It was so exciting. The sights and sounds were familiar yet different, like the reversed traffic flow, Christmas-like lights on trucks, and the narrow buildings. Mrs. Kawasaki was such a hostess! She fed us simply a feast of Japanese cuisine until we were simply stuffed and we talked long into the night. Then it was time to actually experience one of those Japanese baths I had heard about. The bathtub is filled with very hot water, with just a hint of some kind of Japanese form of epson salts. You stand to the side of the tub (cold floor!) and wash yourself shower-style, fully rinsing yourself clean before getting into the tub. The idea is to clean yourself then enjoy a hot relaxing dip. Then when you get out the next family member can use the same clean tub water for the same – interesting water conservation. The water was so hot to me that it took a good 10 minutes of setting in and acrobatics to get in. It did feel very good and I felt very tired so I decided I’d head off to bed. The house was noticeably cold except for the living and dining rooms where there was a heater, and the bedroom where there was one too. No central air. So slippers were a must. That was a common theme I picked up in Asia that I wasn’t accustomed to. The bed was interesting for its firmness compared to American-style and the pillow was…well, crunchy. Like little beans from a beanbag were in it. But it was very comfortable and Lilian and I were soon off to deep sleep.

We woke up and had a big, big breakfast while planning with Mami for the day’s activities which would end in a bus tour that afternoon. Then Mami took us to the metro train station. The stations and system were a great example of efficiency. You went up to the machine, punching in your destination code and it told you how many yen to insert for a ticket. After taking your ticket then you walked through a terminal where you inserted the ticket on the side. We didn’t know it the first time (and Mami, being so used to the system, honestly forgot to mention it), but we were supposed to scoop the ticket up at the end of the terminal when we passed through. That way you don’t have to pay twice (an important lesson!). Being my first time in any kind of metro vehicle other than a bus, it was quite a unique experience. We didn’t really have a hard time navigating around (thanks to Mami) and found ourselves in Akihabara, the technology-district of Tokyo. The area was more downtown, a little more dirty, but with a lot more neon glitz. No doubt at night the place would have been dazzling. We went through the many shops, small and large, with all the different gadgets. From HDTV’s to the smallest cell phones I’ve ever seen, the area was interesting to peruse. We went to a two-floor CD/LD store and I found a nice selection of Dreams Come True CD’s. I got a new one I hadn’t seen before and we set off back for the nearest metro station. We had lunch there which was actually reasonably priced considering Japan – although Lilian couldn’t just sit with Mami and I while we ate, she had to have something too even though she wasn’t hungry. Then we went to our afternoon bus tour of Tokyo. Our guide, Mr. Sato (one translation literally being Sugar so he said he would answer to Mr. Sugar as well as Mr. Sato) was very amusing in his monologue as we drove around Tokyo. All the cars were small, and for good reason, as congested as everything was. We went to Tokyo Tower, overlooking almost all of Tokyo and the bay area. It was a great view.

Then we went to the Imperial Palace, where the modern-day Emperor and his family live, and walked along the outer grounds. The inside is only open twice a year to visitors. Then we went to a scenic temple set beside a long street of colorful shops. People would throw yen to the shrine and make a wish or prayer. Outside the temple was an incense well, from which heavy smoke came out and people would get close to breathe in an purify their lungs (and get warm I think!). There was also a fountain, where people would take cups and have some water, mostly to swish inside their mouths. We walked along the shops, many of which sold very similar things.

We ran to catch the bus again to conclude our tour in the shopping district of Ginza. We were all pretty tired after the tour so we just briefly window-shopped (and besides the prices were all quite high) before going home. Back home, we slept for 12 hours, jet lag catching up with us finally.

Mrs. Kawasaki had stayed up all night planning our trip to Kyoto and gave everything to Mami for the visit. Ryuji drove Marie, Mami, Lilian, and I to the Japanese bullet train station, or Shinkansen to catch our train to Kyoto. Ryuji missed his exit while Mami was talking to him and we raced to make up for lost time on the streets of Tokyo. We jokingly called it the Ryuji bullet train! We got there just in time, with only about 30 seconds to spare. If we had missed our train, with its reserved seats it could have meant hours of waiting for an empty set of seats. The train only stops for maybe two minutes before setting off again, so you have to be prompt! The ride was 3 hours and was pleasant, with views of Japan racing by. We saw majestic Mt. Fuji and all the tightly packed houses and streets. As we got closer to Mt. Fuji and beyond, we started to see more and more of the white fluffy stuff all over. The snow even caused a slight delay of our train by about 10 minutes. Once in Kyoto, we took a taxi to our first hotel, the Brighton Hotel. It was an elegant western-style facility with coffee lounge, western restaurant, and Japanese restaurant (of course we wanted to try the Japanese, not the western). We set off on foot for places to see that Mrs. Kawasaki had recommended. We set off to the Kyoto Imperial Palace, and were surprised when one of the hotel’s customer service women, S. Sotobe, caught up to us running (umbrella in hand). She had run 3 blocks to warn us that unless we all had picture ID’s the administration would not let us enter the grounds. Lilian had accidentally left all of hers back at Mrs. Kawasaki’s house. She even tried to offer us the umbrella she was using but we insisted she keep it. I was simply astounded at the level of customer service! Mami and Marie decided to try anyway, and we headed for the palace visitor center. Mami and Marie intently negotiated with the desk clerks to make an exception to the rules since Lilian was my wife. The supervisor agreed to let Lilian in so we got a special permission slip. Domo arigato gozaimasu! The next visitor time would be the next day at 10:00 AM, so we left with our reservations in hand. Interesting – that place actually didn’t have a cost associated with entering or being shown a tour. Our next stop was Nijo Castle, or Nijo-jo, a perfect example of a Shogun-era palace. Originally built in 1603 when the Tokugawa Shogunate united Japan, when the emperor was restored in sovereignty as well as a deity in 1867 it became Imperial family property.

Inside, we had to remove our shoes and wear oversized slippers to protect the floors and pictures inside were forbidden in order to protect the beautiful wall artwork. The floors were special nightingale floors, designed to make noise when strode upon so that nobody could sneak in the palace undetected. After a nice long, leisurely walking tour of the castle and its grounds, we went back to the metropolitan streets of Kyoto. We had lunch inside a diner-style ramen restaurant and walked back to the hotel. That night Lilian, Mami, and I had coffee and we talked before heading off to bed.

We got up that morning and chose an authentic Japanese-style breakfast in favor of the western option (when in Rome after all). I was pleased that I enjoyed just about everything I tried, and what little else I found interesting.

We went to our appointment at the Imperial Palace, where we received an outdoor walking tour from a tour guide who spoke heavily-accented English. Many found it very hard to understand her and even me, who has hung out with lots of Japanese friends and gotten used to the typical speech patterns, found it challenging to understand everything she said. The Japanese on the tour were all probably wondering why she wouldn’t just go ahead and speak Japanese to them. But the gardens were beautiful, all of which consist of three elements in balance: water, stone, and trees. Never flowers of other extras, just the serene equilibrium of the three. And the tour was free after all. Lilian wanted to take a picture with one of the palace guards but he apologetically said, "I’m secret." So he took our picture instead.

Next we walked on the streets of Kyoto to Shinjin Textiles, where beautiful kimonos and fine goods are designed and weaved. We arrived just in time for their daily fashion show, in which several Japanese modeled fancy kimonos for an audience of tourists. Afterwards we toured the upper floor’s store and grabbed a bite to eat. We went back to the Brighton Hotel and checked out, but left our bags at the door for pick up later.

Then we grabbed a taxi, which by the way isn’t cheap – it starts at around $6 just when you get in and typically costs about $10 for most moderate distances. We arrived at Padios Kyoto Studio Park, a theme park showcasing many sets, costumes, and stuntmen from Japanese samurai movies of past and present. There was also a spot for anime (their studio did some of the older types I’m not really familiar with but I did recognize Star Blazers). There were some live shows too, like one stage drama with ninja combat with several stuntmen. The top bad guy was surprisingly also the comic relief of the show when in the middle of the show he strode forward with a glaring evil eye and deep voice into the audience. He was staring down this big group of school children and getting closer and closer to them until he was right on top of them then suddenly he broke out of character into this funny little voice, asking if anyone wanted to take pictures with him. Everyone broke out into laughter.

Along the street sets people were dressed up like ancient Japanese; actually they were visitors like us but paid to be dressed and made up into samurai stars. Then the employees filmed them as they walked the park’s streets. We took a picture with the first group of them we ran into and they offered to show us where we could get dressed up too. We passed on that. J

There were also some rides, but they were really just for kids. We all laughed because the four of us (the only ones on the ride) grown-ups went on this little kid ride and didn’t know it until close to the end. We all kept thinking, "This will get better I’m sure." This wasn’t Disneyland. Away from the rides, a performer in bright clothes sang a Japanese tune while using an interesting wooden and string-telescoping instrument. She could flex her hand and make a fishing pole or twist it into a bridge or make a little swing for her song. She made it look easy. Later in the program she was looking for a volunteer and of course Lilian and Marie were kind enough to volunteer – me! So there I was, trying to dance and make those shapes while wearing a costume of my own. Fortunately our camera ran out of film! After the park, we went by taxi to pick up our bags and then go to our new hotel to the east. Nestled near the busiest and culturally interesting part of Kyoto, it was a very traditional Japanese-style hotel. You walked into your room and had the bathroom to your left and a paper door in front of you. Here you changed to slippers, provided on the shelf beside you. Then you slid open the door in front of you to see your two room setup, with tatami mats, a low table, and floor chairs in the front living room along with the usual amenities like a TV and VCR. Behind another set of paper doors was a refrigerator and sink, along with big windows that had a great view of a temple park. We went downstairs for a big Japanese dinner that was prepared for us. We were waited on so carefully and completely it was something else. While we ate, the maids changed our rooms for sleep, moving the table and laying out traditional sleeping-bag style beds for us. But after eating, Lilian, Mami and I wanted to see some of the nightlife, so we walked out into the bustling night. All along the traditional streets there were so many little bars and shops – and many shops were selling flowers, stuffed animals, and candies for boyfriends to buy their girlfriends. We had hoped to see some maikos (my-ko), little girls dressed up like geisha girls who performed songs and dances. But we came out too late, the maikos and the geishas had finished walking the streets and were already employed for entertainment in the cozy-looking clubs along the sides of the street. It was almost like stepping back in time – you could so easily imagine the nightlife being so much the same hundreds of years back. Something new I saw too was the sweet potato salesmen on several street corners, selling hot sweet potatoes from their vans and carts – and with this deep, almost hypnotic piped voice saying slowly in Japanese "Sweet Potatoes." Mami said they sold them at night. We then went back and settled in for the night. We changed into our kimonos and slipped into our sleeping bags to sleep.

But things were still hopping all night long – at around 3 AM, Lilian and I were awakened by all the honking horns and loud voices from the street below. It seemed that nobody slept! Well it was a Friday night after all, I guess.

We got up and headed down to breakfast in our kimonos, rather like wearing pajamas. We had a large Japanese breakfast together and discussed plans for the day. Marie and Mami were still kind of tired…apparently some guy staying in the hotel last night, after having partied and drank a little too much, was trying to get into their room. He kept trying to open their door very late in the night, thinking that it was his room he was trying to get into. That kept them up, understandably. So they wanted to take an extra hour to rest before setting off, which was all right with Lilian and me since we were interested in seeing the Temple Park across the street. So we climbed a long winding stairway up to a very picturesque set of temples. We went across a stone bridge and looked at one of the temples and watched as a patron went up, tossed in some coin money and silently prayed, then set off. I wanted to take a picture of Lilian at the bridge from the temple and told her to lean against the railing. She started to try and sit up on it when a workman cleaning up brush nearby said something to her in Japanese. Lilian looked up to me and asked what he said. I told her that he said don’t sit on the rail, which is what I read from a word and his tone of voice. Then Lilian asked me, "How do I say I’m sorry?" I reminded her it was "Sumimasen." Which she then repeated to the workman, who walked off. He had probably thought she was Japanese up to that point since he addressed her as he did.

We returned from the peaceful setting and joined Marie and Mami back at the hotel lobby. We set off by taxi for a long street of shops going up a long street. At the top of the hills was our destination: Kiyomizu Temple. We climbed the narrow street, which was bordered on both sides with shops selling tourist goods, food, etc. Then we came to the temples, which were spread out and connected by a winding path and sets of steps. Lilian and I spotted two dressed up geishas walking down the steps and joined the crowd watching them and taking pictures with them.

Then we explored the temples and towers. We came upon a mountain spring fountain that had three distinct streams, each for a different benefit. I suggested we go and have a picture drinking from it so Lilian and I grabbed the long pole cups and collected some of the water. I noticed a sign that said ultraviolet lights were used to keep the cups clean so I thought we would both take a little drink while the picture was taken. The picture is taken and I swallow, and Lilian turns the cup over to dump the water back! I felt betrayed! J Later, a tour group came and we heard the tour guide explain exactly what each stream’s benefit was. The first was for wealth (the one Lilian had incidentally chosen), the second was for health (the one I had incidentally drunk from), and the third for wisdom. By chance I had drunk from health’s spout and Lilian had (almost) drunk from wealth’s. It made me think of the old Ultima computer games where you had to find hidden magical fountains to increase your different attributes, mental and physical.

Interestingly enough, later on in the day Lilian’s stomach didn’t feel too good but I never had a problem. Hmm, makes me wonder... Then we took another taxi to a huge Buddhist temple with over a thousand statues inside, called Sanjusangendo – the longest wooden building in Japan. It was originally built in 1164, actually predating the Forbidden City in China. It burned down in 1249 and was rebuilt, with all the statues inside being remade as well. I remember the fact that you had to take off your shoes inside but they provided no slippers for you. And the floor was cold! So by the end of the walking tour, our feet were freezing cold and we were very ready for our shoes!

After stepping out into the peaceful courtyard and looking around the hall, we made our way back to the street and found a nice ramen restaurant to have lunch. Then we headed back to the bullet train station for home.

Our departing flight for Beijing was a 6:15 AM so we took the day to relax after having been so busy all week. I played some N64 games with Jonathan, Mami’s son, and we all repacked. We left for the airport, crossing the Rainbow Bridge and getting one last great view of Tokyo. We arrived at the airport ahead of schedule so we paused for a quick picture.

Mrs. Kawasaki, Marie, Lilian and I processed through customs easily and boarded a bus for our 747 bound for Beijing. We got off the bus and headed up the stairs. It wasn’t until I reached the top that I realized – I had left my schedule book back on the bus! I ran down the steps shouting "Excuse me" through people all the way down. When I got to the bottom and looked around I saw the bus had pulled off and was heading back to the terminal. I ran after it and got up to the driver’s window, and starting rapping on it. The driver stopped the bus and looked at me like I was crazy. I used the best Japanese I could but was reduced to playing charades to explain I had left something on the bus. He seemed to understand then and let me on. I scooped it up from our seat with a big ARIGATO! and dashed back to the plane and up the steps. The plane took off right on schedule but unfortunately all of our problems weren’t behind us. Lilian started feeling ill shortly after the in-flight meal. The rest of the trip was misery for her. I tried as hard as I could to help her and asked for more and more sickness bags while she kept vomiting. Once we finally got on the ground she started recovering and then insisted she felt fine. While retrieving our luggage from baggage claim, I heard a voice call out, "Ken!" I looked over and saw Lilian’s mom, sister, and dad waving amidst others waiting for people. Lilian was still trying to retrieve a cart out of view so I ran up and was warmly welcomed to China. We gathered all of our luggage and headed for Peace Hotel, where Marie and Mrs. Kawasaki would stay. After they were settled in, we went to the family’s apartment. We talked happily until nearly 2 in the morning before going to bed.

Monday morning, Lilian, Wo Ma (mother in Chinese), and I joined Marie and Mrs. Kawasaki at 9:30 in the lobby. Everyone had slept well, although the three of us actually hadn’t gotten that much sleep. The sights and sounds of Beijing were distinctive, and showed signs of rapid growth. Cars, buses, bicycles, pedestrians were everywhere on the streets, even more chaotically then in Tokyo. Construction was evident everywhere—new hotels, shops, department stores on the streets, and on the skyline were numerous construction cranes. But the growth had its price: pollution. Much of the city was dirty and dusty, and very noisy with all the honking horns. Amid the old-style buildings and historical sites dating back hundreds of years, here was a bustling city showcasing what China was aimed at doing: growing commercially and industrially – and at the same time illustrating how important careful planning and restraint would be. We walked to a Shanghai-style restaurant for an authentic, dimsum-style breakfast. Delicious! I love dimsum. Then we took a climate-controlled bus to the Lama Buddhist Temple in downtown Beijing. It was more expensive then the normal trolley bus (about 5 yuan rather than .5 per ticket), but much less crowded so Wo Ma wanted us to take it and insisted on paying for all of us. The Lama Temple was very serene within. The monks were Tibetan monks, which I found interesting since the Dalai Lama was in exile. From the age of the temple though, I imagine it had been here with monks long before the Communist occupation of Tibet. The monks all live in the dormitories within the walls and actually few really speak any Mandarin Chinese, only their native tongue. Not that I could understand it either, but that meant that Lilian couldn’t speak to them. This was also where I had to have my first experience with a public washroom in China. It was not very pleasant and cost .3 yuan to go in.

Along the sides of the road leading up to the main entrance were several shops. We went in and shopped around, looking at a wide range of artistic items. Jade, tapestries, traditional silk outfits, and calligraphy were all displayed for sale in the shops—Mrs. Kawasaki and Marie really liked some of the items so they bought them. The value of the yen (or the dollar, for that matter) to the yuan made many things inexpensive in China. We ended up doing a lot of shopping in the trip to get such bargains. We toured the temples, seeing an occasional monk quietly studying. Then we left for dinner. We went to the most famous restaurant (over 100 years old) for "hot pot" – Dong Lai Shun. Hot pot is very unique. After appetizers are done, the waitrons bring out a pot, which is really a coal-filled urn ringed by water-filled opening. Raw meats and vegetables are brought out and you put them into the hot pot steadily and draw them out when they’re cooked, dipping them into a sauce for added flavor. It was so tasty. And at the end, you have made a delicious soup from the hot water cooking all the food. Very good!

When we were stuffed from dinner, we stepped out into the mall that housed the restaurant. The mall was very new and western looking, with six floors of stores and a central entertainment complex for kids. We walked around and shopped into the evening.

We planned for today to be "shopping day" because the weather forecast said it would be very windy. And sightseeing, especially at the Great Wall, wouldn’t be very good with so much wind. So Wo Ma planned on taking us to stores that specialized in things Marie and Mrs. Kawasaki were interested in. We left to join them at Peace Hotel, stopping at a street market to pick up some fruit for them. Supermarkets were foreign here. I had seen one grocery store of moderate size, but nothing like in America. Here, street vendors sold everything on the crowded sidewalks from fruit to candy on sticks and even knickknacks. In places, it made for tough-going to walk. All together then, we visited stores that had silks, cashmeres, wool, jade—the list went on and on. We had a very full day of shopping.

Both Marie and Mrs. Kawasaki were interested in seeing a traditional Chinese doctor—Marie for a rash she got from a coral months back and Mrs. Kawasaki for her neck. Multiple doctors back home had been unable to help either of them. Lilian had one uncle who works in a traditional treatment hospital and we went home a little early to finalize arrangements to see him. We finished them when we were pleasantly surprised by a call from Uncle Dick (Dekai), one of Lilian’s relatives from California. He was starting a computer venture in Beijing and spent much of his time now in China, occasionally returning to his home in LA. His wife, Joan, also came to visit him from time to time. He was leaving for the states tomorrow, so he wanted to take the family out to dinner. We went to the most unique restaurant I’ve ever been to at his invitation. Loud, live traditional entertainment and food of the Yun Nan, a Chinese minority, were the showcases. The interior was completely decorated as if it were a village, with a central stage on the lower floor for everyone to see. There were singers, performers, dancers, and actors that came up on stage to perform. The audience watched and cheered as they ate the traditional food. But there was much more interaction then this however. During one part of their show, they called for volunteers to dance. Two men with long bamboo poles sat down at opposite ends of the stage with the long poles held between them. Then they beat the poles down on the stage and against each other in rhythm to the music. Waitrons came out, retrieving "volunteer" dancers and as a pair dance in and around the beating logs. The longer you stayed in without being hit by a log, the faster the song became, over and over again until dancers were eliminated.

I went up at the insistence of a waitron and Lilian, and did well enough to win a little prize for Lilian. If you didn’t do well enough, they made you drink a cup of rice wine and then you went back to your table. Also, throughout the night the waitrons came out to perform massages on all the customers as they ate.

Lilian and I got a massage while we ate, as did everyone else at the table. A very unique experience. But there was also another tradition at the restaurant. The waitrons would also force the occasional patron to drink rice wine (which tasted good—better than sake), either because other patrons requested it or just on waitron impulse. I got chosen several times, maybe because I was an American. It was a lot of fun, so different.

Picked again to drink – resistance was futile, not that I minded that much. J

They also had long bamboo pipes filled with some kind of water that they offered people to smoke a cigarette through. Not being a smoker, I would never have considered it, but some of the rowdier guys at the next table insisted that I try it. They jokingly threatened the waitron that they would not pay their bill unless she made me try at least one puff. So I gave in and, while she held the cigarette down at the bottom of the pipe, I inhaled at the top. It didn’t taste as bad as a cigarette by itself, but I still had to cough—at least to satisfy the guys at the next table that I had tried it. The whole night was a wild experience I’ll never forget. I’m glad Uncle Dick invited us. He explained that he would bring clients here to treat them. He said that while he was gone, if we wanted, we could use his apartment (and offered us to use his car but I’m not that crazy). He drove us back home and we said good night.

Lilian and I took Marie and Mrs. Kawasaki to the traditional hospital where her uncle was a doctor. He saw us quickly and made arrangements to get us with two of his colleagues who could help. The wait was short for us, probably because of Lilian’s uncle. Marie was seen first and the hospital mixed a treatment, one oral and another to apply on her skin, for her. They gave her enough for a couple of weeks, and she was supposed to drink her oral medicine once in the morning and once at night. Marie said it did not good taste at all. I mean to find out if the treatment worked when I talk to Marie. Mrs. Kawasaki had something like a pinched nerve in her vertebrae, which caused pain in her neck and forced her to wear a neck brace all the time. Explaining things to the doctors was interesting because Mrs. Kawasaki spoke virtually no English. So she explained to Marie in Japanese, Marie explained to Lilian in English, and then Lilian explained in Chinese to the doctor – and vice versa for questions from the doctor. They performed the ancient treatment of using cups on Mrs. Kawasaki. She lay down prone on the bed and they applied heated glass cups that supposedly would help to realign her chi (inner flow of energy). Her treatment, the doctor explained, could not permanently deal with the problem and they instructed her to still use her neck brace. They also gave her a medication to take, like Marie, morning and night. While she was in China with us, Mrs. Kawasaki did say she had reduced pain. The hospital was very intriguing for me. Some would call it mysticism, but the techniques the doctors used there were from centuries and centuries of research. Acupuncture, the use of herb treatments and using cups – all still being practiced and documented as they have been for such a long time. While much of Chinese medical techniques are based on modern western research, these old methods were still in use at selected hospitals. We had planned on going to the Temple of Heaven after the appointment, but the traffic was atrocious and the hour was already approaching 4:00. Probably the park would close around 5:00, being wintertime. So we decided to just walk the streets some and do some more shopping. We tried a little food from street vendors and browsed through another shopping center. Lilian told me that the discounts and sales we saw were not practiced when she left for America four years ago. It was clear that marketing was developing and the other elements of a free market economy, which I was happy to see. It was also clear from many signs that English translators were not very good. At one store, featuring nightstands, mattresses, etc. the large professional sign overhead had written in English: "Badroom Suite." We couldn’t help but laugh. Imagine saying to your wife, "Let’s get something for the badroom!" We had a delicious dinner at a Hong Kong-style restaurant then headed home.

We headed out earlier with Marie and Mrs. Kawasaki for the Forbidden City—the very center of Beijing, from where 24 emperors had ruled China. The palace was so grand, walled off as it was like the separate world it was designed to be. It was forbidden of course because it was not a place for commoners at all. This was the place where 10,000 privileged and their servants lived in a place of absolute symmetry under the mandate of heaven. Most officials were chosen on as in a meritocracy. Tests were held every year, on public policy and history and politics. Those who scored high enough on these tests became officials. The Emperor himself however had his title by birth. And it was by the mandate of heaven that he ruled the great "Middle Kingdom." It was particularly awe-inspiring to see it, remembering the movie "The Last Emperor."

It took just about all day to tour it, and some parts were not open to the public. The massive palace of 999.5 rooms, set in the very center of the city, was built in just 4 years—from 1416 until 1420—clearly indicating a massive amount of labor went into creating it. Everything was symmetric and orderly, the proper place for the Emperor to live and control China from. It was only until after the Communist revolution that the enormous place was opened to the general public, some time in the 1970’s.

One story I found interesting was how the workers transported an enormous stone slab for a staircase from another province to the Forbidden City. They moved it in winter, and dug wells all along the road. Then, they would take the water from the wells and let it freeze along the road, and move it over the frozen surface. Then its face was carved into artistic images of dragons and clouds. Inside the city were so many halls, palaces, and gates, grand plazas and an enormous garden that must look marvelous in the spring with all the flowers in bloom and trees showing their leaves. Nonetheless, it was a wonderful thing to see even if it was the winter.

We had a reservation to keep at a Chinese tea house that evening, so we stepped out of the Forbidden City and back into modern China, where we were practically ambushed by people trying to sell things—from t-shirts to little red books (Mao’s writings)—to everyone coming out. We decided to go to Bei Hai (North Sea) park where we could get a light meal in the meantime. Unfortunately, the park’s restaurant had just stopped serving lunch so we missed our chance when we got there. Instead we went to a little place that served dumplings just inside the entrance of the park.

Then we went back to Dong Lai Shun for another hot pot meal. After another filling meal, we set off by taxi to the Lao She tea house, where we were served quite a bit of different Chinese snack foods in addition to jasmine tea. Then at 7:00, the show began. Our table was in the second row so we had a great view. First, a band performed traditional Chinese music. Then there was a singer whose song was about how much she liked old Beijing (describing all the special places, like the Forbidden City).

The centerpiece of the entertainment was part of the Peking opera "Farewell My Concubine" – the costumes and makeup made the actors look so unreal, and the background music combined with their movements and songs were so different…unworldly almost. I learned that actually Peking opera wasn’t originally from Peking (Beijing). The Emperor called for entertainment and a band of performers came from their province to Beijing. They put on a show very similar to the form associated with Peking opera—and the Emperor truly enjoyed it. The band stayed in Beijing to perform and eventually other elements of acrobatics and music got added and made it into the current form. They also had a woman who sung perfectly clearly while holding a sort of gag in her mouth that had burning candles attached, and she didn’t blow them out. Another performer sat on her back and amazingly twirled six umbrellas with her feet and hands to the crowd’s applause. There were also a pair of comedians, a typical Chinese form of entertainment, and a pair of entertainers who played music together while one told a folktale in a funny manner. Even though Marie, Mrs. Kawasaki, and I couldn’t grasp much of what was said, it was still marvelous to see the entertainment.

We set out early on a travel agency-provided tour of the Ming Tombs and Great Wall. We rode in a van down the more modern highways out of Beijing. First we stopped at the sacred road, a mile-long stretch of road surrounded by large statues of animals and men, where emperors since the Ming Dynasty have been taken down after death to their tombs. The air was so clean, particularly after Beijing, and the weather was very nice.

Then we saw one set of tombs themselves. Well, actually just the outside. The tombs were set to the back of the area, which was like a small palace. We saw several artifacts that had been recovered. Our tour guide told us that many national treasures had been lost as a result of the Cultural Revolution, a terrible period from 1966-1976 when the youths rampaged in the name of revolution for Mao. Teachers and other intellectuals, along with many prized ancient items, were damaged or destroyed during the period. The body of one exhumed Ming emperor, in fact, decayed away since it was left out unprotected and uncared for during the period. The view from the top of the tomb was very nice, out looking among the hills.

Other tombs remain intact, unopenable without damaging their contents. The inability to open them, combined with a sense of not wanting to disturb the dead, has the rest of them protected from entry. Then we went to see how jade was worked on, an interesting stop where we watched the workers do their work and browse a shop. Then we went to lunch at a friendship store nearby. Lunch was included in the full-day’s tour, which only came to about 300 yuan or $35—so cheap compared to what we were used to, especially Japan, where we paid close to $40 for the afternoon bus tour that didn’t include anything to eat. But thinking about it in perspective, it was cheap for us because we were foreigners. Lilian’s sister, Mingjia, for instance is a doctor and doctors make about 800 yuan a month (about $100). Very different indeed. But meanwhile, someone who did work for a joint venture company in Beijing had the opportunity to make much more money. But being a doctor clearly didn’t pay off in China unless you took money from patients on the side for preferential treatment, which was illegal and Mingjia refused to do. If you were caught, you would lose your profession and dishonor your family. The lunch was really huge and you could ask for seconds. We got to know the other three people on the tour with us: one an English guy named Ewin who was just finishing up a year-long tour of the world; another guy, Sid, was from New York finishing up a business trip with a little bit of pleasure before going back; and a Korean-Japanese gentleman touring China. Then we left for the highlight of the tour, the Great Wall. A three-tiered defensive barrier against the barbarians that was started in its earliest form back in 8^th century BC.

One of the wonders of the world, it also showcased the incredible architecture and military defense of ancient China. There is a saying that for every stone of the wall, there is also a body, because so many people died in the its construction. Covering a total length of over 6,000 kilometers, the wall was built and rebuilt by successive dynasties. Standing over 7 meters tall and 5 meters wide, with fortresses and beacon towers constructed at strategic points—roughly every 300 meters where we climbed the wall, it is such a sight to behold like some kind of fantastic snake rolling across the hilly terrain.

I tried to imagine what it must have been like for the soldiers assigned to the wall. The terrain was inhospitable and the weather was windy. Out there, somewhere, were the unseen Mongols. And if they were seen, you would rush to light fire to the ox-dung at your tower, casting smoke onto the horizon, causing each tower in line to do the same—warning everyone that the enemy was near.

First we went up the "easy" Presidential route, where Nixon had walked on his visit, and we went up four towers. A good hike. Then we all returned to the starting point. But Ewin and I wanted to do four towers up the other side, the harder route. We had about 20 minutes left, so we headed off full speed ahead. We cheered each other on until we got to the fourth tower. We almost barged right into a picture being taken, so we waited until the group was finished. Then we touched the tower and started coming back down, but the group of Japanese girls asked for a picture together. So we gave a good thumbs up for the picture and then headed back down. Much easier on the way down!

As soon as we got back to Beijing, we joined the family at the most famous restaurant for Peking duck—a send-off for Marie and Mrs. Kawasaki, whose flight was very early the next morning. The Peking duck was great and we all enjoyed the last evening together.

We got up very early in the morning, joining Marie and Mrs. Kawasaki at the hotel and helping them check out. We took two taxis to the airport and unfortunately the second driver lied and cheated us by nearly 60 yuan. We didn’t get their driver or license numbers but it was an important lesson. We saw them safely off at the airport although from far back—only passengers could leave the main entrance. Bureaucracy in China is thick and often doesn’t make much sense. For instance, individuals leaving by the airport have to pay a 90 yuan "Administration and Construction fee" but this is not explained clearly anywhere. You find out when you walk up to the guards checking tickets that you have to show them the receipt for the fee. And where do you pay? Not there but across the entrance in another line, then you can get back in line to get in. So people often held up the line, digging for receipts or tickets and everyone just had to wait. It was pretty clear that comment cards or even efficient queue systems were not things to be found in China. There was much to be learned. Frequently I saw things like this, showing a lack of refinement or thinking through. Some roads in Beijing, for instance, change direction several times a year at the discretion of officials who live on them—causing only more confusion and tickets. Or if the government wants to discourage a vehicle from being bought, it simply bans it from major streets—who wants a car if you can’t take the main roads in downtown? After we knew Marie and Mrs. Kawasaki had made it through safely, we boarded an air bus back for home and slept in. We got up later, had a big meal, and played majiang long into the night. Majiang, in case you’re not aware, is a Chinese game which can best be described as a mix between gin rummy and dominos, and it’s quite addictive. And we played it completely Chinese style, so I learned to say everything from the numbers to the suits in Chinese. A great challenge but I picked it up quickly.

Valentine’s Day, and I was surprised because it was observed in China too. People were selling roses on the streets. Today was also Gonggong’s (Grandfather’s) 82^nd birthday. We picked up three cakes from the bakery and went by taxi to a restaurant where we would celebrate. Wo Ma and her sister, Hao Yi, were hosting his birthday this year so they had arranged for everything. Soon the room was full of relatives. Gonggong’s sisters, Leo Popo and Ba Popo sat with their husbands, as did Wo Ma, Lilian and I at the main table with Gonggong and his younger wife Popo. Three generations of Wo Ma’s family all together to celebrate. We got showered with gifts too, kind of as post-wedding presents, which were very nice. They were aimed at my Buddhist practice too. It was funny, my Buddhist practice really intrigued them and they enjoyed hearing how I got involved with it. When Gonggong arrived, he bowed like a Buddhist monk to me and we both laughed as I returned it. In China, unlike Japan, people don’t bow so the gesture was just to welcome me. We had an enormous meal together, followed of course by one of the cakes. I was nervous at first, feeling almost like a diplomat representing so much: a husband, an American, an officer, a Buddhist, and as a young person since Lilian and I were the youngest people sitting at the table. This was particularly so in front of Gonggong, because of his status as a member of the Chinese congress. To me, he was fascinating. He had been a doctor during so many years of political unrest. He had even treated Mao Tse Tung long ago. So to me this was something of a diplomatic visit, maybe to him too. But as we ate and drank things became easier and everything was going well. It was very nice to feel so welcomed by such a large extended family, and I told them so and they felt honored for it.

Gonggong explained in Chinese and in pretty decent English why his age was kind of a mystery. In China, the tradition was to increase a child’s age by one year at Chinese New Years, similar to the practice of yearling horses in the US. Gonggong, having been born right on the evening of 14 February, the day before New Years, became one year old the next day. He said he felt this was more precise, since a baby has already been alive in the mother’s womb for 9 months. So I guess, that would make him a right-to-life candidate? Then everyone left and we had some more much-needed rest at home. I wanted to do something for Valentine’s Day though, so I conspired with Wo Ma and Mingjia for a place to go. Mingjia took both of us to a kind of nightclub, NYC, which had a bar as well as live entertainment in the form of singers and a fashion show. Very interesting to see. The singers performed American songs and strangely enough for most of the night they kept showing Tom and Jerry cartoons (with no sound). Lilian was very surprised by running into one of her old colleagues. She knew her from the hotel where they had worked together, now she was an associate manager of this club. So they talked for a while too. After enjoying the show we returned home.

Today was New Year’s Eve for China, and it was about to be 1999. We went to Gonggong’s house, along with several of the relatives from Sunday’s dinner. His house was very large, even by US standards, and filled with a lifetime’s collection of art, books, and antiques. We all had snacks and talked. Wo Ma, Mingjia, and Wo Ba only visit once or twice a year, usually in relation to his birthday. Everyone was looking forward to the special programming that would be on for New Years. We talked about everything from eunuchs (Gonggong and a team of other doctors had examined the last living eunuch) to Hao Yi’s (Wo Ma’s sister) new apartment. After a couple of hours, his bodyguard came to take him for his evening walk so we prepared to depart as well.

Mingjia, Lilian and I went to Uncle Dick’s apartment. We played poker, practiced karaoke, and celebrated the New Year while watching some of the live four-hour programming put on TV. In the distance, you could hear the firecrackers booming all night long.

We left the apartment for the scenic Summer Palace, a second home for the Emperor in the summertime. But first we stopped off at a fast food place for Beijing dim sum. Delicious! The lake of tranquility, massive as it was, was entirely manmade and was a beautiful backdrop for the palace. The lake would provide cool breezes in the heat of midyear.

I liked the Summer Palace even more than the Forbidden City. While the Forbidden City was vast and ordered, it did not have the sheer scenic beauty of the Summer Palace. We walked along the lake, and through the painted corridors, looking around at all the different sights to be seen. Along the corridors there were paintings, each of them unique and from a different folktale or legend.

We climbed up to the palace itself, providing a beautiful view, although a foggy, of the lake below.

After climbing to the very top, we came down the other side. There, we saw the stone ship. They had taken an enormous stone and planted it by the edge of the palace, where they carved it into a boat. The Emperor could have parties on the ship and I imagine that it must have been something to see, lit up with Chinese lamps. During the summer it can be walked on, but during the winter with the ice all about it was restricted, probably to avoid people from jumping off.

Then we walked back the way we came and beyond to cross the 17-arch bridge to an island where Empress Dowager offered prayer at the Dragon King Temple seasonally for rain. While the island’s temple was under repair, the view of the historic bridge was splendid. Then we left for home.

Wo Ma, Wo Ba, Mingjia, and I left for Dragon Lake Park to see some New Year’s festivities while Lilian went to lunch with old friends. Dragon Lake Park was dressed up like a carnival with shops along the sidewalks and it was full of people. There weren’t going to be any performances for over an hour and it was pretty windy so Wo Ba went home and the three of us left for the Temple of Heaven Park. We grabbed lunch at a nearby restaurant then made it out to see two group of performers put on a show. We didn’t see any lion dancers, but there was loud music and other performers, like this skilled staff-twirler who rolled the weapon over his body and flung it to catch it on his back.

After watching the show we went home and Lilian came home shortly. We played majiang into the night.

We hosted Jojo (uncle), Ma Jo (his wife) and Lingling (their daughter) for lunch at Dong Lai Shun’s. We had met them at Gonggong’s birthday. By this time I was becoming an absolute expert at hot pot. After a good meal together, the four of us did some more shopping. Mingjia wanted to buy me a leather jacket from another mall so we parted ways with Wo Ma and went by taxi to another district. We did quite a bit of shopping, picking up several nice things, including the jacket. Then we joined Mingjia’s doctor colleagues for dinner at another hot pot restaurant. It was very interesting meeting these other doctors, a couple of them were kind of wild and we all drank quite a lot of rice wine and beer. Then we went to one of their apartments to play some serious majiang. Majiang is like poker—the game is played for money and it can really go on. The players were too serious for me but not for Lilian. She played until six in the morning!

We got home half asleep around 7am and had to get up to go to Ba Popo’s for lunch around noon. Wo Ma and Wo Ba left earlier to play some majiang with them, so when we arrived everyone was ready to eat. Lilian’s traditional doctor uncle had a son—Leo Cur—who was also there and we practiced some English and played some Dune 2000. The lunch was so big and plates kept coming out, from seafood to tofu, and all very good. When everyone departed, Lilian, Mingjia and I left for Uncle Dick’s apartment again. We had a much-needed sleep then got up for dinner at a nearby restaurant. We did some karaoke then before going to bed.

We joined Wo Ma and Wo Ba at Hao Yi’s for lunch and majiang. Hao Yi showed us where her new apartment was going to be in a few months, after she prepared and decorated it. This was a new movement in China—open housing for purchase. In the past, the modern tradition was to live in work units with those who worked with you. But now apartments and housing was for open sale—another sign of a slowly opening culture. But a lot of Chinese were having difficulty with the transition, and complained openly about how greedy people were becoming. It was obviously not a simple transition for them to enter an open market society, made more difficult I think because the government controlled everything so tightly. While there weren’t soldiers marching on the streets, propaganda and media control was obvious to me. I liked and respected the Chinese I met, just had strong mixed feelings about the government. For instance, the pollution that was evident in Beijing was commented upon in a magazine in which it mentioned the Beijing newspaper actually making a comment that the sun looked more like a moon in Beijing’s sky. The magazine article writer was very surprised that such a loyal paper would or could make such a statement critical of the government’s unrestricted growth policy. The magazine was careful not to really be critical too, but you could read between the lines. And slowly the government was trying to reduce the pollution level, the article read. There were many vacant apartments in the building. I wondered how long it would take for this investment to pay off. To the average salary of a Chinese citizen, buying one of these large, modern apartments would have to be very expensive. We stopped and did a little more shopping before going home.

Today, Mingjia took me to two remote temples in the western hills while Lilian went shopping with friends. We went with Sangua who had helped pick us up at the airport when we first arrived. The temples were far up in the hills and once again free from the congestion of the city. First we went to Tan Zhe Temple, which dated back to 581 AD. Each of its buildings faced east, and were symmetrical along a north-to-south axis. We went in and witnessed a group of monks in their morning prayers. It was very peaceful to witness.

Then we went to Jie Tie Temple, similar in style and age, but nonetheless very nice and peaceful. Jie Tie Temple also had a cave where a legend said a kind old man had been immortalized. The air was just so clean and the setting so peaceful.

Then we headed for lunch at a restaurant that specialized in Mao Jia Cai, or the style of food favored by Mao Tse Tung. I was very surprised at the entrance by a golden crest of Mao with burning incense. It was strange for me, but apparently was fairly common at some establishments. We ate the spicy, fatty food together and the cook even made dessert, something they did not have on the menu, but offered since I was a "VIP." Another very good, filling meal. Sangua was so generous to us! First, at the Jie Tie Temple he bought two bells for Lilian and me—one for fortune and the other for wealth. Then after the restaurant, he bought three huge packs of firecrackers that we set off together on the street. It was tremendously LOUD. Then we went to the Bell Tower in Beijing, where they had a tremendous collection of ancient bells used for hundreds of years.

The largest was as tall as the entire bell tower it stood in. It was so big, in fact, that I couldn’t get a good picture of it. Mingjia and I joined the family for dinner.

Wo Ma took Lilian and me to several indoor markets. They operated and looked like street markets, only they were inside large auditoriums. Aisles and aisles of vendors. Some showed off their wares and yelled to get attention while some others just slept in their stalls. Clothes, wigs, calculators, ties, trinkets, pottery, jade—everything had a price and everything could be bargained on. Why pay 20 yuan when you could offer 10, start walking away and get an offer of 15? It made for interesting shopping. On the fourth floor were computer games and while many were only in Chinese, some were in English. I recognized a few titles, so for less then $20, I picked up two games. Excellent.

We got up a little bit earlier to get haircuts at a small salon just outside the apartment complex. Wo Ma explained the tapered cut I wanted and he did a good job for me. I was his first western customer, but he said he thought it was easier to cut my hair because it was soft. Lilian’s hair got a serious treatment as well as a cut—it was dry from washing with a harsh shampoo. So she got a full oil treatment in addition to the cut. We went back home for lunch and Mingjia joined us. Mingjia suggested we go to the zoo, as I had expressed interest in seeing pandas, so we the three of us went by bus to the zoo. It was still winter and it was late in the afternoon, so many animals were inside, and in much smaller living conditions than if they were inside. Poor guys. We saw the pandas, giraffes, miniature monkeys, and more. And when we left I noticed so many people really looking at me that I felt I was an exhibit too! Lilian explained that many of the people were from the countryside here to enjoy the New Years week, and probably hadn’t seen many westerners.

Lilian went shopping with friends and Wo Ma took me to the Temple of Heaven Park (Tien Tan). Here, since 1420, emperors came to pray for a bountiful harvest.

First, the emperor would first go to the Fasting Palace to concentrate on his prayers away from wine, women, or song for days in preparation. Then he was brought to the temple itself, a huge round building constructed without a single nail, for a ritual ox sacrifice and prayers. The park was so spacious and tranquil that you could forget the noise and congestion of the city. The Forbidden City and Summer Palace had also been like it, like stepping back in time. Around the Imperial Vault of Heaven was a tall circular wall, called Echo Wall. It was designed to represent heaven, and the square park surrounding it was earth—symbols of ancient Chinese beliefs. What was neat was if you whispered something on one end of the wall it could be heard at the other end. Today though there was a fence to protect the wall from damage so you couldn’t try it anymore. But Wo Ma remembered when you could get right up against the wall and quietly speak, and be heard clearly all along the wall. Down the center of the stone walkway that ran north-south was only for the emperor. In the picture of the Vault of Heaven you can see the separate stones right in the center. This was the way for the emperor. His bearers would walk on either side and only the emperor could straddle it. Walking now on that area where once emperors had gone was fascinating for me.

After walking through the park and seeing all its structures we stepped out into the streets where we browsed at some flea markets before going back home.

We got up earlier to have dim sum together as a family at a restaurant near Jing Shan Park, opposite the Forbidden City. After a delicious brunch, Lilian, Mingjia, and I went into the park.

We saw the tree where Emperor Chongzhen hanged himself after a peasant revolt. Apparently he had hanged numerous insurgents in the past but that only enraged more to raid the Forbidden City, and his generals did not come to protect him, ending the Ming Dynasty.

We climbed many sets of stairs to a fabulous view of the Forbidden City and Beijing from several higher pavilions.

Then we left for more shopping—finally finding some kung fu pants for me (for lounging), and a pair of lovely Chinese dresses for Lilian. Back home, we played more majiang and I won really big, more than doubling my starting money. I was really getting the game down!

We joined Mingjia at her hospital and the three of us went for lunch at a closeby food court (six minute walk). Then we shopped a little before going to Uncle Dick’s one last time. After playing on the computer a little and watching some TV, we went out to get a jade ring for Lilian, something else that Mingjia wanted to get for us. We found one that was perfect. We had dinner together one last time at the nearby restaurant.

After leaving Uncle Dick a thank you note for letting us use his place, we returned home for a home-cooked lunch. The last two days were essentially days of packing. Mingjia and I exchanged music CDs (Sting for Na Ying) and Wo Ma played an old audio cassette that had Lilian and Mingjia at the ages of 6 and 12, singing and joking around. So cute! We played more majiang and packed for the trip home.

The family showed us off to the airport, and we left with very fond memories.