Ｂｅｉｊｉｎｇ！

Ｉｔ＇ｓ　ａｌｍｏｓｔ　ｄｉｎｎｅｒｔｉｍｅ　ａｔ　Ｅｌｉｚａ＇ｓ　ｈｏｕｓｅ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　Ｂｒｏｏｋｌｉｎ　ａｒｅａ　ｏｆ　Beijing。Ｗｅ　ａｒｒｉｖｅｄ　ｉｎ　Ｂｅｉｊｉｎｇ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｍｏｒｎｉｎｇ　ｏｎ　ａｎ　ｏｖｅｒｎｉｇｈｔ　ｔｒａｉｎ　ｆｒｏｍ　Ｓｈａｎｇｈａｉ．　　Ｔｈｅ　ｔｒａｉｎ　ｗａｓ　ｃｏｍｆｙ，　ａｎｄ　ｗｅ　ｈａｄ　ｔｗｏ　ｒｏｏｍｍａｔｅ　ｂｕｎｋｓ，　ｏｎｅ　ｏｆ　ｗｈｉｃｈ　ｈｅｌｄ　ａ　ｍｏｔｈｅｒ　ａｎｄ　ｈｅｒ　ａｄｏｒａｂｌｅ　ｓｏｎ　ｗｈｏ　ｊｕｓｔ　ｒｅｐｅａｔｅｄ　ｔｈｅ　ｗｏｒｄ　ｆｏｒ　＂ｒｕｎ＂　ｏｖｅｒ　ａｎｄ　ｏｖｅｒ　ａｇａｉｎ．

Ｔｈｅ　ｐａｓｔ　ｆｅｗ　ｄａｙｓ　ｉｎ　Ｓｈａｎｇｈａｉ　ｈａｖｅ　ｂｅｅｎ　ｅｘｃｉｔｉｎｇ．　　Ｓａｔｕｒｄａｙ　Ｌｉｗｅｎ，　Ｅｌｉｚａ　ａｎｄ　Ｉ　ｗｅｎｔ　ｔｏ　ａ　ｆａｍｏｕｓ　ｓｈｏｐｐｉｎｇ　ｄｉｓｔｒｉｃｔ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｌｏｔｓ　ｏｆ　ａｒｔ　ｇａｌｌｅｒｉｅｓ　ａｎｄ　ｊｅｗｅｌｒｙ　ｓｈｏｐｓ．　Ｉｔ　ｗａｓ　ａ　ｂｉｔ　ｔｏｏ　ｗｅｓｔｅｒｎ　ｆｏｒ　ｍｙ　ｔａｓｔｅ，　ｗｅ　ｃｏｕｌｄｎ＇ｔ　ｆｉｎｄ　ａｎｙｗｈｅｒｅ　Ｃｈｉｎｅｓｅ　ｔｏ　ｅａｔ　ｌｕｎｃｈ．　Ｗｅ　ｌｅｆｔ　ｔｈａｔ　ａｒｅａ　ｔｏ　ｇｅｔ　ｌｕｎｃｈ　ａｔ　ａ　ｒｅｓｔａｕｒａｎｔ　ｗｈｉｃｈ　ｈａｓ　ｓｉｍｉｌａｒ　ｔｏ　Ｃｈｉｎｅｓｅ－Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ　ｆｏｏｄ　ｂｕｔ　ｉｓ　ｒｕｎ　ｂｙ　ｓｏｍｅ　Ｈｏｎｇ　Ｋｏｎｇｅｓｅ．　Ａｐｐａｒｅｎｔｌｙ　ｗｈｅｎ　Ｃｈｉｎａ　ｈａｓ　ｐｒｏｂｌｅｍｓ　ｗｉｔｈ　Ｊａｐａｎ，　ｅｖｅｒｙｏｎｅ　ｂｏｙｃｏｔｔｓ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｒｅｓｔａｕｒａｎｔ，　ｓｉｎｃｅ　ｉｔ　ｓｅｅｍｓ　ｌｉｋｅ　ｉｔ＇ｓ　ｏｗｎｅｄ　ｂｙ　Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ．

Ｓａｔｕｒｄａｙ　ｎｉｇｈｔ　ｗｅ　ｗｅｎｔ　ｂａｃｋ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　ｅｘｐｏ．　　Ｗｅ　ｖｉｓｉｔｅｄ　ｓｅｖｅｒａｌ　ｐａｖｉｌｌｉｏｎｓ　ｉｎｃｌｕｄｉｎｇ　ｔｈｅ　Ｆｒｅｎｃｈ　ｏｎｅ．　　Ｍｙ　ｏｎｌｙ　ｄｅｓｃｒｉｐｔｉｏｎ　ｆｏｒ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｏｎｅ　ｗａｓ　ｔｈａｔ　ｉｔ　ｗａｓ　ｓｏｏｏｏ　＂Ｆｒｅｎｃｈ＂．　Ｔｈｅｒｅ　ｗａｓ　ｂａｒｅｌｙ　ａｎｙｔｈｉｎｇ　ｉｎ　ｉｔ　ａｔ　ａｌｌ　ｏｔｈｅｒ　ｔｈａｎ　ｗａｔｅｒ　ｆｏｕｎｄｔａｉｎｓ　ａｎｄ　ａｄｓ　ｆｏｒ　Ｌｏｕｉｓ　Ｖｕｉｔｔｏｎ．　　　Ｐｉｃｔｕｒｅｓ　ｏｆ　Ｆｒｅｎｃｈ　ｐｅｏｐｌｅ　ｄｉｄ　ｎｏｔ　ｉｎｃｌｕｄｅ　ｔｈｅ　ａｒａｂ　３０　ｐｅｒｃｅｎｔ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅｉｒ　ｐｏｐｕｌａｔｉｏｎ．　　Ｔｈｉｓ　ｗａｓ　ａ　ｄｉｓａｐｐｏｉｎｔｉｎｇ　ｂｕｔ　ｃｏｎｓｔａｎｔ　ｔｈｅｍｅ　ｔｈｒｏｕｈｇｏｕｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｅｘｐｏ．Poland was really cool though. It had a pretty setup in addition to an art exibit of modern art which I actually liked.  They had a six minute about poland film which acknowledged the Holocaust, which I thought was gutsy of them, especially since noone else acnowledged any of their problems.

Ｓｕｎｄａｙ　ｗｅ　ｗｅｒｅ　ｏｎ　Ａｍｅｒｉｃａｎ　ｔｉｍｅ　（ａｃｃｏｒｄｉｎｇ　ｔｏ　Ｅｌｉｚａ）ａｎｄ　ｓｌｅｐｔ　ｋｉｎｄ　ｏｆ　ｌａｔｅ．　Ｗｅ　ｔｏｏｋ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｕｂｗａｙ　ｉｎｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　Ｐｅｏｐｌｅ＇ｓ　Ｓｑｕａｒｅ　ａｎｄ　ｗａｌｋｅｄ　ａｒｏｕｎｄ　ｆｏｒ　ａ　ｗｈｉｌｅ．　Ｗｅ　ｄｅｃｉｄｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｇｅｔ　ｔｉｃｋｅｔｓ　ｔｏ　ａ　ｍｏｖｉｅ　ｃａｌｌｅｄ　ａｆｔｅｒｓｈｏｃｋ，　ｗｈｉｃｈ　ｉｓ　ａ　ｂｅａｕｔｉｆｕｌｌｙ　ｄｏｎｅ　ｍｏｖｉｅ　ａｂｏｕｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｌｉｖｅｓ　ｏｆ　ｓｕｒｖｉｖｏｒｓ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　Ｔａｎｇａｎ　ｅａｒｔｈｑｕａｋｅ　ｉｎ　１９７４．Ｉｔ　ｈａｓ　ａ　ｌｏｔ　ｏｆ　ｈｉｓｔｏｒｙ　ｉｎ　ｉｔ　ａｓ　ｗｅｌｌ，　ｓｏ　Ｉ　ｗｏｕｌｄ　ｄｅｆｉｎｉｔｅｌｙ　ｒｅｃｏｍｍｅｎｄ　ｉｔ　ｔｏａｎｙｏｎｅ　ａｔ　ｈｏｍｅ．　　Ｅｖｅｒｙｔｈｉｎｇ　ｈｅｒｅ　ｈａｓ　Ｅｎｇｌｉｓｈ　ｓｕｂｔｉｔｔｌｅｓ，　ｉｔ＇ｓ　ｖｅｒｙ　ｃｏｎｖｅｎｉｅｎｔ．　

Ａｔ　ｎｉｇｈｔ　ｗｅ　ｗｅｎｔ　ｂａｃｋ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　ｅｘｐｏ　ａｎｄ　ｖｉｖｉｓｉｔｅｄ　Ｉｎｄｉａ，　ｔｈｅ　ｋｉｎｇｄｏｍ　ｏｆ　Ｍｏｒｏｃｃｏ，　Ｌｅｂａｎｎｏｎ　ａｎｄ　Ｉｒａｎ．　Ｉ　ｒｅａｌｌｙ　ｌｏｖｅｄ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｔｕｆｆ　ａｔ　ＩＮｄｉａ＇ｓ　ｐａｖｉｌｌｉｏｎ　ａｎｄ　Ｉ　ｈｏｐｅ　Ｉ　ｃａｎ　ｔｒａｖｅｌ　ｔｈｅｒｅ．　Ｉ　ｇｏｔ　ｒｉｄｉｃｕｌｏｕｓ　ｄｉｒｔｙ　ｌｏｏｋｓ　ａｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｍｉｄｄｌｅ　ｅａｓｔｅｒｎ　ｐａｖｉｌｉｏｎs　ｆｏｒ　ｌｏｏｋｉｎｇ　ａｒａｂ　ａｎｄ　ｎｏｔ　ｗｅａｒｉｎｇ　ａ　ｈｉｊａｂ．

Monday we went back to the expo for the last time.  We saw Israel and Pakistan, both pretty good pavillions.  At the Israel one I asked about a temple in Beijing for the high holy days, and I think I know where to find one now.  We then went over to the Africa part of the Expo and saw a drum show.  Inside of the Africa Pavillion we walked around for a bit before a man at the Mali station asked if I spoke french.  Eliza does, so she spoke with him in her third language for a while.  She said she understands now how I feel because her head hurt afterward.

Today we had lunch with her parents, who are both very nice, in addition to her cousin.  They don't really speak english, so Eliza acts as interpreter and I try to speak as much as I can.  It's exhausting.  Tonight Eliza and I are going out to a Karaoke bar with her friends! It should be fun. 

Dinner's ready, gotta go!

Love love
Wendy