This past Saturday we took an adventure to the National Museum of China. Though the museum was interesting in and of itself, getting there was definitely the real adventure.
This is a picture of one of the many instances that we were asked to take pictures during this adventure. And when I say many instances, I’m talking over twenty times throughout the trip. I was even asked once in the bathroom. We joked that we could be a museum exhibit ourselves. Here in China, people just stare when we pass. It’s so different then what we’re used to in the US, where we are proud of diversity. There, no one stares or asks to take pictures, but things are different very here. At the end of the day we were so done with people taking pictures and staring, but I guess it’s just something we’ll have to get used to.
Another thing that we got to experience this trip were lines. Actually, I don’t know that they could actually be called lines, they were more of blobs. Here in China there are no turns; if what you want is available, you just take it. Also, when there are lines, they are in the strangest places. From the time we walked out of the subway station to the time we went into the National Museum, we waited in about 5 lines which look just about exactly like the picture above. Needless to say, while being here we have learned to fight for what we want (and have had many opportunities to practice our patience too!). 😉
Once we actually got into the museum, there were some really awesome exhibits. We visited the Ancient China display, and one of the oldest things we saw was supposedly from 5000 BC. It was amazing to get to see so many things that were around even before Jesus’ time on Earth.
Eventually we began the journey home, and resolved to not take any more adventures on the weekends to avoid crowds. Saturday was definitely a long day.
I’m sure by the time we come home, we will be seasoned pros at turn snatching and picture posing, but for now, we are still looking for new ways to adjust to our new environment and trying to figure out how to make chocolate chip cookies with out an oven. We’ll let you know if we figure that one out…
-Audrey
Seven in China 
Audrey, your vivid descriptions bring back so many memories! When we were trying to visit the Forbidden City we got off the subway and turned the corner to encounter large “line-like” masses of people outside large stone walls. We thought this MIGHT be the place we were looking for – and if it wasn’t, at least it must be something worth seeing since all these other people were waiting. As we edged closer to the front we saw guards searching bags. When it was our turn we were waved on through without any intrusion to our belongings. (I guess it was reverse racial profiling. We later learned there was heightened security after a bomb threat from a few days earlier, but for some reason we were viewed as “non-threatening.”) We walked on through the walls and courtyards for quite some distance before discovering that we were actually at our desired location.
Although Beijing has a lot of ethnic diversity, I’m sure you all attract a lot of attention for the larger than normal (for them) family size. We noticed that many of the people we passed on the streets – both Asian and “foreign” – rarely looked up and smiled. The brightness of your countenance attracts others – they are seeing the light of Christ in you all! Keep smiling!
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