inside Rhodes

Howdy kids! It’s been a while since I last updated; I’m gonna blame the lack of public computers around tourist hotspots in China. Anyhoooooo, now that I’m finally back in Shanghai (where most of my relatives reside), I can finally blog.

As I mentioned in my last post, there was much concern over the H1N1 virus’ possibility of epidemic-ness, so there were forehead checkers (to quarantine feverish fliers) who swarmed the plane upon our arrival in Shanghai. One of these Swine Flu fighters was kind enough to pose in full regalia for me:

My mother, brother, and I were lucky enough to be sitting four rows ahead of someone registering a slight fever. My dad just happened to be sitting in the row behind us, within a three row radius of someone registering a slight fever and was carted away, according to the new regulation set by the Chinese government. Thankfully, he was released after a day, when officials determined post-finals stress to be the culprit of our feverish flier’s raised temperature.

With all that mess behind us, the whole fam decided to head out to a shopping mart in Shanghai frequented by a group of people we now unfortunately fall under–tourists. It’s known for its distinctly Asian wares and smells.

Much eating ensued. I vividly remember after a wonderfully delicious dinner, the entire family (grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins included) posed for snapshots by the Huangpu River.

A week later, Dad left to go back to Houston and the tedium of work while Mom, Phillip, and I flew to Beijing. We checked out remnants of bygone days and more recent architectural feats. The first night, we visited the Bird’s Nest (which housed many events of the 2008 Olympics). My mother was under the impression that the Bird’s Nest would be much more dazzling with pretty lights and everything at night, but I think she failed to consider the difficulty of photographing figures in the dark. Here’s the result:

Then, we hit up the usual must-see sights–Tiananmen and the Forbidden City:

The Great Wall:

Tian Tan (I think that’s the Pinyin for it) or the Temple of Heaven:

and some TV tower (CCTV is apparently a big deal in China):

From Beijing, we flew to Guangzhou, then Guilin, but I think I’m gonna have to fill you in on those adventures tomorrow. It’s almost midnight here, and I’ve developed the sleeping habits of the elderly. Goodnight, and stay tuned.