Beihai; hutongs

One of the students who chose not to try the donkey described it as cross between meat and fruitcake. The student is a self-described picky eater who does not care for Chinese food. However, she took heart when she heard that the Chinese food here is different from the Chinese food in America. She is surviving to the extent that she refused the offer of her parents to send her a food care package.

Wind is blowing today and lots of grit in the air. There is a special inspectorate in Beijing that is responsible for going to construction sites to make sure that open areas are covered in tarps so that particles of earth will not be blown into the air by the winds.

We enjoyed calligraphy.

Tricycle pedicabs took us through the narrow-laned hutong (old quarter) area near Beihai Park.
We then walked over to Beihai (North Sea) Park where I wandered over a bridge to an island with a White Dagoba (pagoda in the Tibetan style of Mongolian Buddhism of the Yuan Dynasty, ca 13th century). From it's base there is a panoramic view of Beijing, including the Forbidden city and Prospect Hill. The sanctuary boasts a many-armed statue. In another part of the park the Round City has an white emerald statue of the Buddha (Sakyamuni) 1.5 meters tall. It has a slash mark on its left arm from when foreign troops came to supress the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. Nearby are two trees planted in 12th or 13th centuries. On the way back we passed in front of the Chinese president's house.

One student opted for Skippy peanut butter (locally bought) and jelly sandwich tonight and another choose sardines and a tomato sauce. We know where to get some excellent Chinese food here.