Slept in for the morning, then started the day with the very importance business of getting money. Then it was off to the Wangfujing Street Market, where I got my first stick of glazed hawthorne berries in OVER 20 YEARS. The taste was a bit more tart than I remembered it, and I forgot all about the seeds (whoops), but it was a glorious thing just to hold that winter delicacy in my hands. I imagine I won't be having another one of those for quite some time.
Did a bit of shopping, though Wangfujing is 1/2 affordable and 1/2 "don't even think about it." It amused me to see Western implants such as the ubiquitous KFC even in this most expensive shopping boulevard in Beijing. Then took the opposite approach, and got some history at Tian An Men square, which was relatively deserted on this windy, overcast day. The guards didn't pay us much mind, though they didn't seem to want to take photographs with us.... I can't imagine why. We stopped to take a photo with the dear Chairman Mao, and I must say that I liked softening the effect of the imposing red fortress with my positional manipulations (see above).
The best part of the day, though, was seeing an acrobatics show at Chaoyang Theater. Getting to the theater at 6 pm was quite frustrating, as the taxi drivers all mysteriously "take a break" during the busiest part of the day, but it was worth the effort because it was a STUNNING show. Now I've seen quite a few acrobatic shows come through Atlanta, but the Flying Acrobats really blew them away. For one, the music was dramatic Westernized stuff, not the classical mewling noises that always made me fall asleep during the New Years Shows with my parents. Second, I seriously thought people were going to die during the show, and that I would be called upon to exercise my "medical expertise." One act involved two men, one blindfolded, running inside and outside of a gigantic hamster wheel, 50 feet above the stage. It was amazing. I've never enjoyed being nervous quite so much. For $30, I would definitely recommend seeing the show if they're ever in town. It was way better than going to a club for my birthday, though we'll certainly do that later.
Tomorrow is a guided tour day, so early bedtime for us!
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