i want APPLEPIEAMERICAHHHH.

Yea. Can you tell I'm a bit homesick today? I ran some errands earlier, enjoying being back in the Philippines for sure, but with a growing sense of homesickness for the United States and the people. Walking around in 90 degree weather during October, my body was very confused and I found myself unconsciously searching for signs of autumn, without any success. But lo and behold. Staring at me from across the street was a McDonalds. And we all know what McDonalds offers in its menu, at least in most locations: APPLE PIES! Hooray forever with moustaches! A taste of autumn! A small baked pie of America, apples and autumn! I sped walked to those gold arches and ordered a pie and a vanilla cone, wanting it a la mode. It was the best 35 cents I've spent this entire trip!


So, I still have to write about my last day in China. Here goes. I got up early, as usual, and hit up the two nearby parks, Jingshan and Beihai. I'll just write about Jingshan because I liked that one better anyway. Aaaand I'm lazy. Ha. Jingshan (which translates to Prospect Hill) park was AWESOME. The hill itself is artificial, created during the Ming Dynasty out of the earth dug out for moats and canals, and lies exactly north of the Forbidden City. And fun/morbid fact: the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Chongzhen, committed suicide by hanging himself there in 1644 because the empire was falling into ruin under his rule. Cool! History! But anyway, on top of the highest and most central peak sits a grand pavilion and from it you have the most beautiful view of Beijing, particularly of the Forbidden City. I sat up there for almost 2 hours, drinking in the scenery and writing postcards, half glad that I was there by myself but also half wishing I had at least someone else with me to share it with. Ah well. By the time I started making my way down the hill, it was approaching early afternoon and the park was coming alive with tourist groups but also with the locals. Over the years the park has become a community hub of activity- singing, traditional chinese dancing, waltzing, jump roping, accordion playing, painting, card gaming, the list goes on! It was awesome to see the community coming together and it was a great glimpse into their daily life, ignoring the huge tour groups noisily walking by.

After the parks, I ran into my Californian friend, Lu, and we got lunch together at a nearby dumpling restaurant. I was in great luck because he could speak and understand Chinese! Hooray forever! So for once I wasn't stumbling over menus or worrying about what I had tried to order and had actually ordered. The dumplings were deeeeeelicious and the company was lovey, especially after eating so many meals by myself. He ordered two big plates of dumplings and we split a 24 oz. beer and it was the best meal I'd had in China hands down. And it all cost 10 bucks! Which he paid for entirely. Californian boys are the best!

We parted ways, and I headed to the Olympic stadiums. I knew my friend Sara would kill me if I didn't pay them a visit. Well that and I had admired them greatly from my television and computer screens in 2008 and I wanted to see them in person. They were outstanding! So impressive! Earlier, during lunch, Lu, who was an architecture student at UC Berkeley, had given me his take on the structures as well as interesting background information on the design and functionality of the buildings. It was nice to be able to apply what I had learned from him while I was there. The Bird's Nest was a graceful and chaotic, organized mess of beams and steel and I stood staring at it for half an hour, trying to trace each individual strip with my eyes. The pool was easily my favorite though. I love that the design is meant to mimic soap suds! The design was clean and neat and so elegantly constructed! I stuck around until the sun started setting. That was my cue to leave and then to hop on my plane.

And now I'm back in the Philippines. Whew. But I'm off again very soon for Vietnam on the 8th! I've been vegging out hardcore for the past 2 days, which has been great after all the busy and constant traveling. I got a little sick towards the end of my trip in China largely due to exhaustion, but I'm recovering now. Okie. Time to go pick up laundry and explore more of Makati! Peace!