China Trip: Day 5

There were some challenging points in our day, but the kids took good care of each other and we are so proud of them.

At our final meal in Beijing (who knew we could eat over 200 dumplings?), the girls sang their lovely rendition of "A Whole New World," and the China Ambassadors thanked Weifang for her time with us, her food selections, and, most of all, her line-skipping skills.

At the start of the day, Weifang paraded us past a block-long line (not to mention the security check point) at the entrance of Tiananmen Square. At the end of the day she convinced the train attendants that they really did not need to check our individual passports and could instead just wave us through.

We had five docent talks today, all engaging and informative: Nick at Tiananmen Square (or across the street, since the square itself was closed due to the annual meeting of the People's Congress); Ella and Matt at the Forbidden City (where we recalled The Last Emperor, the film we saw just last week); Sam in the Hutongs (where we had lunch in an authentic local restaurant); and Patrick in the Summer Palace (where our Chinese language students participated in some sidewalk calligraphy and impressed Weifang with their recitation of a Chinese poem).

On our last day in Beijing, we were grateful for: brilliant blue skies; our new friend Helen (who will be entering college in the U.S. this fall); spending time with Weifang's daughter, Jing (who had a half-day off from her professional duties at Xinhua University for International Women's Day); a smooth transfer to the train; and, of course, each other.

Catch up on all the China adventures!

Day 1: Touchdown in Beijing

Day 2: We're Really in China

Day 3: A Great Day on the Great Wall

Day 4: Lots to Write Home About