By Mark
Jiankou Great Wall Dawn Patrol
After the BBQ I dropped the family off at Park Avenue and I jumped on to the 4th Ring Road heading north. From there to the G45 DaGuang expressway heading for the village of XiZhaZi. Traffic was light and it was odd to be driving down the road in China. It was only my second … Continue reading
Great Wall Marathon 2011
Preparing for the Race When I was young I loved running. I was fast. Â I remember in 3rd grade racing a little African American girl in pigtails. Â She beat me by a second, but we beat everyone else by a mile. Â Due to my nerdism I did no sports throughout jr high or high school … Continue reading
Passing the Test
Well I finally passed my written test for my Chinese Driver License! Â It took me 4 tries! Â (89, 87, 89 and finally 97) Â I’ve written about the process previously. Â But an update is due. First the things first a bit more about resources that finally enabled me to pass. Â Here’s a set of delicious bookmarks … Continue reading
BCIS – Spring in the City
BCIS held their 6th annual Spring in the City event this past weekend. Â A celebratory festival with food and games that raised funds for the Library Project. Â Great food and great weather (if a tad windy). I took a few photos while chasing the kids around the venue.
Tips for the Forbidden City
I’ve visited the Forbidden City over a half dozen times in the course of my visits and sojourn in Beijing. Here are a few ideas to make your visit more enjoyable. Start your visit by going to JinShan Park on the northern side of the Forbidden City.  You can hike up to the top of the man made hill … Continue reading
Best of April 2011
A list of what I thought were the best photos I took in April of 2011. Click on a picture for more details on where etc. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19.
Camping at the Great Wall
ad•vent•ure an exciting or very unusual experience a bold, usually risky undertaking; hazardous action of uncertain outcome We’ve been in Beijing for three months and while I been lucky enough to get out for a couple of hikes (1, 2)  on the Great Wall I hadn’t been camping for around 6 months, the longest time … Continue reading
The Great Wall – Gubeikou to Jinshanling
The Great Wall is an icon in China, one of those cultural legacies that is a symbol of national pride. And its on everyone’s list to visit when they come to China. (There are over 435 thousand photos on Flickr as of this posting of the Wall). There are photos of the wall packed with … Continue reading
Carnival of the Animals
The elementary school at Beijing City International School (BCIS) had a show on Friday called the Carnival of the Animals. Each grade dressed in costume as different animals and preformed a song or a dance. Â The costumes were very elaborate and I am sure were all hand sewn somewhere here in Beijing. Â There was everything … Continue reading
Chinese Drivers License
Getting your Driver’s License in China for a foreigner is a three step process : Get your eye exam at an approved hospital Visit License Bureau to pay fee and schedule time for test Take the written driving exam I had the help of the local company (Asian Tigers) as part of my settling into … Continue reading