Photos from my trip

So, I know I have kept some of you waiting, but I finally got most of the photos up onto a website that I made. Thanks to Preston, other people can actually see it! Visit it here!

I am back.

Well, I'm back here in the USA. I already miss Beijing and the wonderful people there. School starts soon and I still have a ton of stuff to do...

I watched Horton Hears a Who on the airplane and well, that is it.

1,529 pictures need to be edited, put in a book, and a dvd along with a ton of movies.

Talk more later.

Eric
P.S. A persons a person, no matter how small.

Goodbye Beijing

It's been a wonderful 1 and a half months here in Beijing, China. But, as all good things must come to an end, so does this trip. I have some of the most fondest memories here, took about 1529 picutures, and also visited a ton of places.

I came here on June 29, via CA982. The first few weeks, were spent with my Grandmother, as my parents would come on July 25 because they only get 3 weeks of vacation. My grandmother and I, spent the first few weeks buying clothes, and curtains. We went out to dinner on a daily basis, often with my relatives, or her friends. We also went to Beihai Park to drive boats.

June 19 is a day I will never forget. The grand opening of the first Apple Store in China, the Sanlitun Apple Store. What a day that was; liveblogging from my iPhone, standing in line for almost 4 hours, and meeting some truely wonderful people there.

July 25 is the day my parents came. Once they came, we went to a lot of places as my grandmother is too old to travel too much around Beijing, which takes 3 hours to go from the North end to the South end. We started out by going to the Temple of Heaven, and Wangfujing Street, where the Olympic Flagship Store is. We also went to Chaoyang Park, where you can take a boat and go all around the park. Chaoyang Park is also the site of the Beach Volleyball competitions.

The next day, we went to Tianamen Square, and looked around. The Monday to follow, we went to Henan to visit relatives. That is really a true flavor of China. Beijing is all comercialized, but out in the Country, that is where you see true China.

1 week later, we were back in Beijing. After going to the National Center for the Performing Arts, I was able to go to an Opening Ceremony Rehersal. Though I thought the rehersal wasn't that impressive, the actual one was extremely good, except for the fact that some fireworks weren't real, and the little girl in the red dress was actually just mouthing the words as the song was prerecorded by someone else before hand.

After the games started, I went to see a tennis match, followed by soccer and athletics at the National Stadium. These final days have been spent busily packing, last minute preparations, setting up my grandaunt's mac and transferring 3+ gigabytes of photos to my iPod.

Once back in the USA, I will have to catch up on all the things I have missed, do my summer homework, and then create a photobook from the tons of photos I took in China.

CA981 is my flight number, you can track it from the Flight View website.

This is my last post in China. See you back in the states soon.

Almost Time

Tomorrow is when our flight leaves, CA981 (I think). These past few days have been really busy preparing for the trip back. I took tons of pictures from the Birds Nest and also the Water Cube. Look forward to seeing my pics back in the USA

Beijing Welcomes You

That is one of the most annoying songs EVER.

Today, I went to see a Tennis event in the Olympic Green. Pretty suspenseful if you ask me. But, worth it. Tomorrow is Soccer, and the 15th is Track at the National Stadium. Then on the 17th, I go back to the USA. I don't know how I feel. My family and some of my friends are here, but all my really best friends and people who I have come to known and like, are in the United States. My grandmother isn't coming back till the end of this year, but I have tons of souveniors.

I would also like to wish Preston and his family good luck in the next few days. It should all be fine!

Eric

P.S. Here is the Olympic Flame, that brings peace to the world and light to everyone, even in the most saddest times.

Tennis

Tomorrow, I am going with my dad to the Olympic green Tennis Center to watch a tennis match. August 12, at 10:30 AM (your 10:30 PM except for Denver).

Our Tickets

Some weird chip thing inside each ticket

6 More Days

So, there are six more days till I get back to the USA, August 17th in case anyone was wondering. I have much to do these few days, with two olympic games and even more shopping.

You and Me

An awesome song from the Opening Ceremony, You and Me, or, 我和你 (Wo he ni).


Those who want the .mp3 file thingy, I found it on a website: You and Me

Eric

8/8/08

Today is the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. If you have been reading this blog recently, then you know that I thought the rehersal sucked. But, I think that they will make the actual thing better. Some Sarah Brigtman person is singing in it along with this guy who I have no idea where he came from, his name is Jackie Chan or something. (That was sarcasm.) It should be a little better. I will not be going anywhere today, because, the security is going to be really really tight and there will be a lot of famous people arriving today. Meanwhile, I have been visitng some of the famous places in Beijing, the Temple of Heaven, Wangfujing Street, and more recently, Qianmen Market Street. I have yet to go to Tianamen Square and the Great Wall as the torch relay and ever tightening security has made that almost impossible until after the opening ceremony.

Opening Ceremony Rehersal

Yesterday, I attended the Beijing 2008, Olympic Games, Opening Ceremony Rehersal. I was not impressed. I will write exactally what happened when I have the time.

Henan: The Story

Sorry I couldn't come up with a better title. So anyways, these past few days have been a real ball! I got to go fishing and I caught 3 fish although I did cheat a little (it was a fish pound thingy). I also got to go to my uncles paper factory (he is in charge of it) and I took tons of pics. Yesterday, I went to this really beautiful mountain wheie I went swimming, then had dinner there. The air quality here is A LOT better than the air quality in Beijing. Tomorrow, I am taking a 8:02 AM train to Beijing. It is one of the new fast trains, ones that go 350 km/h. This way, it will only take 3 hours, instead of the usual 8.

When I get back to Beijing, there will only be a few days till the Opening ceremony (8/8/08 8:08:08 PM). My grand-aunt has gotten one ticket to the FINAL Opening Ceremony REHERSAL on 8/5/08, so it is almost like the real thing. Too bad I didn't bring my camcorder. However, I will take TONS of pictures. Netherless, I hope you read my twitter blog thingy in the next few weeks, as I will be mainly posting via that in the next few weeks.

Also, to celebrate National Watermelon Month, have a watermelon:

Sanlitun, Wanfujing, and Boating

Today, my dad and I went to a lot of places. (heh. cheesy) Anyways, we went to Sanlitun because my dad wanted to see the apple store. Video chatted with Preston there, who pointed out that poeple were looking at me and him. Next, we took a bus to Chaoyang Park where we went boating!

In China, anyone is allowed to drive a boat! So, I got to drive it. (And Hale, even if you can't drive a boat, too bad. I always win. ( : ) Anyways, taht took up a good 1 and a half hours. Next, off to Wanfujing Road.

Wanfujing Road, is a GIANT marketplace with TONS of malls at least 3 times the size of the Stamford Town Center. I got a ton of Olympic things (their flagship store is there) and also got a case for my iPhone.

Meanwhile, I am making a list of who to give souveniors to. Tell me if you want me to add you in case I didn't. Just leave a message in the comments.

Airplanes and Friends

As some of you might have known, my parents are coming to China today, on CA 982. So far, most of my friends have come back from summer camp! (YAY!!!) That means, I will actually have someone to talk to (sorry Preston, but just talking to you is kinda boring, but fun!). Just to tell you guys, there is a 12 hour time difference, so I will be online probably in your morning or night. Please IM me!!! My AIM is: eli8527, Gtalk is: ericyoungli@gmail.com (idk if u need the "@gmail.com) and my Skype is: eli8527. 

Eric!

Beijing Botanical Gardens

Today I went to the Beijing Botanical Gardens and took about 200 pictures. I will upload them to my (Preston's) webpage as soon as I can.

Eric

Sanlitun Apple Store

Today was the grand opening of the first Apple Store in China. It opened in Sanlitun at 10 A.M. Beijing time. My grandmother and I got up at five o clock for this event. We got to the waiting room at 7:30, and were given numbers 229 and 230 in line. Apparently, the people at the front of the line came yesterday at 2:00 P.M. 

We waited for about 1 and a half hours inside this huge room, while apple played some new ads for iPod+iTunes on a giant LED screen. Then, we were herded outside to wait in the scorching sun where we waited another hour. Thankfully, the extremely nice Apple employees were there to give us free water and also umbrellas to keep us from dying. 

My grandmother and I eventually pushed up to the front, about 50 people from the front. And there, we waited. Meanwhile, I was spazzing over my twitter feed along with talking to Morgan, a friend who lives in Denver, CO, who is also Preston's friend. Some people came outside, apparently, very important, as people started clapping.

Then, for some apparent reason, the Apple employees inside the two-story building started clapping at us, and we started clapping too. One person shouted, "Kuai Kai Men!" which means, "Hurry up and open" in English.

10 minutes till zero hour, and the entire apple employee staff in the Sanlitun Store came out and high-fived a ton of people. Apple's way of building atmosphere, I guess. Finally, it was time.

At exactally 10:00 A.M. the doors to the store opened and a torrent of people began piling into the store. I got in at 26th in line, not bad for starting out at 229th. The t-shirts they gave out were nice, as are all of Apple's products, Black with a picture of a set of headphones bow-tied on the front, and on the back, white text that said: Apple Store, Sanlitun 7.19.2008. 

While in the store, I video-chatted with Morgan while a TON of people took pictures of us. So, hes pretty much famous now, and so am I. I also got interviewed by YouTube HK, some chinese TV network, and by an Apple person video taping the event.

Pictures are coming soon, along with videos of the event.

For full, minute-by-minute details, go to:

www.twitter.com/eli8527

And look for this post:

eli8527 we're in! and lol. i know 36 min late :) but anyways. awesome place! got free tshirts. gona put vids on utube about 10 hours ago from web

Live blog continues after that post as that is the last post of the blog.

More to come later,

Eric

Olympic Stuff

If anyone wants to know, these are the events I will be attending:

August 15: Athletics-National Stadium (Birds Nest) 9:00 A.M. Sector A, Tier 3, Aisle 504, Row 10, Seats 8-11; 100 RMB

August 12: Tennis-Beijing Olympic Green Tennis Center 10:30 A.M. Gate 5, Section 210, Row 30, Seats 20-21; 200 RMB

Yesterday and Today

Yesterday night, as you should know (if you have been reading my blog), I went to this show that featured 12 acts, that included hoop jumping, and some other cool acts. It was extremely good. My Great-Grandaunt, invited my grandmother and I to there. On the way back, we took the Beijing Subway, which involved a security check (they're really becoming serious about this now). 

Today, I went to my GrandAunt's house, and then we went to this buffet that cost 200 RMB per person. It had a lot of choices that looked good, but tasted horrible. Tonight, I am going to go the the Olympic Green, and hopefully, the lights will be on.

I will be posting photos as soon as Preston gets MobileMe web galleries set up.

6/12/08

Today, it went to a high of 37 Degrees C. So we didn't go anywhere so far. Instead, we stayed inside and waited the entire day for a cable repair guy to come. Tonight I'm going to a "Cirque du Soleil" like event. (Thank you Hale for the correct spelling.) Tomorrow, I am going to one of my Grandaunt's house (the rich one) to help her set up some stuff. 

My Birthday...

So, I had my birthday party, not much. We ate at this really fancy buffet called Todai. It cost 200 RMB (Yuan) per person. After that, not much happened. So, my birthday was pretty much lunch and thats about it. Here are the two pictures I took.

Olympic Green At Night

Not much of a site, as the lights aren't on tonight. But, this is the Olympic Green at 10 P.M.