GREAT days and Great Wall
Yesterday (Friday) we spent visiting the educational technology department at 
Beijing Normal University (where they do the pre-eminent research on edtech in China, their equivalent of a Columbia Teachers College or Harvard) and also visiting a high school. I have much to tell teachers about teaching and tech use in China, but I need to organize it in a way that will answer your questions.
In the meantime, as promised, here is a picture of an “eastern” style bathroom. It is NOT what we are used to, that is for sure.
Today we spent at Ti’ananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and hiking on the Great Wall. In between, we drove past the “Cube” and “Bird’s Nest” from the 2008 Olympics. I am sharing just a couple of pictures.
The taupe color of Beijing from our first day 
has opened up to a beautiful blue sky the last two days, making the city and surrounding mountains remarkably clear for our time on the Wall. It was breath-taking, both for its visual impact and because of the steep climbs! The second picture shows part of the steeper climb (not the worst) and the wall in winding over the mountains in the distance.
Tomorrow we travel to Xi’an, about a two hour flight from Beijing. Xi’an is the city of the Terra Cotta warriors. I hope I will have time on the flight to organize some thoughts about all we have learned about Chinese public schools.
Candy,
Your photos are frame-able! Love seeing Beijing so clearly (even, uh, the lesser seen places that redefines ‘squatting’).
Am loving traveling to China with you! Thank you!
Rhonda
Comment by Rhonda Lane Phillips — December 12, 2010 @ 8:53 am
Wow! That is just spectacular! Wish I could be there but at least seeing it with your eyes instead. Glad you are enjoying yourself and the cultural differences!
Comment by Louise Maine — December 12, 2010 @ 2:40 pm
Hello Candace,
I love reading your post. I am most interested in learning more about education in other countries. You do an excellent job of describing what you are seeing and learning.
I can’t wait for your next post!
Betsy
Comment by Betsy — December 12, 2010 @ 9:36 pm
Hi Candy,
We are a group of third graders who are studying our number system in math. We would like to know what the chinese number system is like. Do you have any pictures of signs that have Chinese numbers on them?
thank you
Comment by Linda Muir — December 13, 2010 @ 1:30 pm