I just received this email and thought I would share it with you. The following is what went through in a 6 month period.
1,854,600 Eggs
138 tons of melon
77 tons of watermelon
2,376,665 pieces of hand fruit
652,136 total KG of fruit
30,768 pizzas
246,144 slices of pizza
10,888 roast ducks
979,920 roast duck pancakes
6459 bags of rice
161,475 KG of rice
4.29 Million 4 oz (100 gram) portions of rice
158,458 KG chicken
102,340 KG pork
4,453 KG of PC jelly
318,000 portions of jelly
261,856 ice cream cones (including all sticks, cones, cups, etc)
0.5 Million yogurt cups
10,500 Liters soy sauce
1824 KG pepperoni
6.5 tons of Sushi
16 tons of bacon
15140 KG sirloin steak
58,945 KG beef
46,298 KG Tilapia
96,289 KG total fish
649,728 Snickers Bars
14,075 KG Cornstarch
6.7 tons of Sugar Packets
10 tons of Kim chi
36,088 KG skewers
505,232 Skewers total (beef, chicken, lamb, shrimp)
573,141 KG protein (beef, chicken, lamb, veal, fish, pork, sausage, etc)
Monday, September 29, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
See Ya China
It's over! My last day of work was today and I fly home in 48 hours..
What a trip it has been. I have had an amazing time here and have enjoyed almost everything China has to offer...minus the gross food I ate. I really can't believe I am heading home. I was here for 3 months and at times it felt like a century but at other times it felt like it flew by.
I was looking back on my first few posts that talked about where I will be working, where I will be staying, and all the nervous feelings I had a month before leaving. Reading it made me kind of laugh. I had no clue what I was getting myself into, I just knew I needed to show up on July 1. The first day or two I ironed out the nerves and started meeting people and my journey was in full swing. The experience here was truly incredible. This will be the largest Olympic Aramark ever does. There were 237 international managers and over 8,000 employees. On a busy day we would feed roughly 15,000 meals. Looking back on it all and seeing two villages, AV and MV, go from something to nothing is truly incredible. I was so fortunate to be a part of this project. I was one of the youngest managers here and I was working with people who were general managers, regional managers, and even some corporate managers. The connections I have made will hopefully provide a boost in my career. Not only did I meet great contacts I met some great people here who luckily live close to Philly. We hit it off right from day 1 and hung out the whole time. Granted most of these friends I made were almost old enough to be my parents it was still fun! Polishing off a bottle of vodka with regional managers and then trading business cards is something I wont forget.
Of course living in Beijing for 3 months had its ups and downs. There were days I wanted to just pack my bags and get the hell out of here and then there were days that I wanted to stay longer...actually not really! What am I thinking? Let me rephrase..there were days that I really enjoyed the city.
Now for a summary of the things I will miss and the things I hope I never have to see,smell, or hear again!
I will miss:
-cheap meals, cheap beer, and cheap taxi rides.
-the people I worked with and became friends with.
-hearing the annoying Chinese voice on the Subway.
-having my laundry folded perfectly and returned in plastic bags.
-my boxers being hung on hangers with creases.
-the awesome bread place around the corner.
-amazing dumplings, noodles, and steamed bread.
-crazy Silk Market and all the people who try selling you things.
-the translators who made my life so much easier..I could call them no matter what I was doing and they would translate for me.
-negotiating for everything..even at a hotel
I will not miss:
-the nasty smog filled sky.
-everything being a process when you have a simple task at hand.
-the stench in the taxi cabs.
-the little babies wearing assless chaps.
-walking down the street and getting hit with the worst smells ever.
-having staff that slept more then they worked.
-the chaos of work.
-having to wake up at 1am or 7am to watch Phillies games.
-the awful beds here.
-the traffic!
-the lack of personal space.
-people staring at me everywhere I go ( I have had issues with that since I was little!)
Well the things I wont miss out weigh the things I will miss but don't get me wrong...I still had an amazing time. As you all know being in Bejing for 3 months is something I will never forget. Everyone since the day I said I wanted to go to Beijing has been very supportive. Friends, family, and co-workers all encouraged me to come to Beijing to take on this challenge. I think I embraced the challenge of working on the other side of the world and making the best of everything here. It is hard to believe but I barley speak Chinese and still managed to get by for 3 months.
I look forward to getting back to Philly and back to my normal routine. I will be returning back to the Linc for football season. I think being here and working on the Olympic project will open up new opportunities for me.
I can't wait to see my family and friends and of course Game 1 of the Phillies playoffs. No more skype calls at 3am Beijing time to my father screaming about the Phillies game, no more video chats with my sister and cousin Michael at work, and no more emailing my mother to send me every time of medicine Target has to offer.
Thank you to everyone who has supported me through this long journey. I look forward to seeing everyone when I get back to share stories. Who knows where my next adventure will take me!
Love,
David
What a trip it has been. I have had an amazing time here and have enjoyed almost everything China has to offer...minus the gross food I ate. I really can't believe I am heading home. I was here for 3 months and at times it felt like a century but at other times it felt like it flew by.
I was looking back on my first few posts that talked about where I will be working, where I will be staying, and all the nervous feelings I had a month before leaving. Reading it made me kind of laugh. I had no clue what I was getting myself into, I just knew I needed to show up on July 1. The first day or two I ironed out the nerves and started meeting people and my journey was in full swing. The experience here was truly incredible. This will be the largest Olympic Aramark ever does. There were 237 international managers and over 8,000 employees. On a busy day we would feed roughly 15,000 meals. Looking back on it all and seeing two villages, AV and MV, go from something to nothing is truly incredible. I was so fortunate to be a part of this project. I was one of the youngest managers here and I was working with people who were general managers, regional managers, and even some corporate managers. The connections I have made will hopefully provide a boost in my career. Not only did I meet great contacts I met some great people here who luckily live close to Philly. We hit it off right from day 1 and hung out the whole time. Granted most of these friends I made were almost old enough to be my parents it was still fun! Polishing off a bottle of vodka with regional managers and then trading business cards is something I wont forget.
Of course living in Beijing for 3 months had its ups and downs. There were days I wanted to just pack my bags and get the hell out of here and then there were days that I wanted to stay longer...actually not really! What am I thinking? Let me rephrase..there were days that I really enjoyed the city.
Now for a summary of the things I will miss and the things I hope I never have to see,smell, or hear again!
I will miss:
-cheap meals, cheap beer, and cheap taxi rides.
-the people I worked with and became friends with.
-hearing the annoying Chinese voice on the Subway.
-having my laundry folded perfectly and returned in plastic bags.
-my boxers being hung on hangers with creases.
-the awesome bread place around the corner.
-amazing dumplings, noodles, and steamed bread.
-crazy Silk Market and all the people who try selling you things.
-the translators who made my life so much easier..I could call them no matter what I was doing and they would translate for me.
-negotiating for everything..even at a hotel
I will not miss:
-the nasty smog filled sky.
-everything being a process when you have a simple task at hand.
-the stench in the taxi cabs.
-the little babies wearing assless chaps.
-walking down the street and getting hit with the worst smells ever.
-having staff that slept more then they worked.
-the chaos of work.
-having to wake up at 1am or 7am to watch Phillies games.
-the awful beds here.
-the traffic!
-the lack of personal space.
-people staring at me everywhere I go ( I have had issues with that since I was little!)
Well the things I wont miss out weigh the things I will miss but don't get me wrong...I still had an amazing time. As you all know being in Bejing for 3 months is something I will never forget. Everyone since the day I said I wanted to go to Beijing has been very supportive. Friends, family, and co-workers all encouraged me to come to Beijing to take on this challenge. I think I embraced the challenge of working on the other side of the world and making the best of everything here. It is hard to believe but I barley speak Chinese and still managed to get by for 3 months.
I look forward to getting back to Philly and back to my normal routine. I will be returning back to the Linc for football season. I think being here and working on the Olympic project will open up new opportunities for me.
I can't wait to see my family and friends and of course Game 1 of the Phillies playoffs. No more skype calls at 3am Beijing time to my father screaming about the Phillies game, no more video chats with my sister and cousin Michael at work, and no more emailing my mother to send me every time of medicine Target has to offer.
Thank you to everyone who has supported me through this long journey. I look forward to seeing everyone when I get back to share stories. Who knows where my next adventure will take me!
Love,
David
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Dinner with a vegetarian
Jordana and Aaron were in town for the past few nights and last night we wanted to try hot pot. Everyone has talked about how great it is so we thought we would give it a shot. We went to a restaurant recommended by the front desk. It was right around the corner from the hotel and when we sat down at the table the entire menu was in Chinese. We tried to figure the menu out but had no clue what was going on so we left the restaurant.
Down the block there was a Korean bbq which we decided to go to. I had been there before and really liked it so I knew it was a good spot. We sat down and started looking through the menu. For those of you who don't know, Jordana is a vegetarian. This place was good for her because they had fish and lots of vegetables. We ordered a few things and then Jordana showed the waiter a piece of paper that said, " I am a vegetarian." The waiter nodded is his and went about his way.
In China they do not have many vegetarians....meat is a big thing. The first thing they threw on the grill was some fish and vegetables. After about 10 minutes they started putting meat on and Jordana stopped him saying she was a vegetarian. The guy gave us a look like she was crazy and stopped. They switched the grill and then we put the meat on. These people were so shocked to see someone not eat meat or not want anything that touched meat to touch her food.
The meal was great and rather entertaining. Aaron and I ordered a meat platter and the guy was cooking it up for us. Each thing was really good although we did not know what each piece of meat was. This one thing the guy put on we both ate and looked at each other and were like this is kind of chewy I don't like it. We asked the guy what it was and he sticks his tongue out. We ate frickin Ox Tongue. I can now add ox tongue to the intestines I ate the first week I was here.
The time that I spent with Aaron and Jordana was awesome. We went to the Summer Palace which was great and had a memorable dinner. It was nice having some family here for a few days.
I have exactly 7 days left here. I think I have 2 days left of work or maybe 3. They are really pulling my chain with when I end which is extremely annoying. I am planning on taking a bike tour of old Beijing at some point this week and finish some other last minute things in Beijing.....hard to believe its almost over.
Down the block there was a Korean bbq which we decided to go to. I had been there before and really liked it so I knew it was a good spot. We sat down and started looking through the menu. For those of you who don't know, Jordana is a vegetarian. This place was good for her because they had fish and lots of vegetables. We ordered a few things and then Jordana showed the waiter a piece of paper that said, " I am a vegetarian." The waiter nodded is his and went about his way.
In China they do not have many vegetarians....meat is a big thing. The first thing they threw on the grill was some fish and vegetables. After about 10 minutes they started putting meat on and Jordana stopped him saying she was a vegetarian. The guy gave us a look like she was crazy and stopped. They switched the grill and then we put the meat on. These people were so shocked to see someone not eat meat or not want anything that touched meat to touch her food.
The meal was great and rather entertaining. Aaron and I ordered a meat platter and the guy was cooking it up for us. Each thing was really good although we did not know what each piece of meat was. This one thing the guy put on we both ate and looked at each other and were like this is kind of chewy I don't like it. We asked the guy what it was and he sticks his tongue out. We ate frickin Ox Tongue. I can now add ox tongue to the intestines I ate the first week I was here.
The time that I spent with Aaron and Jordana was awesome. We went to the Summer Palace which was great and had a memorable dinner. It was nice having some family here for a few days.
I have exactly 7 days left here. I think I have 2 days left of work or maybe 3. They are really pulling my chain with when I end which is extremely annoying. I am planning on taking a bike tour of old Beijing at some point this week and finish some other last minute things in Beijing.....hard to believe its almost over.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Living the Dream
When we got to the airport we went up to the counter to check in. Once again I was wearing my Olympic credentials just in case. The lady took my passport and asked if I wanted window or aisle. I asked for the aisle in the emergency row. She did not really understand me so I just said forget it.
We start walking toward the huge line for the security check. I have no idea why the line was so long...it was almost one of those lines you see Thanksgiving time. As we are about to get in line this lady stops me. Kind of confused I turn around and she goes, "sir, can you please come with me." I follow her back to the counter and I am thinking maybe they made a mistake with my seat or something. She starts getting on the phone and looking at the computer. I asked what was going on and I got the standard, "wait a moment please." So we waited about 5 minutes and this other guy comes up to the counter. He says, "follow me." We didn't have to go through regular security we went through what they called VIP security. He then gives us our tickets. We went from row 15 to 2....first class! I was carrying a big back pack and then a smaller bag and he takes one of them for me to help me carry it. We start walking toward the gate all I can do is laugh.
On the right side of the terminal is all of these first class lounges. We passed about 3 and then the 4th one he says, "right this way sir." Now I am in the first class lounge at the airport. We sit down and he asks if I would like a beer.....sure why not. He brings out a beer and a fruit plate and asks if I would like lunch. I declined and went about drinking my beer. It was 7pm and the flight was boarding soon. We decided to get up and leave and said thanks. They said, "no you can't go yet we will take you in 15 minutes." I told him I wanted to walk around for a little and he didn't seem to understand why I would leave.
We get to our gate but there is no plane...its a bus! First thing that pops in my head is "when in China." We are one of the first few in line and there must be 80-100 people behind us. They take our boarding passes and tell us to get on the bus. Well the bus was the size of one of the rental car buses at the airports in the states minus seats. I get in and go straight for the back and then watch the entire plane board this bus. It is so crowded and with crowded comes hot and with hot comes smells! The bus sat with the doors closed and no air for about 5 minutes and then drove onto the tar mac to our plane. We board the plane and row 2 end up not being first class but it has a huge amount of leg room. Same seats as coach but more leg room then emergency row.
I put my iPod on and start to doze off. The flight attendant taps me on the shoulder and says, "Mr. Salinger if there is anything you need while on the plane please let me know and we will be glad to accommodate you." I said thank you and just started laughing to myself. The flight was a little bumpy and we were a little late. When I walked off the plane there is a woman right on the other side of the door with a sign that says, "Welcome Salinger/David." I went up to her and she says, "welcome to Beijing I hope your flight was everything you expected." We walked into the terminal and she asks me if I am heading to Olympic Village. I said no because I had no idea what would happen if I said yes. I was not sure if they would arrange a car or what. We took the subway home which was easy!
About my badge. This is the greatest thing in the world. These people must have thought I was someone important for them to stop me in the airport, change my ticket, let me in the first class club, and have someone waiting for me in Beijing. The hospitality was amazing. I gave everyone who was helping me Olympic Pins and they were very appreciative.
With that said...when I fly home in 2 weeks I will be sure to wear my badge and have plenty of pins to give out and see what happens. It was a great way to end a great trip.
I need to get to bed..I am exhausted.
We start walking toward the huge line for the security check. I have no idea why the line was so long...it was almost one of those lines you see Thanksgiving time. As we are about to get in line this lady stops me. Kind of confused I turn around and she goes, "sir, can you please come with me." I follow her back to the counter and I am thinking maybe they made a mistake with my seat or something. She starts getting on the phone and looking at the computer. I asked what was going on and I got the standard, "wait a moment please." So we waited about 5 minutes and this other guy comes up to the counter. He says, "follow me." We didn't have to go through regular security we went through what they called VIP security. He then gives us our tickets. We went from row 15 to 2....first class! I was carrying a big back pack and then a smaller bag and he takes one of them for me to help me carry it. We start walking toward the gate all I can do is laugh.
On the right side of the terminal is all of these first class lounges. We passed about 3 and then the 4th one he says, "right this way sir." Now I am in the first class lounge at the airport. We sit down and he asks if I would like a beer.....sure why not. He brings out a beer and a fruit plate and asks if I would like lunch. I declined and went about drinking my beer. It was 7pm and the flight was boarding soon. We decided to get up and leave and said thanks. They said, "no you can't go yet we will take you in 15 minutes." I told him I wanted to walk around for a little and he didn't seem to understand why I would leave.
We get to our gate but there is no plane...its a bus! First thing that pops in my head is "when in China." We are one of the first few in line and there must be 80-100 people behind us. They take our boarding passes and tell us to get on the bus. Well the bus was the size of one of the rental car buses at the airports in the states minus seats. I get in and go straight for the back and then watch the entire plane board this bus. It is so crowded and with crowded comes hot and with hot comes smells! The bus sat with the doors closed and no air for about 5 minutes and then drove onto the tar mac to our plane. We board the plane and row 2 end up not being first class but it has a huge amount of leg room. Same seats as coach but more leg room then emergency row.
I put my iPod on and start to doze off. The flight attendant taps me on the shoulder and says, "Mr. Salinger if there is anything you need while on the plane please let me know and we will be glad to accommodate you." I said thank you and just started laughing to myself. The flight was a little bumpy and we were a little late. When I walked off the plane there is a woman right on the other side of the door with a sign that says, "Welcome Salinger/David." I went up to her and she says, "welcome to Beijing I hope your flight was everything you expected." We walked into the terminal and she asks me if I am heading to Olympic Village. I said no because I had no idea what would happen if I said yes. I was not sure if they would arrange a car or what. We took the subway home which was easy!
About my badge. This is the greatest thing in the world. These people must have thought I was someone important for them to stop me in the airport, change my ticket, let me in the first class club, and have someone waiting for me in Beijing. The hospitality was amazing. I gave everyone who was helping me Olympic Pins and they were very appreciative.
With that said...when I fly home in 2 weeks I will be sure to wear my badge and have plenty of pins to give out and see what happens. It was a great way to end a great trip.
I need to get to bed..I am exhausted.
Xian pronounced She An
What a great trip. This post will be kind of long….we did a lot in less then 48 hours.
When we arrived at the airport our driver was waiting with a sign that said “Meets Mr. David Salinger.” Our driver drove us right to the hotel and it was 100 rmb, which is really cheap. The weather in Xian was pretty bad. We did not think we would have the smog here but while we were here all there was were grey skies…you will see in the pictures.
When we got to the hotel we met Ariel and Michelle who took the train up. We checked in and were really impressed. The hotel was gorgeous and the staff was very helpful. While we checked in Ariel and Michelle were negotiating with the driver for a price for the day. We were doing the Warriors, Hot Springs, and whatever else he suggested. The girls pushed hard and got the guy for 400 rmb for the entire day. Tha is 60 bucks and we spent at least 6 hours driving all over the place.
The first place the driver took us was a place we didn’t even ask to go to but he thought we would like it. It wasn’t that impressive. It was some excavation site were this tribe used to live. Some of the things inside were really interesting but it was just ok. I don’t even remember the name of the place.
After the first place we headed to Huaqing Hot Spring. This is where the emperors would go to hang out with their concubines. The grounds were incredible. Despite the weather it was really cool to see.
After the hot spring we made our way to the Warriors. This place was amazing and anyone who is ever in China should come visit Xian without a doubt to see this. We watched a brief movie about how all of this was found. It turns out it was two local farmers getting water from a well and when they pulled the bucket up there were broken pieces of the warriors. We could not get a clear answer for why the warriors were built in the first place but I think it was because one the emperors took over 6 provinces and built them to show how powerful he is. There are 3 pits of warriors. When we walked into the first one (it has 6,000) I was in shock. For the most part they are all still in decent shape. The size of this pit was enormous…I am not even sure what I could compare it to….maybe 3 or 4 football fields. Each warrior depending on its rank was built a different size. Your normal soldier was hollow because he was at the bottom of the ladder and then generals were built to weigh about 400 pounds. It was incredible and so worth the trip.
After the warriors we were all exhausted and the cab brought us back to the hotel. We asked for some recommendations where to eat and they told us this area is known for lamb and noodles and we should go down the street to get it. Most people don’t know this but Xian is one of the oldest cities in China and it still has the original city wall. Our hotel was located just outside of the south gate. We walked through the wall and into the Muslim Area. The Muslim area had this huge street market with people selling all sorts of weird crap that I would never consider eating. It also had a mini silk market with everyone screaming and saying they have the best things for the best price. I did manage to have someone paint my name in Chinese and it turned out really cool.
This morning I woke up kind of early and went for a run. I ran along the city wall. It was a lot of fun because they have all of this exercise equipment along the way and all the old people were using it. There were also large groups doing tai chi as well. I was running with a USA shirt and everyone kept looking at me. This city is awesome. It is not crowded like Beijing, the cabs stop for you, and the people are great. Everyone is really friendly. When I got back from my run we decided to take a tour of the wall. This wall has a moat and everything. We walked through a drawbridge to get inside. After walking around on the wall we went to a pagoda that had a huge Muslim temple. It was nice but since the weather was kind of bad it was not as good as it could have been.
We got back to the hotel around 3 and asked the front desk for a place to get noodles. This province is known for noodles so we figured we have to eat them. The main guy at the desk says, “Mr. David Evan if you would like noodles I know just the place for you.” He called me David Evan because they wrote my name down from my passport. Anyways he told us there is a place behind the hotel known for noodles and its fantastic…or as he said “very beautiful.” It took us a little bit to find the place because Chinese and directions don’t go together very well. When we walked in there were maybe 2 or 3 people eating. This one guy comes up to us in English and says, “welcome to Xian..do you like China?” We said yes and told them we need a table for 2. At the front counter they had a menu similar to one you would see at a McDonald’s or Burger King. We couldn’t figure out how we were suppose to order so we just grabbed a seat and they gave us a menu. The menu was all Chinese with a picture here and there. I saw a giant bowl of noodles with some stuff in it and ordered it. I was facing the front counter and they kept staring at me like I was from another planet. When my noodles came out they handed me a set of chopsticks. This was not your normal size chopstick—probably 2-3 inches larger then normal. I can handle the regular size ones but these..no chance! The girl behind the counter starts laughing almost out of control as I attempt to use these giant chopsticks to eat my noodles. My chopstick skills have improved since being here but some days you just have a bad day. As she continued to laugh I was getting a noodle in my mouth about ever 3 minutes. She walks into the kitchen and comes out with a fork. Once the fork came out it was great and the noodles were amazing. It was noodles, vegetables, mystery meat, and some egg. They were fantastic and all for 7rmb. 7rmb is roughly 1 US dollar.
We are in the lobby now waiting for the driver to get us to head back to Beijing. I am on the home stretch. I have 2 weeks left until I fly home. This trip was much needed. It was nice to get out of Beijing and see another part of China. It was nice walking down the street and not getting bumped into because it is so crowded or being able to drive in a cab without traffic. This gave me a taste of what “real” China is like. If I could stay for a few more days I would.
The Paralympics end tomorrow night and all the athletes will be out by Saturday morning. Hard to believe it is almost over. Jordana arrives tomorrow and is going to stay with me because she is not checking into her hotel until the 18th. Going out to eat with a vegetarian in China should be pretty interest. When I get back I will post pictures so you guys can see my trip.
When we arrived at the airport our driver was waiting with a sign that said “Meets Mr. David Salinger.” Our driver drove us right to the hotel and it was 100 rmb, which is really cheap. The weather in Xian was pretty bad. We did not think we would have the smog here but while we were here all there was were grey skies…you will see in the pictures.
When we got to the hotel we met Ariel and Michelle who took the train up. We checked in and were really impressed. The hotel was gorgeous and the staff was very helpful. While we checked in Ariel and Michelle were negotiating with the driver for a price for the day. We were doing the Warriors, Hot Springs, and whatever else he suggested. The girls pushed hard and got the guy for 400 rmb for the entire day. Tha is 60 bucks and we spent at least 6 hours driving all over the place.
The first place the driver took us was a place we didn’t even ask to go to but he thought we would like it. It wasn’t that impressive. It was some excavation site were this tribe used to live. Some of the things inside were really interesting but it was just ok. I don’t even remember the name of the place.
After the first place we headed to Huaqing Hot Spring. This is where the emperors would go to hang out with their concubines. The grounds were incredible. Despite the weather it was really cool to see.
After the hot spring we made our way to the Warriors. This place was amazing and anyone who is ever in China should come visit Xian without a doubt to see this. We watched a brief movie about how all of this was found. It turns out it was two local farmers getting water from a well and when they pulled the bucket up there were broken pieces of the warriors. We could not get a clear answer for why the warriors were built in the first place but I think it was because one the emperors took over 6 provinces and built them to show how powerful he is. There are 3 pits of warriors. When we walked into the first one (it has 6,000) I was in shock. For the most part they are all still in decent shape. The size of this pit was enormous…I am not even sure what I could compare it to….maybe 3 or 4 football fields. Each warrior depending on its rank was built a different size. Your normal soldier was hollow because he was at the bottom of the ladder and then generals were built to weigh about 400 pounds. It was incredible and so worth the trip.
After the warriors we were all exhausted and the cab brought us back to the hotel. We asked for some recommendations where to eat and they told us this area is known for lamb and noodles and we should go down the street to get it. Most people don’t know this but Xian is one of the oldest cities in China and it still has the original city wall. Our hotel was located just outside of the south gate. We walked through the wall and into the Muslim Area. The Muslim area had this huge street market with people selling all sorts of weird crap that I would never consider eating. It also had a mini silk market with everyone screaming and saying they have the best things for the best price. I did manage to have someone paint my name in Chinese and it turned out really cool.
This morning I woke up kind of early and went for a run. I ran along the city wall. It was a lot of fun because they have all of this exercise equipment along the way and all the old people were using it. There were also large groups doing tai chi as well. I was running with a USA shirt and everyone kept looking at me. This city is awesome. It is not crowded like Beijing, the cabs stop for you, and the people are great. Everyone is really friendly. When I got back from my run we decided to take a tour of the wall. This wall has a moat and everything. We walked through a drawbridge to get inside. After walking around on the wall we went to a pagoda that had a huge Muslim temple. It was nice but since the weather was kind of bad it was not as good as it could have been.
We got back to the hotel around 3 and asked the front desk for a place to get noodles. This province is known for noodles so we figured we have to eat them. The main guy at the desk says, “Mr. David Evan if you would like noodles I know just the place for you.” He called me David Evan because they wrote my name down from my passport. Anyways he told us there is a place behind the hotel known for noodles and its fantastic…or as he said “very beautiful.” It took us a little bit to find the place because Chinese and directions don’t go together very well. When we walked in there were maybe 2 or 3 people eating. This one guy comes up to us in English and says, “welcome to Xian..do you like China?” We said yes and told them we need a table for 2. At the front counter they had a menu similar to one you would see at a McDonald’s or Burger King. We couldn’t figure out how we were suppose to order so we just grabbed a seat and they gave us a menu. The menu was all Chinese with a picture here and there. I saw a giant bowl of noodles with some stuff in it and ordered it. I was facing the front counter and they kept staring at me like I was from another planet. When my noodles came out they handed me a set of chopsticks. This was not your normal size chopstick—probably 2-3 inches larger then normal. I can handle the regular size ones but these..no chance! The girl behind the counter starts laughing almost out of control as I attempt to use these giant chopsticks to eat my noodles. My chopstick skills have improved since being here but some days you just have a bad day. As she continued to laugh I was getting a noodle in my mouth about ever 3 minutes. She walks into the kitchen and comes out with a fork. Once the fork came out it was great and the noodles were amazing. It was noodles, vegetables, mystery meat, and some egg. They were fantastic and all for 7rmb. 7rmb is roughly 1 US dollar.
We are in the lobby now waiting for the driver to get us to head back to Beijing. I am on the home stretch. I have 2 weeks left until I fly home. This trip was much needed. It was nice to get out of Beijing and see another part of China. It was nice walking down the street and not getting bumped into because it is so crowded or being able to drive in a cab without traffic. This gave me a taste of what “real” China is like. If I could stay for a few more days I would.
The Paralympics end tomorrow night and all the athletes will be out by Saturday morning. Hard to believe it is almost over. Jordana arrives tomorrow and is going to stay with me because she is not checking into her hotel until the 18th. Going out to eat with a vegetarian in China should be pretty interest. When I get back I will post pictures so you guys can see my trip.
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