Travel has always been something that I loved. From when I was young, my parents had taken me to many places around the world. Over the years, I have traveled to Austria, Hungary, Italy, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, Canada, Hong Kong, Bermuda, and many other places globally. However, I had never been to Beijing, China until just a few days ago. As an American-Chinese student that has traveled all over Asia, I felt like Beijing was an important place that I had not been to yet, so on the itinerary for our summer travels naturally came Beijing, the first stop, of our four-part trip.

My least favorite part about traveling to Asia, is the seemingly never-ending airplane ride. My mom and I, flew out from Houston's IAH airport at 1 a.m. and 16 hours later, arrived at Taiwan's International airport where we proceeded to have an eight hour layover until our next flight to Beijing, China. To say the least, I was exhausted from all the traveling, and I had begun to catch a cold, but being sick didn't stop me from exploring the new city.

At the airport in Taiwan with Hello Kitty.

Upon arrival to our family friend's home in the city, we went out for some very late night dinner (we're talking like 11 pm). To say the least, the late hour did not hold the quality of the food back. I had some porridge and Xiao Long Bao, which are small dumplings with a meat filling.

The next day, for dinner, we had a very special meal, Peking Duck. Peking Duck is a special duck dish that has been prepared since the times of Imperial China. The dish prepared with slices of roasted duck with crisp skin, complimented with a sweet sauce, some cucumber and scallion, wrapped in a thin pancake. The restaurant we went to, prepared the dish in front of our table.

Peking Duck at a Restaurant in Beijing, China

After dinner, we drove to the Olympic Park, home to the Olympic games in 2008. At night, the park looked beautiful with the intricate architecture of the Bird's Nest and the glowing colors of the Water Cube. In the park was a old Taoist temple. In the process of constructing and clearing the land to build the Olympic Green, as the workers were digging around the temple, they dug and found a pit of snakes. They saw the snakes as a sign to not take down the temple and let it remain standing. Beliefs such as the snakes are a part of Chinese culture and beliefs, having much to do with Feng Shui.

Bird's Nest (top) and Water Cube (bottom) in the Olympic Park at Night

At dinner, I had been invited by my younger cousin to go to their school and talk about America and speak english for them to hear for their English Class at school. The next day I woke up at 6 a.m. and went to the second grade class to share my American ways with the young students. The students were so excited see someone that looked like them, from America that spoke English. They eagerly asked questions about American culture and life. After the 45 minute class, the students were so happy that they showered me with hugs and small gifts from their desks at school.

Posing for a picture with the second grade class

After teaching the class, we headed to visit the heart of Beijing's culture and history, Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. The square is known for its pro- democracy protests in 1989. Across from the square is the Forbidden City, home to the Qing and Ming Dynasties. Filled with culture and history, the palace grounds show the rich history and beauty behind the Chinese people.

With my mom, outside the gates of the Forbidden City

After exploring the palace grounds, we headed to the busy Wangfujing Street in the city. The bustling streets were filled with people, food, and shopping. Naturally, we were drawn to the food and in the streets we saw live scorpion on a stick, ready to be eaten!

Live scorpion on a stick

Following a long day of walking and exploring, we headed back home to rest for our flight the next morning. The next part of our journey awaits... Hong Kong here we come!