A few movies, a few naps, some bad airline food and we are on the other side of the world

First, I cannot ask for a better trip to China. Sure, we had to sit on a plane for 14 hours, but everyone was on time, check in, security, customs, and transportation to the hotel all went off without a hitch. My contact met us with some cell phones and before long we were all headed off to walk around Qianmen Street to see a bit of Beijing and find a place for dinner. We settled on a place on a nice looking restaurant with a table large enough for everyone to sit together. As many readers may know, traditional Chinese food is eaten "family style" with one person ordering so I took a shot at a combination of dishes that have a few new things, but mostly be friendly to the Midwest American pallet. Of course, this also meant that I had an excuse to order some of my favorite dishes. Notably, we celebrated our first meal in Asia with Peking duck, which was a first for all but one student. We parted ways after dinner to stroll through some hutongs before heading back to the hotel

On a side note, I really like the city of Beijing on a personal level. I just like being here. This personal experience is only enhanced by having the opportunity to experience the city through the eyes of students who have never been there before. Certainly there was some anxiety, in particular right before take off, for students and parents alike (you know who I am talking about :) ). However, once we arrived I was pleased to see how ready students were to put themselves "out there" whether it was trying new food or heading off without any faculty members in tow (although cell phones were mandatory). It's going to be a great trip. I think that I have all my technology working right so expect regular "Touts" as well as daily posting of photos and commentary on this blog.

The Capital Hotel at night

Our first meal in China!

Walking the hutongs near Qianmen Street