It’s been more than a month since I blogged. You might say I haven’t had the stomach for it. For about three and a half weeks, some type of bug or virus or parasite or “something” left me with a constant queasy feeling. I lost several pounds and even avoided (gulp) chocolate. Two rounds of antibiotics and two other prescriptions didn’t help, but it eventually went away on its own. I think I’m all better now. How do I know? I just finished eating my fourth chocolate chip cookie, and I want another one.
I haven’t spent all my time guzzling Pepto Bismo; I’ve actually done a little traveling. Weekend before last I went to see the Terracotta Army near Xi’an, China, which is located southwest of Beijing in central China. Described as one of the most significant archaeological finds of the 20th Century, the collection of 8,099 life-size Chinese terracotta figures of warriors and horses is located near the mausoleum of the First Emperor of China – Qin Shi Huangdi. They were buried with the emperor in 209 B.C. so he could rule over another empire in the afterlife, and remained undiscovered until 1974 when they were unearthed by local farmers digging a well during a severe drought. Historians estimate construction of the figures and mausoleum took 700,000 workers and craftsmen 38 years to complete. One of the most impressive things about the warriors is they each have distinctive facial features. Apparently, they were modeled after real people -- most likely the very slaves who helped build them. (You can see a few photos of them in my blog’s photo album, but you really have to see them in person to get the full effect. Trust me!)
The following week I traveled to Singapore to work on a communications project. The weather was warm and sunny, but not as humid as usual in this tropical island city-state. In addition to getting a lot of work done, I had a great time! One of the highlights of the trip was a long, enjoyable dinner with friends at The Wine Garage, a pleasant little café overlooking the Singapore River on Clark Quay (pronounced “Key”).
A former British colony, Singapore gained independence in 1965. While it’s the smallest country in
Southeast Asia at only 269 square miles, it has the highest quality of living and ranks as the 22nd wealthiest nation on earth. Not bad for a country with only 4.5 million people!
Last weekend, I made my first trip to Tiananmen Square, the large plaza near the center of Beijing, China, named after the Tiananmen (literally, Gate of Heavenly Peace) which sits to its north, separating it from the Forbidden City. I didn’t take a tour or anything, I just wanted to get the “lay of the land”, so to speak. And there was plenty of land to cover. According to Wikipedia (again, my favorite online encyclopedia), the square is 880 metres south to north and 500 metres east to west, a total area of 440,000 square meters, which makes it the largest open-urban square in the world. There are photos on my blog photo album. Check them out! (By the way, the soldiers picture at the beginning of this post were guarding the gate to the Forbidden City. I didn't steal anything. Promise!)
Tiananmen Square has great cultural significance as a symbol because it was the site of several key events in Chinese history, but, like me, you probably know it for the Tiananmen Square student protests of 1989. Not surprisingly, you won't find any mention of that event.
I have two trips scheduled next month – one to Chicago for a work-related conference and one to Seoul, South Korea just for fun. (Can you say “frequent flyer miles”?)
I’ll to be more faithful to my blog. Let me hear from you!!!
I was hoping for more monkey photos. No terra cotta monkeys?
m.
Posted by: mapgirl | April 18, 2007 at 07:49 PM