Pandas, Finally
I love pandas. I always have. And China has 'em. And I've been waiting to see 'em.
A trip to the aquarium turned out to be super amazing. The belugas below were playing with a volleyball and having tons of fun -- well, from what I could tell.
Beijing is full of a lot of . . . well . . . interesting scents. The Lama Temple: smells wonderful. At the Lama Temple, hundreds of people are burning incense at once. I could smell it before I could see the temple. It was a welcome relief. The Lama Temple is the most beautiful temple I've visited so far.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yonghe_Temple
We ended this day with with a belly full of dim sum. Doesn't get much better than that.
Below you'll find pictures of the Ninth China (Beijing) International Garden Expo. Very strange, but very interesting. Zhicheng treated the international interns to a visit to this huge exposition outside of Fengtai. Gardens are displayed from all areas of China, as well as depictions of gardens throughout the last 5,000 years.
http://en.expo2013.net/en_index.html
I finished up my research project on juvenile diversion programs. I ended up with a 33-page memo comparing models from the U.S., Australia, and China. If you're interested, I'll e-mail it to you. Now, I'm researching methods that release youths from pre-trial detention centers. I'll keep you updated.
With 2 1/2 weeks left, my time here in Beijing is winding down.