Dear Westridge School China Program Participants:

I began studying Chinese in preparation for a move to Taiwan with my family when I was twelve years old. I had no idea then how much time in Asia would direct the rest of my life. I have now been speaking Mandarin and spending time in Asia for almost thirty years. After graduating from high school in Taipei, I spent a year studying at Fudan University in Shanghai, China. My graduate work was done in the field of International Education, with my field work focused on the plight of Tibetan refugees.

Note: Friends and family of the Westridge China group are encouraged to
check back on the blog frequently over the next 10 days as there should be
plenty of exciting updates and pictures.

After a short layover in Seoul, we arrived in Beijing this morning, a little
bit tired, but very excited. There were some itinerary changes, so we ended
up visiting the Lama Temple as well as the site for the 2008 Olympics.
Located in the northeastern part of Beijing, the Lama Temple is a Tibetan
Buddhist temple and monastery that is known for its combination of Han
Chinese and Tibetan styles of architecture and artwork.

Day 2 Mar 16 Sunday: Arrive in Beijing

Morning: Meet local guides at the Beijing International Airport. Global LAB leaders will lead the group in orientation activities including familiarization with Chinese history and culture as well as reminders of group and individual behavioral guidelines for health and safety.

Afternoon: Visit the Lama Temple, the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple outside of Tibet and see Olympic sites.

The Lama Temple also known as the "Palace of Peace and Harmony Lama Temple", or the "Yonghe Lamasery”, is a temple and monastery of the Geluk School of Tibetan Buddhism located in the northeastern part of Beijing. It is one of the largest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the world, though many of the monks are Inner Mongolian and ethnicities other than Tibetan. The building and the artworks of the temple combine Han Chinese and Tibetan styles. Students will be encouraged to meet and talk with monks at the temple.

The students will see some of the venues for this summer’s Olympic Games including the new National Stadium (commonly referred to as the Bird’s Nest) and National Aquatics Center.

*What did you like most about our activities today?*

Jessica: I really like the Peking opera performance. It wasn't what I was
expecting; it was really cool, especially the acrobatics.

Shaina: I liked the detail of the Forbidden City and the bargaining at the
Silk Market.

Katia: I won't ever give a clock to anyone as a hostess gift. (Note: After
visiting the Hall of Clocks in the Forbidden City, the group learned that in
Chinese culture, one should never give a clock as a gift because clocks
symbolize death and thus would bring bad luck to the receiver.)

Jessica: I didn't know how I would react being on the Great Wall of China. I
loved it. It was so incredible to see how far I'd walked.

Shelby: What really left an impression was what we saw outside our windows
on our ride to the Great Wall to China. You could see how people live.
And, a lot of buildings here are older than our country. It's weird to see
that.

Noura: The Olympic training school we visited was really cool. The kids
doing wushu (Chinese martial arts) was really incredible.

Jessica: Seeing the gymnasts [at the Shichahai Sports Academy] was really
sad. It made me so sad to see that little girl, who was so young and so
talented, crying because her foot was hurt.