Pictured to the left is Betty Molloy, Assistant Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. She is standing on the sacred stone where only the emperor was allowed to stand for speaking and prayer. Now people are allowed to stand there and like to do so for good luck.Betty wrote, “Beijing was impressive. The buildings range from the traditional to the modern. I never thought I would find myself standing in Tian’anmen Square. Is so vast that even with all the people it doesn’t look crowded. The square, the Forbidden City, and the Great Wall are all so vast and beautiful. Some of the newer buildings are of unusual shapes. An architect would love being here. The ring roads (and there are six of them) are 14 lanes wide. I feel that crossing streets here is a matter of taking your life in your hands. It does not seem that pedestrians have the right of way in Beijing.
I have been most impressed by the people here. They have been friendly and have gone out of their way to welcome us. The first person I met was on the plane. Li told me about her adjustment to living, studying, and working in the U.S. She found North Carolina to be filled with vast open spaces and getting around to buy groceries to be difficult without a car. Before we arrived in Beijing, Li gave me information on what to expect in China because she wanted me to enjoy my visit. The friendliness of the Chinese people continued once we arrived in Beijing. When we rode the subway, two individuals insisted that we take their seats.
Later in Luoyang, after eating Chinese food for five days straight, four of us wanted to find a hamburger or pizza. One of the men working in our hotel offered to lead four of us to a place to find American food. He provided us with umbrellas and walked ahead of us in the rain. He tried to take us to a restaurant that served pizza but that did not work out. So, we ended up at McDonalds. The chicken at McDonalds in China is VERY spicy (HOT).
I am learning so much but have very little time to record it all.”
