August 23-24

Quick note: any fun facts I give are a compilation of things I heard, so they may be incorrect in some ways maybe.   Also, my Silk Road Trip is September 17-October 2.

August 23-24
Minnesota: Tuesday morning I woke up at 3:30 a.m. Took a shower.  Felt a little sick in my stomach and went to the airport.
Air Canada is pretty alright.  Flying from Toronto means a shorter flight because we get to go over the top part of the world instead of around the fat to get to Beijing.  The flight out of Toronto provided food constantly, and Air Canada on both flights handed out the spindle pretzel packets.  French, English, Chinese.  All announcements take three times as long, but flying to Asia is the best: Cup Noodles as snacks!
One thing I wish, other than to not have half of the flight to Beijing left, is that the map on my screen worked....though perhaps it is good it doesn't.  It means every time I manage to steal a look when my neighbor turns on his map, the plane icon has moved a noticeable amount.
Pluses of being in the aisle: i get to drink tons of water because I can go to the bathroom as much as I want, I get to watch six and a half movies at one time, (though at one point two of the movies were
Sucker Punch and now one of the movies in Never Say Never, which has taught me its all in the Bieber hair flick.) and I get to stare at all of the people around me.  The problem: the Chinese guys next to me pick the worst times to go to the bathroom, like when there is a drink cart next to me, or when I have a tray of food in front of me.  They also made it awkward by not giving me time to get out of their way and instead just climbing over me.

My first view of China was marred by the plane wing and a deep feeling of sickness as the plane bumped and dipped to the landing strip.  When I did finally get a proper view it was of grey smog filling the sky of Beijing.
Welcome to China.  Get off the train now!
Chinese road ways are probably the best I have ever seen.  Everybody is so nice an polite as they lay on the horn, cut you off, drive in the middle of the road or on the shoulder, drive straight at pedestrians and their over all unwillingness to stop moving in traffic or at lights or at cross walks.
I sat heavily on the bed in my temporary dorm in Beijing Language and Culture University, BLCU, only to be greeted by a hard wooden mattress.  The bathroom boasted a shower and toilet combo, with no seperation between the two.  Each shower meant the entire bathroom floor would be soaked for the rest of the day or week depending on the section of the floor.I'm sorry I didn't take a picture of the room to help narrate.