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September - November 2005
Inside this edition:
WLE trip - The Great Wall of China
There is nothing more magnificent than the sight of China’s majestic Great Wall, crawling its way up the rolling hills outside of Beijing. For those of us who had traveled to Beijing with WLE, this was a top priority – to see the Wall. What made our trip even more special was that we went in September. Nothing beats Beijing’s autumn. The leaves are a brilliant red and gold, and the weather is perfect – sunshine and blue skies.
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| Caroline and Johanna |
Daniel, David, Ronnie and Jorge
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Jin, Ryan and Salome |
We were genuinely surprised to find that there were so many friendly people at the Wall, offering to carry bags, help you on your trek, or sell you some water along the way. This was well appreciated by the time we reached the top, as we were surprised at what a challenge it was to climb. Some of the students chose to take the cable car which I heard had spectacular views and was kinder on the legs, but I would recommend climbing to the Wall as we met so many great people on the way up and stopped to talk with them and practice our Chinese.
But despite the exhaustion once we got up, we were completely taken aback by the sheer beauty and size of the Wall and the mountains upon which it climbs. After spending an hour or so on the top we walked down and found some wonderful restaurants at the bottom all offering tradition Jia Chang Cai (home style cooking). Many of us during our time at WLE had learnt how to say a few of our favorite dishes and had even attended cooking electives so we knew what to expect from the chef. Eating at the foot of the great wall was one of my many highlights of a great day out.
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| Luca, Alberto and Yuka |
Tuan and Alexander
having a break
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Helena from Sweden |
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Aaron from the UK
going for the top |
Alex, Markus, Tuan, Staffan,
Dagur and Edvard
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Acrobatics Show at the Chaoyang Theater
In our local guide to Beijing it said that a trip to the acrobatics show near the 3rd ring road in Chaoyang district is a must. So we were all delighted to see WLE’s Deborah pin up the sign up list on the student notice board for the up coming weekend excursion to the acrobatics show. It turned out that the show was only a 5 minute bus ride from ACLS so the Chinese songs we were all singing on the bus were short lived, before we knew it we were all sat down waiting for the performance.
We were all handed colourful brochures with an introduction to acrobatics in China and who would be performing in our show. Some of the acrobats had recently performed in the Cirque De Soliel traveling Europe performing to huge audiences, we felt quite privileged especially considering we were only 4 rows from the front. The show started with bang, acrobats appearing from everywhere, above below and the sides of the stage, flying dragons, unicycles, and contortionists bending themselves into positions we thought impossible. It was quite possibly one of the fastest 2 hours of my life. The acrobats had the audience quite involved by getting us to sing along to famous Chinese songs and clap. After the show we split into groups and went for dinner in this brilliantly vibrant area of Beijing. My group went for hotpot where we enjoyed spicy delicacies from Sichuan and talked about the acrobatics show for the whole dinner. It was culturally a fascinating evening.
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Megan, Yuka and Soulisakak
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Amazing balancing acts |
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Social Activity - Hakka Restaurant
One of the best parts about living in China is the culinary delights of this vast country. From hardy, stodgy Beijing food, to the light delicacies of Guangdong there truly is something for everyone. A little known minority food was what we had our eyes (and stomachs) set on in mid October. We’d heard rave reviews about the Hakka Restaurant, Lao Hanzi, and it turned out to be one of the best dining experiences we’ve ever had.
A bit of history – the Hakka, or "kejia" (meaning guest) are from central China but migrated south years ago. They never quite integrated and were forced to live in the mountainous regions meaning that they developed a culture quite uniquely different than the Han. This meant different cuisine as well. The best dishes on offer at the restaurant were skewered shrimp cooked in a pot of rock salt, gai lan steamed in a basket with olive leaves, and beef wrapped in bamboo leaf, to mention a few.
The atmosphere was very "renao" (lively) and we had a great time trying out our Chinese ordering dishes and drinks, as well as speaking with some neighbouring tables, also enjoying the tasty Hakka dishes. My favorite dish was without doubt the shrimp. We all finished the evening by going for a walk around Huo Hai area where the restaurant is located, winding through endless Hu Tongs and watching the old Beijingers gather outside to exercise and play chess. Some of us had learnt to play Chinese chess with our teachers at ACLS so we got quite caught up in the games and shared some tea. What a great evening, Beijingers are possibly some of the most friendly people I have ever met, very open and extremely direct. |
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The waitress serving us a
wonderful fish dish |
A Hakka Tofu specialty- Tie Ban
Yu Zi Dou Fu
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Where's the next dish? |
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| Samuel and Patricia working their "kuaizi" (chopsticks) |
Vanessa and Johannes
enjoying the food
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Weekend Excursion – Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden
The Summer Palace is truly one of Beijing’s most serene places with an environment that calls for retrospection and quiet pondering. We traveled to the massive lake and gardens in early October so the weather was quite lovely, some of the trees had started to change colour and the birds were in full song. Although we’d all heard a lot about the beauty of the Palace we were not prepared for the stunning walk around the lake or through the Palace.
The Summer Palace is a particularly special place in China. It is one of the only historic sites that survived China’s cultural revolution, a time when many places with historical significance were destroyed.
We walked through many beautiful galleries and gardens, and around the still lake with the large stone boat that attracts so many tourists. You cannot possibly imagine the size of the Summer Palace unless you visit it yourself, we spent a whole afternoon walking the grounds and around the lake and yet we still had lots to one day come back and see.
Although there were many tourists, we did notice that Beijing “ren” (people from Beijing) love their Summer Palace. It was full of people out for afternoon walks in the sun with their grandchildren or young couples strolling hand in hand around the lake. We really felt like we had a true Beijing experience with our visit to the Summer Palace.
When we walked out of the grounds we stopped at some of the many small antique shops to pick up some memorabilia like Chairman Mao’s red book, which I pick up for less than a dollar!
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| A group photo at the main gate of the Summer Palace. |
WLE Students taking a rest whilst listening to the tour guides stories |
Chris and Alberto enjoying the beautiful day |
Social Night - Hot Pot Dinner
When Beijing temperatures drop there is only one thing to do: eat hot pot. The local Beijing people know it, and now we do as well, thanks to a delicious evening of culinary experimentation. In China, families and groups of friends sit around a steaming pot of broth – sometimes spicy, sometimes simply a chicken broth. To accompany the boiling pot is an array of cold dishes such as frozen tofu, meat, spinach, bean sprouts, and more. Basically, everything goes in the pot and is cooked to perfection.
Then the fun begins with the sauces. You can choose between a garlic oil, sesame, spicy oil, seafood blend, or just plain vinegar or soy sauce. Scooping up the tasty cooked food from the pot and dipping it into the sauce is a taste sensation to say the least. What we loved most about the experience was the communal nature of it all – we all literally shared a meal and spent the entire time laughing and chatting amongst ourselves. We all had our own pot "guo" but shared all the food around the table and compared which meats and vegetables went well together. I must have tried four or five new vegetables all of which I enjoyed tremendously. We rounded off the evening by singing Chinese songs around the table with the help of the super cheerful waitresses from Sichuan province all of whom I like to think were impressed with our Chinese.
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| The Hot Pot is Served! |
Sara trying her first Hot Pot |
Soon to be ready to feast on |
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| Dagur, David, Gabriel and Staffan |
Takuro, Emily and Sara |
Student Interview: Richard Tomlinson
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 Name: Richard Tomlinson
Country of Residence: United States
Citizenship: American
Profession: Retired
Educational Background: Accounting Major
Brief Work History: Entrepreneur, Sales & Marketing
Languages Spoken: English
Hobbies: Traveling, Marathoning
Is this your first time in China?
No. I first came to China (Beijing) in 2001 to run in the Great Wall Marathon.
Why did you decide to participate in the Chinese Language Program?
I’ve always been fascinated with Chinese culture and history.
How are you finding your studies in China?
Challenging yet rewarding at the same time. The teaching staff is very helpful and encouraging.
Have they been what you expected them to be?
Yes! The curriculum is well rounded with numerous elective courses that immerse you into the social life of Beijing.
How do you like Beijing?
Beijing is the most interesting city I’ve ever been to. It’s historical content and significance is unsurpassed.
What do you find most interesting in Beijing?
The cross section of people from across China and throughout the world.
Tell us a few memorable experiences in Beijing/China?
Traveling to other cities like Pingyao and Harbin with classmates has been a highlight of my experience here in China.
How has your experience in China changed you?
It definitely has given me a new perspective on China’s global impact both economically and politically.
What is the thing you like best about Beijing/China?
Probably the transportation system. It seems to be very dependable for a city the size of Beijing. It’s very inexpensive so it allows you to go out and explore the sights and sounds of the city.
Will you come to China/Beijing again?
Yes. In fact, I intend to make China my home at least for the next few years.
What advice/tips would you give to others who plan to come and study in China?
Come with realistic expectations about what you want to accomplish. Immerse yourself in the social life and culture of Beijing and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.
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