of great things and the great wall

peach blossoms at the Mutianyu Great Wall of China

as part of the school's syllabus, we were treated to a trip up the Mutianyu side of 中国长城. the climb up was a test of endurance for 100 odd students who either had a late thursday night at the pub, or had not quite mentally woken up from their morning slumber. it was worth the sweat though. culturally, the walls have been restored to a melancholic worn-out beauty. bricks lined in the millions snake across the slopes, so you get a different view at every turn. fortresses carry little statues of animals on the edges of distinctly Chinese roofs, perhaps more likely a shelter from rain and shine now. historically, it really is a tragic wonder how a border could have been first built just using rammed earth, construction surviving through all weather hindrances.. and of course, demand for manpower. for the millions who died building the wall.. their footprints will forever be remembered in what is now one of wonders of the medieval world. the the pictures do not do much justice to the vast stretch, but it might give you a gist of it..

vast landscape in backdrop


lonely donkey


peeking through

with class teachers

on the way up


as far as the eye can see

one of the fortresses

snaking stretch

weekends have been a blur of festivity; from drinks out at san li tun to dangerous card games with too much at stake to catch ups at dawn over instant noodles with a certain fave aussie who just arrived.. there barely is time for homework! local beer is cheap enough for daily drinks, and a great compliment to almost every meal. pyro pizza has the university crowd going in for decent food, beer pong and happy hour drinks after 10pm. shopping takes a great load of emotional strength to hold your ground for a good bargain.. so there's nothing like ice-cream in between breaks of coursing through aisles of goodies in the silk markets. have made it a point to do one destination per week.. bei hai gong yuan this saturday!

thomas' brilliant idea

weekly haunt

15 RMB meal

entrance to 'ugly but tasty gimbab' restaurant!

fish-gazing in a neighbouring uni

every meal's accompaniment

chor dai di at 'the tree house'

for aspiring learners of the Chinese Language, ChinesePod does a very decent job in enlightening you on Chinese culture, while being educational entertainment. there are different levels to suit your understanding, but i found this episode of eating out in a 'Bad Service Restaurant' interesting: a taste of BSR .. and no, it's really not that bad having a meal here. the road ethics in Wu Dao Kou however, is still a fighting case. if anything, im getting better at dodging impatient cars and angry bicycles.

much to learn..