When in China, Don't Lie about Being an American.

So apparently that old ancient Chinese proverb about newspapers and toilets doesn’t exist. Damn it Clark, always making things up.

So about my day, which also includes a great story about Clark. Clark, Joy, Golze, Cahill, Jamie, and I all made plans to go see the body today. When getting off the subway we pass by the Chinese Museum of History, outside of the place is a Chinese women. When she sees us she automatically knows that we are American, so she comes right up to us and begins speaking in English and trying to get us to go into some exhibition art exhibit place, where they are probably going to try and sell us something. So, as she is speaking in English we start to speak in Chinese. And Clark says, using Chinese, “I can’t speak English”. So the lady continues to speak to us in Chinese and is trying to get us to go in to the exhibit place. Finally, she asks us, in Chinese, “Where are you from?”. Clark responds, in Chinese, “We are from France”. I was about to tell her that we were from Malaysia but then I realized I could not do that because Clark was with me. I know I do not look Malaysian, but a Chinese person has asked me before if I was from Malaysia, so in China I can pass. But anyway, once Clark told this lady that we were from France, she began to speak in what I think was perfect French. I don’t speak French so I don’t know. But anyway she started speaking in French and Clark’s only response was “Wee”. At that point we could only walk a way fast, because she either knew that we didn’t speak French or we made her incredibly sad because she thought her French was bad. But it was the funniest things that I have experienced since I have been in China. So a word of advise when in China don’t lie about being an American. Say that you are from the Netherlands. I mean who speaks Netherlandish, in any country.

After that awesome experience, we all went to see the body. To our surprise it was free. At one point we thought the Chinese Army was going to arrest us for not paying. But lucky we blended in with the rest of the Chinese people and got by with out paying. At least we thought that was what was happening but in reality it was free. When you are going to see the body, you have to standing in a line of four across with a million other people. After that, they slow escort you into the building. But the first stop is a place you can buy flowers. After that you ascend some stairs and start to enter the building where the body is. The first thing that you see is this statue of Mao Ze Dong sitting in a chair. It looks like the statue of Abraham Lincoln in Washington D.C. You know that one statue where he is sitting down in the chair and it is really famous and he is sitting, in a chair. So yeah, it looked like that. At the base of the statue is a table and that is where everyone put the flowers. We think that after the tour is over, the army people collect all these flowers and sell them to the next group of tourist that come through. So after that, you turn two corners and there is the body. He is in this dark room in a glass case with a bright ass light shining on his face. He looks kind of scary. You can only get about 5 feet next to him. I didn’t have my glasses and I have only seen pictures of this man. But he didn’t look like the Mao Ze Dong from the pictures. And he didn’t look real. We all think it was a fake and the real Mao Ze Dong is buried in the ground some where. I mean it has to be against some Chinese custom or something to not bury people. I mean putting them on display like has to break some Chinese traditional code or something. So, I am pretty sure it was a fake, like a wax body or clay or something else that you can make fake bodies out of. I would like to show you pictures but they don’t allow you take picture of the body. Probably because then people would really know it was a fake.

After seeing the body we went to a Muslim Mosque. The Muslim Mosque looked a lot like the Buddhist and Daoist temples that I have already been to. The name of the place is “Niu Jie Mosque.” It is a really famous Mosques in China and against the world. Apparently Mohammad Ali has been there. So guess it is pretty famous. The best part of the Mosque was when this Chinese guy started calling everybody to come and pray. He was singing something I could not understand, Clark has it on video, but It was really cool because everyone started to gather behind him and it sounded beautiful. As he was finishing every started to go and begin there praying ceremony. I don’t feel that my words can really explain how cool it was to see. Maybe if Clark ever decides he wants to post a blog, he might be able to describe the experience a little better.

Well after going to the Mosque we went to this Muslim restaurant nearby. The only reason I want to describe it is because we ordered this dish that we have never tried before and I want to remember the name. Normally when we go out we order a dish called Gong Bao Ji Ding (Kong Pow Chicken) and we are all sick of eating it because we have it almost everyday. But today we had a new dish, called Jiang Bao Ji Ding. I don’t think that you can get this stuff in the States, it is hella good though. Another thing about the food here that has really surprised me, is that I have not seen one egg roll since I have been here. At home when I think of Chinese food, I think of fried rice and egg rolls. But I guess that is a Chinese American thing. Who would have thought.

Something you guys should know, because maybe you don’t know this. But because the Chinese government has some conspiracy against our blog: Clark, Golze, and I can not see the comments that you write. So if you read our blogs and have interesting comments that you want us to respond to. Maybe you should email us. Because right now, I know that like only three people read our blogs.

And another thing that you should know is that, I keep a dollar worth of dimes, because pimpin’, it ain’t easy.