Finally getting a chance to write

So I have been in Beijing for just over a week and wow!!! It feels like we have been here a month. This place is amazing and beautiful in a weird way. It is full of people, very kind people who are always trying to help. For example 6 of us went to supper the other night and we don't speak Mandarin and the people working there don't speak English, this is my life here it is a game of charades, we were trying to understand what was on the menu and they were trying to help us they go out to the other costumers to find someone to speak to us and a lady named Juliet came and helped. we ended up with an amazing meal yummy. i have decided that i love Chinese food. So far i have climbed the Great Wall, i am still feeling it, I have seen temples and palaces they are all so beautiful but they all look the same. i will have pictures when i get back but don't ask what they are to cause i will not know. hhaha. i don't even really know how to describe this place except it has a smell of Bourbon street in New Orleans. I love it here and i can't imagine leaving.
The other day i had a one of the guys on my trip really make my day. . . we were on the back side of the temple of heaven and we saw these ladies ribbon dancing, with the really wide ribbons, he said that he would dance if only he had a ribbon. i dared him and he told me that if i could find a ribbon and buy it for him he would dance. i found the ribbon and bought it so he held up his end of the dare and danced with the ladies. it was amazing cause i couldn't stop laughing. later told me that he was really embarrassed with doing it but he did it anyway.
all the places we go i really find that the back side of the palaces or temples are the most beautiful. they have this air to them that make it special. either it is not as well done up as the front or there are people there playing cards of dancing or playing music. these are the special places that i hope to always remember because it really shows the people and the carefree life they have. it is amazing. there is one place that is really cool it is on the back side of the summer palace, it has this walkway that goes down to a kinda shopping area that is a tourist trap yes but it has this mote thing there and it was a overcast day so the reflections were amazing it was just beautiful.
on friday we went to the zoo that was fun i was left b myself for awhile because of the stupid tour guide asking me stupid questions but i will not get into my strong dislike for tour guides. but anyway i got to go around the zoo myself for an hour and it was a nice walk even though i was one of the attractions. i was looked at and people took pictures of me it was weird but whatever. it was nice to be alone in a city of 18million. that night we ate Peking duck it's pretty good what is amazing is what comes with it. there were 10 of us at a table and we could not eat all the food. these people really know how to fill americans up. so much good food i think i will gain 20 pounds before i leave China let alone the rest of my trip.
yesterday we went to the three self church and a house church that was cool though i was really tired and fell asleep a couple of times. we ate with the people and it was good too again a lot of food. then most of us crashed in an apartment for the afternoon most in the living room on top of each other. last night we went to the Chinese acrobatics show WOW it is amazing i swear those people were the gymnasts in the Olympics.
about the olympics i went to see wheelchair basketball it was germany against great britian. GB
won. then we saw some of the team in Mcdonalds after so we got our tickets signed it was pretty cool. the water cube is really amazing. it is textured and it changes colour. i will try and get pictures up soon. the birds nest is cool too. honestly during the olympics i wasn't too impressed with it but seeing it up close it is really cool.
i have ridden the subway the bus a taxi and it is amazing but i have decided that i will never drive here it is crazy traffic and only half the cars are allowed to drive each day until the olympics are over it is crazy traffic and i am amazed i haven't seen an accident thought there have been close calls. really close calls. i had better get off now but i hope all is well. love you all andrea