Well, time for my weekly Sunday update. The last few days were really fun. Thursday night, we went to the Beijing opera, where we saw "Stealing the Royal Horse", "Sitting in the Palace", and "Borrowing a Pearl at Rainbow Bridge", all short operas. I actually kind of liked it...to me, the singing wasn't as screeching as the Cantonese operas I've seen, but it was still pretty bad. I liked the acting and the action, though. My favorite costume was this headdress thingy that a couple people wore, which had huge feathers, like 8 feet long, that moved every time an actor moved his/her head.
The trip to the countryside was also fun. Our accommodations were not as spartan as I had expected them to be. I had expected a cot on a dirt floor or something, with no running water or electricity. However, the village we went to is set up with country people running mini-hotels (I guess they might be called hostels) in their houses. I had a huge bed (albeit hard...but I kind of like hard beds), and they had a couple of taps with running water, including a shower with hot water, and running electricity, including a ceiling fan in our bedroom. Most farmers also had refrigerators, TV, and DVD player. I was worried that I might have to use the squatter toilet for #2, but luckily my digestive system was still stopped up a little, and I was able to wait until we got back yesterday afternoon at 6.
The Great Wall was A LOT OF FUN. We went to the part at Sima Tai, which is one of the most beautiful parts, but also one of the most dangerous. There was a cable car (think ski lift) up to the fifth tower...we were supposed to go to the 8th tower for a group photo, but most people did not take the lift, and walked up instead. I walked. It took like 15 minutes of climbing just to get to the wall. Then we started climbing. The steps were alternating between small and big, and the slope was REALLY REALLY REALLY steep. Looking at the pictures I took...it looks like at LEAST a 30 degree gradient. Insane...at the beginning, I overestimated my strength and stamina, and underestimated the slope and distance to the 8th tower (we started at the 2nd). But, we made it, and had some very rewarding popsicle bars at the top...we then took the tram down, and they were playing "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai", my favorite piece!
Well, my friend from down the hall called just now...I guess we're heading out soon to go eat and shop again... I need to get more money..... And I need to study for my oral class midterm tomorrow...my written one the other day wasn't TOO bad... Ok, until next time.