36 hours in Beijing.

Elisabeth and I made a quick trip into Beijing to take care of a few things.  We took the 8:30 train in on Friday, finished up our business and then had a free day on Saturday to hang out.  We had  a  great train ride in on Friday- the train was almost empty.  Our train ride back was less that stellar- very crowded and a woman wouldn't move her bag of embroidery from the luggage rack so we couldn't get our suitcase up.  Then she took it down during the trip and embroidered.  She wouldn't get off her cell phone so we could explain that we needed to get our suitcases up.  A nice man cleared some space on the other rack and helped us get our bag up. Thank you, kind stranger!

The first time we came to China, we spent about a week in Beijing.  I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of people, my total lack of Chinese and just the noise level!  Now, it's one of my favorite places.

When I am in a city like Beijing, I am reminded of what an amazing place we live in.  For example...this place.

From our taxi- the structure known as the Beijing Underpants!

And we can just walk past this amazing place- The Forbidden City.  Elisabeth and I also walked through Tienanmen Square and through Chairman Mao's Mausoleum.  Yes, it's a little creepy.

Beijing has a huge ex-pat population and with that comes Western Food.  Just in case you ever come to China, when the Papa John's menu says that a pizza is enough for two people, they are talking about teeny-tiny Chinese women.  Just saying.  We had dinner  on Friday at a place called The American Cafe and I had a Cobb Salad.  It was fantastic.  I haven't had a salad in a restaurant in a year and a half.  Seriously!  

For Saturday breakfast, we went to a diner.  Really! It was called Steak and Eggs and it was really, really great.  Here is the first omelette I've had in a year and a half.

Did I eat it all?  Yes, yes I did. Except for the hash browns.

We walked around a mall that was decorated both for Christmas and Chinese New Years!

Of course, there were wonderful examples of not quite right English.

Yummy!

This was for an acrobatics show- "Novel, beautiful, odd, thrilling."

These signs were all over Chao Yang!

Inside an apartment building.

Sink in  a restaurant bathroom.

On a bench outside the apartment where we stayed.  The noise level in China can be quite....high!

Elisabeth and Bunny, trying to obey the rule.