The Great Wall

Today we visited The Great Wall. We were fortunate to have a December day in the 40's (Fahrenheit), with a spot of sunlight. All of us were eager to see one of the seven wonders of the world. Actually, the Chinese know The Great Wall as Chang Cheng, or "the long wall". The original wall was first started over 2000 years ago (220 B.C.). We saw one of the recently renovated sections (which was easier to climb/walk), and were charmed with how the wall undulates across very rugged terrain into the far horizon.

One "special" moment was when several of us danced on the Great Wall. Of course, there is a story behind this... In our Chinese language class earlier this fall, our teacher had students draw slips randomly from four piles. The first pile contained whom you had to invite; the second was the location; the third was an activity; and the fourth was the time. The student then had to use their Chinese to issue the invitation in front of the class. One student, David Camerino, was unfortunate enough to draw these instructions: He needed to invite Jim to dance with him on the Great Wall at noon. The invitation was extended and accepted. So, for days, Jim has been teasing David about dancing with him at noon. As it turned out, several of us joined in. (If you can't tell, we are doing the macarena.) Those participating are: Nakita, David, Valentin, Connie, Jim, and Bibi. (Connie)