Just some general stuff about my time in Beijing

In Beijing and I seem to be something of a site myself. Even thought I see a lot of westerners there are not many as fat or with a beard like me. I find that people seem to be staring at me a lot of the time. I had one lady ask to touch my beard but I’m not really sure if she wanted to touch my beard or just want to get me to buy some of her paintings. When I was visiting the wall I saw someone taking a picture so I tried to get out of the way and the lady that was the subject of the picture seemed to keep following me until I understood they wanted me in the picture. I smiled and had my picture taken with this lady. I ask for her phone number but either she did not understand me or just knew better then to give it to me. I think a number of other people have also taken my picture but no others have asked and only a few children have run away screaming at the site of me.

I also seem to be interesting to watch eating but this I really do understanding. I am not any good with a set of chopsticks and even when I think I am doing really good everyone seems to know this is a lot of work for me. I do seem to get as much on food on the table as in me at times. I have been given a fork once and a spoon twice when eating and I found this really disheartening when I thought I was doing so well.

Eating is also interesting for me since I can’t read Chinese I just pick something and eat whatever I get. The menus have pictures so I have some idea of what I am getting. I have enjoyed the food so far and have not had anything I didn't like. I enjoy that a lot if what I am getting is really spicy. I have also been buying things from street vendors that look different and usually it is not what I expected. I have had a dumpling type of thing with green beans and peppers inside that I liked and a large egg roll looking thing that had potatoes, onions, ham, carrots and peppers to spice it up and it was also really good.