Day 6 – April 12, 2011 – The Climb…

They say the best souvenirs are those you carry with you in your heart and in your head; I couldn’t agree more. It seems the photographs we take can’t even capture the magnificence of what we’ve seen – the depth of meaning, the context - and nothing can capture the interactions we’ve had with others. Today we began our journey with The Great Wall (the pictures that will follow will never do what we experienced justice – but they’re a start).

We began our ascent with a cable car to the foot of the wall and then climbed the Mutianyu section of the wall – said to be one of the most beautiful pieces. This section of the wall is located in the Huairou District of Beijing and was built under the supervision of General ZuDa of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang early in the Ming Dynasty. It is dotted with numerous watch towers and passes and was built upon a steep section of the mountain with the north west portion of the wall on a 1,000 meter high ridge (and let me tell you, as I neared the peak of the wall (top) of this section I could really feel the elevation). Two of the sections of this part, the “arrow node” and the “lying eagle” were laid on a precipitous cliff. Many say, because of the winding nature of this part of the wall, it looks like a flying dragon. In the towers, during the time it was used as protection for China from its northern neighbor, Mongolia, a guard was posted at each window – they could see for miles, and enemies could be spotted long before they could do any damage.

The climb was at times a stroll, more often however it was a slow process as we pushed ourselves to go on, meandering up steep passages. As we neared the top, it became very difficult and was mostly a mental game – but, hey, when you come this far and you’re that close to reaching the top, nothing is going to stop you! Only a few of us made it all the way to the top, we’re told that when climbing the wall, to make it to the top is to be a hero – well, I’m not so sure of that, but I am sure the people who climbed this wall on a regular basis, who guarded their cities, they had to be tough in body and mind!

We finished our day with a rickshaw ride through the Houtong village and then dinner at what is said to be the best Noodles restaurant in China. I don’t know if it is the best, but I do know it was very good.

Day 5

Since today was a travel day – from Xi’an to Beijing – and much of the time was spent on the plane and in transition, I’m going to share a little bit about the people I’m traveling with. Not only has this shadowing experience opened my eyes to a world I could only imagine, reminded me of my priorities – professionally and personally, and changed my perception on several levels, it’s given me opportunity to form or in some cases deepen friendships and professional relationships with not only my colleagues in China, but also with the diverse group of American educators, administrators, of which I’m privileged to travel. There are 21 of us who have chosen to begin our journey together in Xi’an representing school systems – comprehensive k-12 school districts and vocational technical high schools from Indiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. I can state unequivocally that every one of my fellow travelers takes their responsibilities seriously, is passionate about their schools and students, and dreams of broadening the opportunities for those they have the pleasure of working with and for. Each one has brought dimension to our group and added to our experiences. The conversations we’ve had about our districts or systems, the questions we’ve asked and challenges we’ve shared, our visions and the innovative ideas we’re growing have been priceless; I for one look forward to further conversations and collaboration. It’s difficult, when you’re spending so much time with others and sharing private moments to not form a bond – I mean how often do you get to laugh over sharing another ‘squatty potty’, or a quiet smile over a new found ‘ah ha’ moment – or a tear over the life circumstances of a stranger and then a celebration in reflection; after all not only are we learning more about the world we live in and each other, together we’re learning more about ourselves. Today was the last day for our groups to be together until we get to Shanghai in two weeks – I’m definitely going to miss our new found friends.

Tonight after arriving in Beijing and checking into our hotel, we had dinner at a local restaurant where I had my first experience eating a fish that was looking back at me! Once you get past that head though, I have to tell you, it was pretty good! After dinner we walked to a local bazaar – the colors were amazing – bright lights, orange and red globes, flashing signs, and brightly colored fruits and vegetables. The smells, well, let’s just say some were interesting and some were quite stinky! There were deep fried bats, ducklings (both with their heads still on), scorpions, squid, eels, and kabobs of virtually any meat you can imagine – beef, mutton, chicken, pork… I was brave and tried some peanut candy a vendor was making as we watched, rolling and then pounding the candy flat with heavy mallets that two men were wielding. That too, was quite good, a bit more peppery than what our peanut brittle would be (and softer), but definitely something I would try again.

I thought, tonight, I’d share some faces of the children from the village Pangliu (yesterday’s blog). They are beautiful – enjoy!