all over Beijing people are on bicycles. Some are electric, most are simple push bikes. Vendors push around their wares, like this nursery man, on foot powered carts.

In a hutong (little neighborhood) across from my hotel was a park and lots of machines for stretching and shaking da body. It is used mainly by the elderly who are more flexible than most Westerners half their age.

Some of the students and their masks...

Arriving in Beijing, each of us had to stay seated and have our temperature taken by having a sensor placed on our forehead (swine flu alert).

Arriving in Denpasar, each of us had to fill in a yellow card stating where we had been and if we had any flu symptoms. Have the card went to the officials and half we kept. That way if we came down with any symptoms, we'd have the yellow card to remind us where we had been.

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THE FORBIDDEN CITY IN BEIJING. In the middle of a sprawling metropolis is an ancient city...well at least lots of buildings, gardens and throne rooms. I found it interesting that most of the tourists there were Chinese and wondered if they took pride in their heritage. So little of Beijing seems "chinese" to me, or at least old style Chinese, but I'm such a neophyte what do I know. The foto of the steps with the dragons carved in the centre is where they used to carry the emperor up to his throne room. In the book FOREIGN BABES IN BEIJING, the author claims that his derriere was so wide that the steps had to made that width so his servants could carry him up the stairs!

What a great idea! have a foot flusher--very hygienic. and teh chic rectangular design!

made in china

beijing in summer

In June I went to Beijing to teach mask dance at BISS and WAP (two international schools). I had a weekend there, so I went to The Great Wall and the Dirt Market among other places. Here are some shots....