Getting Lost (and Loving it)

While Beijing has countless attractions to visit, one of my favorite things to do is get lost. This usually happens while trying to find a new place for the first time, but sometimes it's great to hop on the subway and get off in a new place. Even after these first short weeks, I can feel myself wanting to go back to the places that I know I like: Sanlituan (the foreign part of town), the many shopping centers, or Houhai lakes. These places are great, but I don't want to forget about all the other not as well known places that Beijing has to offer. A few nights ago, while trying to find the Beijing Art Museum, a friend and I got completely lost, but we ended up stumbling upon a great street full of restaurants, street vendors, and boutique stores. If we weren't lost, we would have never found it.

Wandering around a big city (while listening to Lorde) at night is probably one of the greatest things ever.

万里长城- The Great Wall of China

Yesterday was SYA's famous Great Wall hike, an all day trek through a rugged part of the infamous wall that spans over 13,000 miles. Although it was a bit foggy, the view was incredible. Mountains ran like crooked teeth along the horizon, and the fog lingered in between the valleys. The section that we visited was rather empty (besides the occasional runner competing in a race along the wall, or a local selling bottles of water) compared to some of the more famous locations closer to Beijing. Having been to the wall once before, I knew that the views were spectacular, but going again only made the experience come to life even more. It is quite incredible that a structure that was originally built during the first dynasty of China (much of it has been rebuilt, mainly during the Ming dynasty) still remains today. Although I'm still a bit sore from the climb, I'm sure this will be one of my favorite memories of this year. 

- Conrad

The Beginning

These are a few photographs from the first four weeks of my stay in Beijing. It's been a wonderful and crazy month, and I can't wait for it to continue. I've settled in to my host family's home, started classes, gotten lost (many times) trying to find my way throughout the city, and made countless mistakes while trying to speak Chinese. Beijing is not only full of beautiful historical sites such as the Great Wall, The Forbidden City, and the Temple of Heaven, it is teeming with incredible scenes of the everyday life of the Chinese people, and I can't wait to capture as much of it as I can. Since adjusting to a new city, family, and school have been taking up so much of my time, photography has been pushed aside a bit. I think that as I start to get into the rhythm of my new life, my camera will always be with me. 

Here we go.

-Conrad

Houhai Lakes

Lama Temple

Confucius Temple

Forbidden City