Move Over Angelina

Alex has had it with the paparazzi, although, like a quality star, he will occasionally grant photo opts and award winning smiles for the cameras of people he has never before seen. Every place we go, heads are turning, people pointing, coming up and asking if they can have their photo taken with him, smiles on their faces and lots of laughter and chattering.

Yesterday morning began with a rickshaw tour of the hutong, the city’s old alleyways of small homes and stores, most of which have been torn down to make way for the "New Beijing." The homes are small, many over 400 years old. Individual rooms center around a courtyard. We visited a home and had tea in the courtyard as the owner explained his family’s 400 year history in this same home. An ancient tree rose from the center, caged birds to one side, a large bowl of koi to another. Outside the home, people sat in the alleyways playing chess and drinking tea. Bicycles wove in and out of the tiny, narrow paths. It was truly like entering another world, a world long past but still vital, one we wanted to stay in awhile and discover.

Next, off to a silk factory where we were shown how a single thread is pulled from the cocoon of the silk worm and woven into fabric.

After lunch – and a word about the food – every meal is served family style on a large lazy Susan that just keeps spinning as the dishes are shared. At each meal, at least 15 or twenty different dishes have been brought out. It is a never ending food adventure – a dream for the family taste tester – but, as I was saying, after lunch, we visited the Beijing City Planning Exhibition (or something like that). I was tired and I knew Alex was too, so I told him we could stay on the bus. He would have none of that, and as it turned out, this museum may have been the highlight of his tour. A room sized miniature model of Beijing is the first thing to be seen. Beijing of the future, a model of the Olympic village, an amazing 3D movie. He was transfixed and more than a little infatuated with our pretty guide. He stayed about two inches from her side the entire tour. When she moved, he moved with her.

Finally, a visit to the beautiful Summer Palace, located just outside the city and a getaway for the royal families in their day.

Today, we walked the axis from Tiananmen Square to the immense Forbidden City, another amazing spectacular.

I wish I had more time to describe the wonder of all of these places. This trip has already been rich with sites, with growing friendships with the other Homeland families, with the thrill of being in a culture so dissimilar to our own. But, we have had very little time and little access to the Internet, so I have to recap the basics only.