This is not a quiet lab

Labbies on the move, images and videos from Beijing

Posted March 31st, 2009   ―   By Barbara Sawhill

Recently I was sent to China to be a part of a UNESCO Experts Meeting on the use of technology in the teaching of languages.

While there, I got a chance to cross paths with David Petrick ‘10 and current student of the Associate Colleges in China program in Beijing. Below is a photo from our trip to the Great Wall.

Here is a video taken with one of our Flip video cameras of a restaurant David frequents while there. While not what we might consider “traditional” Chinese food, the food seemed more middle eastern, and yes it was yummy. David said it was considered “Muslim” food there. Joining us were two women from the UNESCO group, Heloisa Collins (in red) from Brazil and Emerita Bañados from Chile.

Later, Heloisa, Emerita and I contracted a tour guide to show us around the Forbidden City in Beijing. Meet Ma Sa. She was a fireball of energy, facts, figures..and amazing English ability.

PS Dontcha just love the sight of the tour groups that are forced to wear the same bright colored hats so they can be found (and find each other) in the throngs of humanity that make up Beijing?

From my last night in Beijing, and during the evening ritual of when the military lowers the National Flag in Tiananmen Square

–Barbara

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9 Responses to “Labbies on the move, images and videos from Beijing”

  1. Shiyuan   ―   April 1st, 2009 at 10:11 am

    Ah, Xinjiang shish kebab, yum!

  2. Rena Maeda   ―   April 1st, 2009 at 10:53 am

    Wow you had a wonderful experience there! I wish you could stop by Japan on your way back. :) What did you like most about the country? Did you encounter any culture shock? I’ve actually never been there!

  3. Anna   ―   April 1st, 2009 at 2:17 pm

    This is amazing!

  4. David   ―   April 2nd, 2009 at 11:27 am

    Why, that’s me.

    In case any readers wake up in Beijing sometime, the restaurant is called 啊达西 (A da xi), which I was told (I think) means ‘friends’ in the Wei language. The food is from 新疆 (Xinjiang), the westernmost province of China, north of Tibet, where the Wei (also known as Uighurs) (again, I think) are mainly from.

    I recommend the 洋肉串儿 and 大盘鸡, and plenty of beer.

    Love from 中国,
    David

  5. Shiyuan   ―   April 2nd, 2009 at 12:16 pm

    David, it’s 羊肉串儿 instead of 洋肉串儿. I miss it so much… I remember there was a Wei selling it in front of my elementary school. With 0.3 Yuan, you can get a shish kebab with a variety of spices sprinkled on it. Oh, sweet memory of childhood.

    Homesick Shiyuan…

  6. Qiusha Ma   ―   April 2nd, 2009 at 3:53 pm

    Hi, Barbara and David,
    This is way cool. and now Barbara, “You are a true man!” According to the Chinese, if you haven’t claimed the Great Wall, you are not a real Man. :)
    I love 羊肉串。Ya, the tourist groups have to wear the same color hats! Not just in Beijing, when I was in Bangkok, there are groups and groups of Chinese tourists with all bright colors, yellow, red, green, you name it.
    Qiusha

  7. Ann Sherif   ―   April 2nd, 2009 at 6:43 pm

    Babs, Loved the photos. Would have loved to go with you more but glad that you shared the adventure with us! Ann Sherif

  8. Barbara   ―   April 3rd, 2009 at 12:32 am

    Rena:

    Well it was quite interesting to watch a monitor ans see (through the wonders of technology) our plane fly over Alaska, Siberia, Mongolia, and the international date line en route (surprise! it is now tomorrow!).. we flew over Japan on the way back. And yes, after the crowds I experienced in Beijing I think I am ready for (what I understand to be) the densely packed cities of Japan.

    Culture shock? No. Internal time clock shock? Yes. But it has taken me almost a week to get my body to function after the very long flight and the 12 hour time difference.

    Qiusha:

    So glad to know that I am now a real true Man having been to the Wall. Hmmm… I am going to have to be sure to share that with Ryan.

    Ann:

    I wished you all had been there too. David was incredible and EAS and the Chinese faculty should be thrilled by his ability to negotiate the city and everything within it in Chinese. Oh how I needed him when on my last night our taxi driver took us to the WRONG Hotel and I don’t speak the language. Yup, that was fun.

    More to follow!

    B

  9. Guido   ―   August 8th, 2009 at 1:26 am

    yes “yangrou chuan”(lamb sticks) and beer on every corner. You could spend a holiday without eating anyting els…
    Cheers!!

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