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Yesterday, my colleague, Eric, and I took a trip to the Great Wall before our afternoon work. Of the nearly 4,000 miles of wall we visited the Mutianyu section. It’s apparently a great alternative for those who want to avoid crowds along the highly popular Badaling section.

After riding the chair lift to the wall the clear skies gave us a breathtaking view of mountains and small towns below. This well kept section of the wall is truly impressive and a must see for any visitor.

The drive to the wall must have taken us over 2 hours due to the morning traffic so I was ready for a bathroom break. The map on the wall said there was a bathroom nearby but I couldn’t find it. So, down some stairs and around a corner to the base of the wall… you know the rest. Another item I can cross off my list.

During our wall walk we ran across people from many different countries. The best part had to have been when some Chinese grabbed us making motions to take pictures with them. Eric’s a 6 ft+ guy with red hair and a freckly complexion. I think he’s really what attracted them but I got to pose for multiple photos with about 5 different people. A couple of them did the infamous asian peace sign pose. Eric had them all saying “one, two, three, cheese” by the end of it.

Part of the experience is walking past all of the vendors (at the bottom of the chair lift) who stand in front of you and try to sell you the same t-shirt as the last person. The ones who speak better english would say “come back to see me - I remember you.” Of course, they actually do remember you when you get back down and push their cheap trinkets on you. I did haggle my way to a 5 yuan ($0.63 US) pack of 10 postcards. Mostly, I enjoy the haggling - I set a price, walk away, and then they run after you. I even haggled for some crackers with a vendor while on the wall. She pointed at her big backpack of food and said “I hiked from Mongolia” trying to get me to pay a higher price. I think she lived in the town at the bottom of the hill with the rest of them so I didn’t fall for it. For a communist country they sure have capitalism down pat.

After an interesting customs ordeal at the Newark airport on Saturday, I headed for Beijing. All of my liquid goodies were checked in with my bag so I zipped through the security checkpoints with no hassle but had a time with our business equipment. The flight from Newark was quite pleasant and I slept a decent portion (almost 8 hours) which made the 13.5 hour trip so much better.

I arrived Sunday afternoon, and after meeting with my work buddies we headed for the Pearl Market. It’s an indoor market near the hotel where they carry all sorts of pearls, electronics, clothing, bags, and shoes. Most of the goods are knockoffs and it was fun to haggle. They’re aggressive towards foreigners and would literally drag me over to their booth trying to sell their wares. What’s really funny is that their neighbors sold the exact same items so you can always get a better price. To give you a perspective on the haggling I took a pair of shoes from about 2000 yuan ($250 US) to 50 yuan ($6 US). It’s hilarious to hear each vendor give the same story and they all sound so convincing… but they’re all lying.

Yesterday, we setup the room for our event and had a successful test of everything. Then we headed to the Forbidden City where the famous picture of Mao Zedong guards the entrance. Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City are both grandiose and more than enough space for the 24 emperors who lived there (and their concubines). It’s a long walk from one end of the walled city to the other. You pass through beautiful gardens with trees and rock structures as well as numerous buildings that hosted everything from the day-to-day governmental duties to weddings and enthronements. It was nice to never have to wait in line to see inside these buildings - I could see over everyone’s head. The Forbidden City is worth a visit and I’d like to do it once more with a guide.

After an early breakfast this morning I’m heading to the Great Wall with my colleague. Really looking forward to this one! I almost forgot, tonight the event starts and we have to work… booo.

I’m at Newark Airport and wanted to give you an update on the current situation…

I’ve decided to extend my stay in St. Thomas for one more day. I’m getting quite a bit of work done without the distractions of home. The perfect-white-sand beaches and silver-moon-lit nights might have persuaded me a bit as well.

A measly 3hr 45min flight to St. Thomas today felt like childs-play compared to trips I’ve made to Asia. Again, I find myself spoiled by the asian airlines and less amused by the inefficiencies of U.S. airlines and airports.

While I’m on airlines, I’d like to add another airplane design flaw that I skipped over in the last design and user experience post. The bathroom sinks! Why is it that I could fit my entire head (yes, it’s shaped like a watermelon) in the sink if I wanted, but the spout is so short that I can only get my index finger wet? So, I do a contortionist maneuver to twist one hand so all of it gets wet while using the other to hold the lever to force water out. During this process I’m sliding my hand all over the back of the sink - probably just like the last person in there… if they actually washed their hands.

Ok… just one more and I’ll stop ranting. How about them there seats? I’d like the company who made the airplane seats to know that my back arches towards my bellybutton. I’m not sure how they overlooked this one but the seats are arched completely the wrong way adding more discomfort to the current sardine state.

Although, I’m venting and making this sound like a “poor me” story, life is absolutely wonderful and I’m always grateful for what I have and get to do. It has rained on and off today probably due to the tropical storm that went through a couple days ago. I took a nap by the pool and enjoyed some sun before heading inside to work. This island is a little over 31 square miles and the view’s spectacular from the room. I got a little freaked out by the 15 iguanas staring at me as I walked down to the pier but they’re normal around here.

Hope to see some more sunshine but looks a bit like rain for the next few days.