Barbecue Time!!

When was the last time we had a picnic on the river? 

So we tried something different this time.We decided to have a barbecue along the river this summer vacation (natsu yasumi). We set out from my house at 5.30am and it was a long drive .

Wow! the water is crystal clear and kinda cold .. Good for this weather ..Its too hot and humid around 33 degree celcius.

I 

I enjoyed a lot!!! thanks guys... 

Discovering China: CityScape

Even though that the highlight of our trip was Great wall experience, I also had fun in Beijing . Anyways, here are the captions of my pictures...

We've just arrived in Beijing, YEY!! @ Beijing International Airport..Just a tip, when going to China, do study Mandarin. Even just the basics. It sure helped us a lot when we were going around . I have no problem since my husband have been to china several times.

When I was in Beijing, I told myself  that I have to see the Bird's Nest (Beijing National Stadium ). As we all know Olympic 2008 was held here.  It is still not real to me that I was actually here. This entire thing has been a dream come true and certainly beyond anything that I expected. 

As the name implies, Ming Tombs is a place where emperors from the Ming Dynasty were buried. Chinese people from ancient times believe that emperors are sons of God, and when they die they become God. The temple in our background serves as the worship area, and was now turned into a museum

The Ming Tombs are the final resting place of all but the first 2 Ming Emperors. A 40-meter-long tunnel leads to the first massive door, which is 7.3 meters below the ground  (same height of 7th floor). The underground palace consists of five rooms with giant marble archways and a floor paved with huge polished stone known as "gold bricks." 

The next stop was the Temple of Heaven, 

The main area of the Temple was called the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest 

Of the many activities that China has to offer, bike riding is one of the oldest and most favorite among visitors

and lastly if you go to China dont forget to watch the Chinese acrobats and 

a visit to China is not complete without savoring Beijing’s Roast Duck

Hmm ...And I forgot to mention that their Peking Duck was reallllllyyyyyyyy delicious lol... I tried so many new foods last night and every single one of them was delicious

  

Overall my time went by very quickly and my impression of Beijing was favorable. It is a place I wouldn't mind going to see again but for sure I would pick a time closer to spring... I've been very lucky here to see and do as many things as I did. I'm happy to say that I took advantage of every opportunity that I was given here, and I have absolutely zero regrets.

Finally, my last day in Beijing has arrived! I wanted to see some Pandas, but we are lacking of time. i just bought a cute  souvenir from Duty Free.. Bye China.. Till we meet again.. 

Conquering the Forbidden City

I wish that the pictures I took today could accurately portray how absolutely amazing the Forbidden City is. I have never been to such an overwhelmingly breathtaking place in my entire life, and it would would be impossible to explain in words and even through the pictures I took how grand and magnificent it really is.

With map in hand, I started to explore the city. There were so many places to look at and learn about . The Forbidden City is an architectural masterpiece dating from 1406 which still lies at the heart of modern Beijing. For almost five hundred years, it served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987, and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.  (source Wikipedia) 

The Forbidden City, ( so named because common people were forbidden to enter ) was indeed a city. Over 800 buildings containing 8,886 rooms, Really Huge !

The minute I stepped inside, I literally gasped out loud All around me were giant port-red walls, moats, breathtaking halls, and intricately carved roofs and statues. That first moment inside is something that I will never forget. The massiveness and magnitude of everything in the Forbidden City was almost overwhelming; the buildings seemed to overpower you. Now I definitely see why everyone in China tells you that you must see.... it's really something you can't appreciate unless you see it with your own eyes. 

Ni Hao CHINA !!!

I had always wanted to visit China for one reason, to walk the Great Wall of China. I must say PRICELESS experience!!!The Great Wall of China...over 2,000 years old, a series of fortifications built to protect the Chinese empire, 5,500 miles of walls and trenches and one of the seven wonders of the world.. and I climbed it today.  It probably took us about an hour to finally reach the top.. Standing at the top of the Great Wall of China, looking out over beautiful mountains and seeing other sections of the Great Wall far in the distance was a life changing experience. We are so proud of ourselves for making it to the top and looked around in awe at our surroundings. We took a TON of pictures..of course 

Eating with Chopsticks

The Japanese word for chopsticks; hashi, means "bridge. just for info.

CHOPSTICKS ?  They are like an extension of a man's fingers, ya know?
Chopsticks are made of many materials - ivory, plastic, silver and even jade - but the most common ones here are wood or bamboo. For everyday use, wood, bamboo or ivory is best.

All Japanese food is prepared in such a way that it's easy for us to handle it with chopsticks. In fact, many older folks in don't even use a spoon when having their meal.

Well, in short: Practice is the key to success with these centuries-old tools known simply as CHOPSTICKS. Enjoy your meal, my friends.

MEMORIES OF KIMONO

Anyone may wear a Kimono. The material is mostly silk and dyed by hand. Kimono makers spend hours, if not days, tediously sewing and embroidering the cloth. These are the main reasons for the high prices.

The word Kimono, basically means clothes. "ki" meaning, "kiru", which means "put on" and "mono", which means "thing".

I enjoy wearing and learning about kimono, the traditional dress of japan. No i am not japanese, im filipina but that doesn't stop me