The Forbidden City should return back to it’s “forbidden” status!!

Yesterday was Saturday. The first all day free day we have had! The program was bustling with excitement over this! After a long week of classes all day and sometimes at night, we couldn’t wait to be free! Unfortunately, freedom is not always the best thing. Sometimes restrictions, or guidelines are the best thing for you. As the day dawned, I was woken up by a knock. Every morning I am woken up by a knock. My friend Megan is my alarm clock. My actual alarm clock is mysteriously not wanting to cooperate- it won’t even turn on… so every morning I have trained my subconscious to listen for a knock. I love this knock every morning. I don’t know why I like it so much haha but I think it might have something to do with the ideas that someone is waiting for me (to go run), and that I’m not alone on this crazy continent miles away from family. Anyways, after the knock, we go for a run with a few other girls, and then we hit the breakfast tables. Our routine is nice to have when everything else in life is so unsettled. We are still living out of our suitcases in the hotel. Therefore, routine is welcome! At breakfast, our favorite food is the combination of yogurt with cocoa puff-type cereal. It is a great duo in the morning! This morning, breakfast was a little different. We were approached by one of the workers. She asked us if we run every morning. We told her yes and asked if she wanted to join us. She spoke broken English, but she was able to explain to us that she is required to be at work at 6 am everyday. We got bummed, but then she said she gets off at 2 and we made plans to meet with her later! This interaction made my spirits soar! We haven’t had much contact with the locals and my friend Megan and I hope to reach out to her. She is a sweetheart! After breakfast we met a big group to head out to Tien’a’men Square to see the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City is where the Emperors/Empresses lived during the time of the dynasties. We are required to tour it for our cultures class. We were expected to figure it out all on our own… aka the miserable day was under way. We took the right bus and found the subway station… but it turns out we didn’t leave early enough for travel this Saturday morning. Everyone is traveling… and in China- there is ALWAYS room for more people in very confined spaces. Let’s just say I have begun to move past my personal bubble and claustrophobia!! We are all a bunch of sardines. There is no concept of line or politeness here! It is get in or get out and do whatever it takes to make that happen! Needless to say, many of our moods began to sour! As we got to the Forbidden City, we stood in line for what looked like the ticket line. However, once we bought the tickets, we found out they were the wrong ones! We then figure out the tickets we need are 60 yuan, and the auditory headset guides are 140 yuan. This is very expensive here in China and not all of us had enough money for this. In a circle of confusion, frustration, and argument over what to do and how to make it happen, we stood outside the main gate. I quickly understood that we have a lot of strong personalities on our team. Rebekah had been right. Finally, we get in line for the right tickets after we traded our other tickets for a pack of 10 postcards. The guy we traded with got quite the deal. We were ripped off. As we were waiting in line for the new tickets, a “tour guide” comes over to our group persuading us to take the tour with him for 200 yuan for the whole group. This sounded like a good deal but many of us are skeptical of the legitimacy. We asked for identification. He shows us a legit tour guide badge… made me think of Lloyd in dumb and dumber “Don’t worry I’m a limo driver!” We agree to go with this man through the City- it was cheaper and we had enough money for it! Once we got inside, we realize how big the City is! There is absolute mayhem…. Hordes of people everywhere! There were tour groups with matching neon hats following like ants in a line after the waving colored flag high in the air held by the tour guides. The city is over 900 meters long. We walked all around it trying to understand our tour guide’s thick accent. After the first half-hour I gave up and began taking pictures. Megan and I were taking pictures when the cutest chubby little boy approached me and posed next to me. I was confused at what he was doing, and then I looked up and saw his mom pointing at us with her camera. He threw up the peace sign, I laughed and joined him throwing up the peace sign. He was adorable! That was the beginning of my popularity!! I had other adults come up to me to take pictures with me individually. It cracked me up! It was my hair I was told. My blonde and curly hair was intriguing to them and they thought it was so great to take a picture with me. After we finally made it to the exit at the City, we find out that we have to walk all the way around the outside of the city to get back to the subway station. I was in a mood, and began speed walking off my frustration! I was tired, so hot and so sweaty and over the day. After a very long walk, we find the subway station, and find our way easily to the bus station. Bus 78 was not coming. I kept craning my neck searching for the beacon of hope but to no avail! One of the guys in our group, Colby, who is very patient and a man of few words finally speaks up after the events of the whole day, he says “Okay I’m getting frustrated”. The ones that heard him began busting up in laughter… frustrating was like four hours ago! But for patient Colby, the day became bad when it was almost over! Finally, bus 78 arrives and we slowly but surely made it back to our hotel after a two-hour journey. With utter exhaustion, us girls could only think of three things to reverse the days’ events: good ole American pizza, chocolate and a marathon of chick flicks! In our pjs, we found a spot for the afternoon and evening and did not move from it! What a blessing to sit and enjoy girl time! I love the relationships growing here in Beijing!