a Dumpling dinner


*4 Olympic Events: various...the ones I will be attending are Women's Indoor Volleyball, Soccer, Athletics and Taekwondo


It was like we were waiting for the lottery numbers to be announced when they passed out all our envelopes with our tickets in them.





***I have to make mention to Jordan Palmer! Because of her I will be attending SOCCER at the Olympics. She gave me her ticket in place for Beach Volleyball. I will forever be in her debt! Thank you Jordan ;)

So that is what the next few weeks will entail. We will volunteer during our opening times when we are not doing our activities above. What are we doing you ask? I'm still not quite sure. I will have a much clearer idea in a few hours when I go to my first assignment! We are kinda the all-round versatile volunteer group. We are working with CYCAN, a group of college students from around Beijing that work with environmental issues. They are our guides throughout our service projects. I'm excited and look forward to the different possibilities we will have.

Afterwards...it was another free day! Everyone from the apartment I'm at decided that we were going to go to the Zoo to see Pandas! It was an adventure trying to navigate our way through the various subway lines and bus stops to get there. We made it safe and got to see the Pandas! That was the objective of our mission...everything else we could see in the states.





My apartment-mates are awesome! We have a really good group and get along well. We range from all over the states! We have 6 girls and 3 guys, so it's a nice little group. Our apartment is real nice. Furnished with everything! Can't complain one bit...enjoying every moment.

For the evening we split up and went different places. I went to Tian Anmen Square and hung out down there with Jing and her friend Shan. Beijing is so beautiful at night...lights up everywhere, really bright and colorful! It was a good day. I'm always tired and worn out at the end of the day. Feeling more and more comfortable everyday about getting around this city. I don't claim to be a pro...but feeling better about going out on my own if needed! Life is great! The Olympics are in full swing and the battle for the Gold is on every countries mind...especially the U.S. and China!