Tuesday, May 12th

Today I went to China. When I stepped off the plane and went through the check for the swine flu, I was pulled away into a little blue sectioned-off area. There I was questioned about having a headache and my temperature was taken. After the Chinese dude took my temp, he called another person and they took me to another blue sectioned-off area, where they took my temperature again. It must've been too high because they took me to see a doctor. She took my pulse and tempterature, and then directed me by patting my body to lay down on a pink bed. All of a sudden she stuck her hands down my shirt and started feeling my boobs... After that I was released by they told me to see a doctor.

Moral of the story: Don't mark that you have a had a headache, even if you truly do, on the the Swine Flu paper you have to fill out on the airplane.

Welcome to China!!

Today we also went to the Forbidden City, which was grungy and worn-down. It definitely wasn't as cool as I thought it would be.


Tonight we went to a Chinese Circus. It was an acrobat show. The acrobats were incredibly fit and could do the most unimaginable things. It was pretty much one of the most amazing things I had ever seen anybody. I got really sick during the show and had to have "explosive rrea" (according to Ellen) during the first half of the show. When intermission finally rolled around, I ran to the bathroom only to realize they were holes in the ground. Quite the experience--squatting. When I was finished, I turned around to realize there was no toilet paper!!! In public bathrooms in China, there is no toilet paper. You have to supply your own... or maybe not wipe? EW! Good thing I have a bunch of tissue in my purse!

Anyways, the acrobats in the circus were all orphans and were purchased by the circus to perform. During the show I couldn't help by imagine the kind of torture and punishment these children experience when they are training or mess up during the show... I hope it isn't how I imagine, but this is China, if you know what I mean.

Also today, outside of the Forbidden City, a man with a no eyes was beautifully playing a stringed instrument. It reminded me o the movie Slumdog Millionaire when they poured the acid on the boy's eyes so he would be blind and make more money begging in the streets on Bombay. It was such a sad, sad site to see that as a reality. But that's the real China that I'm dying to see....

We're on this government tour, where we are being shown around Beijing. But the catch is that they only take us to see the things they want us to see in China. They want to hide all the flaws of China, and we don't have any free time to go exploring on our own.

Here's a photo of our tour guide. Sean is what he likes us to call him. His Chinese name is Dong. He's a great guy. He looks very similar to my friend Ho Pun Ng. But Sean is much more tan. Also, Sean calls me China girl... I don't really understand where that name came from.... But I like it.