Bird's Nest & the Cube

Bird's Nest & the Cube

When I came back to Beijing after QinHuangdao, I visited the Bird's Nest & the Cube. I was really excited to see the Bird's Nest track and it was very impressive, but it was definitely a letdown when I couldn't take a lap around the track. Instead, I was able to touch it with my pointer finger. I found the whole Olympic Venue very surreal because there were so few people there. It was so big and magnificent but it's the one part if Beijing that is not teaming with people.

My next stop was the Cube which was more fun. I saw the Olympic pool and diving facility. The diving boards don't look as tall up close. I would argue that due to the membrane the cube is made out of makes it an equally impressive piece of architecture as the Bird's Nest. There's even a water park in the Cube, kind of like the Mall of America. I was going to walk the entire Olympic Park but it was a really hot day and I called it a day after the Cube.

Week 5

This is the start of my last week in Beijing. Yesterday, I went to Maliandao Lu, translated to Tea Street. It is a giant street that sells almost only tea and other tea paraphernalia, like tea sets and mugs. I bought lots of tea and I am really tempted to buy a real porcelain Chinese tea set, but I'm not sure I'll make it back to Tea Street to get it. Part of the Chinese Medicine lab I had was learning the proper procedure for brewing tea and pouring it, in addition to making rice wine. So now I'll know how to brew tea the real way.

The rest of my week will consist of a presentation on how Chinese Medicine can be used to treat a disease or condition that is poorly treated with western medicine, I chose arthritis. Tuesday, we will visit the Pharmacy Department of Peking University First Hospital, on Wednesday I will take my finals and have Peking Duck for dinner with some of my classmates. I already reserved a table and 2 birds! Thursday, all of the UConn students, including myself, will represent the international students, and preform a Chinese song at the 90th anniversary of the communist party. Representatives from different universities throughout China will be preforming at the 90th anniversary of the communist party event, it should be quite the experience. On Friday I will "graduate" at the closing ceremony. I return to the states on Saturday, which I am looking forward to, although I am having an incredible time in Beijing.

再见! 天