The Great Wall of China - Badaling Section

Affectionately referred to by my Cousin as, "The Great Circle of China".....and then I added, BADA BING!

I know....we're corny.

Day Two of our adventure...we climbed the Great Wall of China!

That morning, we left Beijing and drove 1.5 hours to the Badaling section of the wall. Research, and our guide Oscar, stated that this section is the best preserved and most popular amount all the sections...its also the most visited by tourists (not that I'm upset about it b/c I got to see the Great Wall of China but I would have preferred going to a less visited area to get the realness of it all. They bring tourists here b/c it is accessible and has easier walking conditions with handrails on each side of the steep stairways).

This section of the wall got its name b/c the parts of it stretch in all directions from this point. This portion of the wall is about 3281 ft above sea level and spans 4.7 miles. The wall itself is approximately 26 ft to 19 ft tall, in different areas. This makes for some pretty steep upstair climbs and for people like me, who realize just how out of shape they are halfway thru the first set of stairs...it can be a bit of a struggle lol...maybe struggle is an understatement.

History lesson for the day: This part of the wall was built in 1505 during the Ming Dynasty, under the reign of Emperor Hong Zhi and has been open to the public since 1957. The height and location proved to be a strategic position for transportation and defense during ancient times. 

This map will help to explain why it appeared to be more of a circle. There are railroad tracks, a highway and a body of water that pass thru the middle of the Badaling section. At the Zhan Tianyou Status, there's the Qinglonqiao Bridge. This brige crosses over Beijing Baotou Roadway and goes to the other side of the bridge. So looking down at the Wall on the other side of the highway, it seems to make a circle. From that vantage point, you can't tell that the wall continues on for miles and miles. 

We entered the Great Circle Wall at the North Gate. When you get inside and look to the left, towards the South No. 4 Tower, you'll see an extremely steep set of stairs...

To the right, toward North No 4. Tower, was a less daunting set of stairs so we went that way. Here's my cousin and I at the standing at the top of North Gate.

As you can see...because it was below freezing temperatures outside, there weren't many visitors. To me, that was the best part. We got a chance to actually explore the wall without having to step over a ton of people and I got plenty of pics without random strangers in them. I live for a pic without any other people in it.  

This is going to be another of those posts with more pictures, less words. I think the wall can speak for itself. 

This is one of my favorite pics so I took some time to edit it. I love the one guy carefully walking down the long windy stairs, minding each precarious step. What's even better is that amazing red shutter over the window in the tower in the background. All this set against the sharp blue sky and the earthy tones of the mountains...I was fortunate with this one. 

When you reach North No. 8 Tower, the wall ends. It actually looks like there was a break and it picks up about 50 yards away but you can't go any further. However, if you turn back and retrace your steps a little, there's another passage to the left that leads to the bridge I mentioned before. There were hardly any people on that side and we had a little more time so my cousin, one of our group members and I, decided to see what the other side had to offer. You'll see below that it was more of the incredible Great Wall...meandering and winding through and between the majestic peaks of the mountains. It was a clear and beautiful day, hardly a cloud in the sky.

My camera really loved all the angles of the wall. In the pic above, it looks like the wall was built to mimic the outline of the mountain peak behind it. Love.

Unfortunately, by the time we got to this side we realized that once you pass over the bridge, you cannot exit the Great Wall into the parking lot where our bus was waiting to retrieve us. We ended up going through a maze and then walking along the side of a busy highway trying to figure out how to get down to the lot. We were looking down at it...but couldn't get to it! I suggested that my cousin work on his parkour skills and jump down onto the top of a charter bus and then scale down the side of it to reach the tour guide and then come back for us. I think he considered it for a sec. Then, we did the more logical thing and called the guide. So he, the bus and a few disgruntled tour members picked us up. We were greeted by booing as we boarded lol....good times. 

Have a great week everyone! More to come. 

The Week of 1,000 Planes

People keep asking me, "What was your favorite part about visiting China?". There were so many highlights...I haven't actually decided yet.

But, I'll tell you my least favorite part....so. many. planes. 

I previously wrote a post about my love for planes and in general, that has not changed. However, after the last two weeks, I will be happy if I don't see another Boeing 737 for a while. 

Let's start with the night before the trip. Keep in mind that I live in Houston but my flight to Beijing departed from San Francisco. Sidenote: I've got an airline hook up so on Thursday morning I flew standby IAH - SFO with no problems and picked up my dear sweet cousin for the Beijing flight.  The night before I was a smidge freaked out when I walked into the house and my dad said, "doesn't look good to SFO tomorrow, Toots (that's his nickname for me). You might need to try to leave tonight". This was at around 7:48pm, I had packed nothing and was completely unprepared for a quick dash to the airport. The last flight left at 8:30pm and I never would have made it so...veto. In a panic, we searched for alternatives until an hour later when I finally decided to just get my life, pack and head to the airport early morning. I had 3 opportunities and you can't ever tell b/c the numbers are inaccurate. Fortunately, the smiling gate agent handed me a boarding pass almost immediately. Crisis averted. 

That's me and Cuzzo:

So:

Dec 2 
IAH-SFO (3.5 hours)
SFO-PEK (12 hours)

Not too bad...I read a book, chatted with my cousin, attempted to watch a movie, then I popped a pill and slept the rest of the way. Piece of cake. I also took these super dope pics from the plane.

Dec 6
PEK-XIY (<2 hours)

Also not a bad flight. We got a chance to catch up on some sleep (in previous days we climbed the great wall of China and did the most walking ever in life. I think the pedometer on my iPhone 6 said something like 19k steps that day). Cuzzo was next to a chatty member of our tour group but I think he managed a few zzzzzs.

Dec 8
XIY-PVG (approximately 2 hours)

Again, a good chance to rest between full days of activity. We did so much on this trip...every night we basically passed out early as hell because we were exhausted and then were up at like 3:00am of the time difference (China is almost a full day ahead of Houston. I think the difference is like 16 hours). Plus, I'm of the strong belief that flights are made for sleeping. There's hardly a time I can remember that I wasn't asleep before the plane took off. It's a gift. Anyway, these quick flights were a welcomed respite. Also, my cousin thought the Chinese had rivers flowing with gold...check this pic from his window seat lol.

Dec 11
PVG-PEK (2 hours)
PEK-SFO (12 hours)
SFO-LAX (<1 hour)
LAX-SFO (>1 hour)

Yeah...you read that right. On the last day of the trip, we had to get back to Beijing for our 4:00pm international flight to the US. We learned that the flight was delayed 4.5 hours as a result of bad weather (this will be important in a sec). Fortunately, we met a guy who had a friend in common with my cousin (random...I  know) who snuck us into the Air China lounge...fun times. So at 8:30pm on a Thursday we depart PEK... and we arrive to SFO at 4:00pm on Thursday (Two Thursdays...I time traveled). Everyone missed every connection they could ever have scheduled. United made special arrangements for the delayed Air China flight passengers to skip the line and get reassigned then sprint thru the airport to catch other flights. 

Well, remember I said the weather was bad in SFO...apparently it was so bad that it ruined all the flights for that day, everyone missed connections and the airport was too turnt up. 

Also...remember I said I had flown standby to SFO...that means I also had to fly standby back home. I swear....standby can be the best and the worst thing. You can fly across the world in first class for next to nothing or you can be stuck places for days at a time. 

So, I'm looking at the flights with my Dad and we decide I should take the short flight to LAX and hop on the next thing smoking to IAH. Welp, this flight was delayed leaving SFO...so I missed the connection in LAX. I've never experienced so many delays!

We review the flights again and the next best option is to go back to SFO (O_o) and catch the red-eye home. I did that...but then the red-eye was over sold. By this time, my cousin had made it home and was sleeping soundly in his bed lol. 

I was forced to stay overnight in the airport for the first time ever. I don't want to say I slept in the airport because there was no sleeping. It's too open and bright and way too loud for sleep. I finished reading a great book that was recommended to me by a member of my inner circle. (Good lookin' out, Fal) 

I also want to interject that I anticipated being back in Houston December 11 and then flying to Harlingen the next day for a case I was handling. I thanked God when opposing counsel backed out of the mediation. 

Dec 12
SFO-IAH (3.5 hours)

Finally, the sassy gate agent handed me a boarding pass for the 6:00am flight back home. I could have kissed him right in the mouth. I was assigned a middle seat in United economy between to large men (the leg area and seat area is much smaller than normal) but I didn't even care. I passed out before the plane took off, they kept me warm and before I knew it...I was awakened by the wheels touching the ground in Houston. My bag was there waiting for me #wonthedoit

I've never been so happy to see my mom's SUV cut a corner.

I rushed home, showered and changed and made a short-lived appearance at the office. 

An hour later, some idiot ran into my car (that I've only had for one year)...welcome home, GEV.

Stay tuned for more adventures in China.

10 Things I Learned While Visiting China

I got back from China on Friday (here's a preview of some pics)

I am full of things to tell you guys! 

Before I left, I did tons of research on what to expect - I watched videos, read blogs, etc. 

My favorites were the lists other people posted of things I should expect. It helped me to prepare myself for this new adventure, I've never been to any Asian country so I was a little nervous. Still, there was the culture shock. Even though I took note of all the tips, nothing really prepares you....you have to be there and see it for yourself. 

Now that I've been, I can make a list of my own! Here it goes, in no particular order:

1. The traffic in China is unlike any traffic you've ever seen before. I've been to LA, NYC, I live in Houston, Rio, etc....but nothing I've seen compares to the traffic in Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai. In Beijing, for example, the estimated population is currently 23 million people. Of those people, over 5 million have cars. The traffic is so bad that the government has limited use of a car to certain license plates on certain days. There's even a lottery system for license plates...it could take years to win. The tour guide explained that plates have been purchased for as much as $10,000 USD. It literally took about an hour to get everywhere...even places that were right down the road took forever. 

2. In addition to the horrific, buzz-killing traffic, if you step out into the street, you will get hit (especially if you have no experience navigating the mean streets of China). Lanes and traffic lights mean nothing to Chinese drivers. They are literally just on the street for decoration. Traffic is just a huge mess of bikes, scooters, motorcycles, cars and pedestrians all trying to merge into one lane at the same time, turning with no warning, crossing the street without looking, no yielding...no application of brakes whatsoever...and lots of horn honking. In Texas, you're supposed to yield to pedestrians. I think that's a thing everywhere else but China. It was like a rite of passage to cross the street...once we did it, I truly felt Chinese lol.

3. If you're tall, or look different at all, you will get stared at. But, not just staring...gawking is more like it. Like...stop in the middle of their tracks, right in your face and gawk..and look you up and down. I lost count on how many random Chinese men gawked at me within the first hour of being there. It was like I was from a different planet. It became a running joke between my cousin and I. We couldn't figure out the exact reason but, I've seen that look before so I have an idea. 

4. People will touch you with no permission or warning. Whether they are street vendors or people walking near you in a crowded shopping area. They will grab your arms to get your attention. They will step in front of you, push ahead of you, and do all sorts of things that violate your personal space. And, if you have super curly hair like my cousin, they will reach up to your head and touch it and giggle from sheer amazement. 

5. The street vendors and salespeople are REALLY aggressive. They will shove merchandise in your face, grab you, and if you disagree with their pricing, they will damn nearly chase you down the street and give you the item for free...just so they don't miss the opportunity to make the sale. Obviously not for free but bargaining is a real thing. I bought a wooden fan that was listed as 680RMB. That's roughly $110 USD. I walked off b/c that was clearly an outrageous price. The sales woman begged me...and I mean begged me like a man who had done me wrong begged (baby, baby please on my knees type begging)...and asked me what I wanted to pay. I told her 100RMB ($16 USD). She pouted...jumped up and down...thru a small tantrum and eventually agreed to sell it to me for 185 RMB ($29 USD). Looking back, I think I couldn't have gotten her to accept less but the production she put on was incredible. Also, beggars are pretty pushy. 

6. You may have to pee and go no. 2 in a hole in the ground (or toilet holes as I like to call them)....and bring your own toilet paper.... (I'm not kidding either...I mean an actual hole in the ground. You walk into a stall thinking there will be a public toilet you may have to squat over, but no...it's a hole and your idea of squatting will be shattered). Imagine an intentional hole in the ground, someone has had the audacity to pave with porcelain, and it has a flusher. Then imagine how a child might squat down with its legs folded under him to draw in the sand with a stick (knees up, butt down). Now, finally imagine that you can't flush the toilet paper, which you may not have b/c they usually don't have tp inside the stalls, so you have to toss it in a waste basket near the hole. Overall its an unsavory experience (and all the things you wish you could flush are pretty much staring you in the face) and I was shocked that they had these types of bathrooms in the airport. I carried Cottonelle wipes with me the entire time, just to be safe. The tour guide made sure we knew if the washrooms had "western" toilets or not by referring to them as 4 star and 5 star toilets. In fact, there is a government sanctioned rating system that's posted outside many of them. 

7. The smog isn't as bad as I thought. I purchased masks to take with me but I think that the combination of cold weather and high winds made for pretty pollution-less days. In cities like Xi'an, there was definitely a haze and pungent stench of smoke in the air as a result of the coal refineries but it burnt off around mid morning and turned out to be a beautiful day.

8. You better learn to use chopsticks. If you ask for a fork, they'll look at you like you just cursed their mother. I think there was only one time when I saw forks. Needless to say, I had some knowledge beforehand so I was ahead of the class but now I am proficient at chopstick dining. 

9. You will not be able to post anything to Facebook, or any other social media site...or Google anything. The Chinese government has blocked access to all social media and Google in an effort to maintain control over it's people. I get it, I think, but it was the worst thing ever especially since I had friends looking out for the "I made it" posts. Its crazy how dependent we become on these sites...I had read that I wouldn't be able to access FB but I think I was in denial. I got there and tried it....and nothing.  Fortunately, I realized that if i used international data on my iPad and turned wifi off, then I was able to get on. I didn't figure this out until like the 4th day and by then some of my friends had already filed a missing person report. 

10. You shouldn't drink the water. We were told not to use the tap water. We brushed our teeth with bottled water and avoided ice at restaurants. I think that wasn't really the case in Shanghai. I was a daredevil and brushed my teeth with tap water there and managed to survive. I was actually doing everything I could to keep from getting sick. I had read that getting food poisoning or sick from the water was a real possibility. 

Alright, this isn't an exhaustive list but it's what stuck out in my mind after 9 days in China. I'm sure other things will pop up and I'll include them in the following posts. Until next time!!

~GEV

Roadtrippin' for Work

Last week, I solo road tripped it to Georgetown and Austin. 

Georgetown is about 30 mins from Austin, 3 hours from Houston (less depending on how fast you drive - and you can totally drive fast b/c the speed limit on 290 is 75mph and even got up to 80mph on 130).

I'm not gonna bore you with the details of the 15 or so cases on my docket between Williamson and Travis counties. Believe me, you don't want to know. I didn't even want to know to be honest.

Georgetown is the cutest little city ever. I love small, quaint towns in Texas that make me feel like I've stepped into a time machine. Also, I'm a dork and I like old courthouses so I had to take some pics of the Williamson County Courthouse. 

Then I made my way to Austin, home of the State Capitol of Texas:

Pretty huh? 

Rewind for a sec.....the morning's sunrise wasn't so great...if you're a follower then you know how I feel about a sunrise on a road trip to court early in the morning. I was a little disappointed tho, there was too much cloud cover for me to actually see the sun come up...the colors were all muted and it made it a little boring. 

That is until it got light enough for me to see that the trees lining the highway have taken on their fall color! 

Houstonians joke that there we don't have seasons...only hot and hotter and for the most part, that is absolutely true. But I've been paying attention the last few years and we actually do experience autumn...it just comes much later in the year than the more northern states. 

I usually watch this tree outside my office window. Its in the median across the street. Its been changing and now the leaves are falling off so I'm excited about that.

The trees around my neighborhood are slowly changing colors too. Not all at once but more like one at a time, like they are taking turns and putting on a show for each other - each one wants to admire the one that went before and but ultimately wants to try and outdo the others. 

I decided to have a quick lunch but instead of sitting in a restaurant by myself like a loser, I drove to the closest body of water...Lady Bird Lake and had lunch there. It was a perfect day...and there was a hike/bike trail around the lake so...I took a stroll. The water wasn't the prettiest but it was quiet and serene and made for a good moment of relaxation before going back into the lion's den...aka the courtroom. 

This tree with its orange leaves was stunning. You'll see another picture of it if you keep scrolling. 

 

  

  

  

  

 

  
On the other side of the bridge, there were all these white birds playing in the water. Looked like fun and I took a few pics...and a video. 

  

Welp...there's a peek into my little adventure in Austin. 

Tomorrow, I leave for Beijing and begin my Chinese Adventure! Be sure to check back for updates! 

~GEV

Hey Baby Let's Get Away, Let's Go Somewhere....Faaaaaarrrrr

Singing **Hey baby let's get away, let's go somewhere far....well, I don't care.** 

I love this song.....if for no other reason than for this line, "Hey baby let's get away let's go somewhere far....well, I don't care". 

I wanna remix it a little...instead of daydreaming about a man....I'm daydreaming about my next destination. 

But have you ever wandered about daydreams...what they are, what causes them, what they mean?

I have...in fact, I have a friend who requested I write this blog post about daydreaming. So, I did a little research and found some interesting stuff. 

In 2013, National Geographic did this whole scientific study, Five Surprising Facts About Daydreaming:

1. You daydream less as you get older (not if you're me)
2. Daydreaming makes you forget what you were doing (yup)
3. Daydreaming turns off other parts of the brain
4. Your brain, not your mind, controls your daydreams.
5. Daydreaming makes you more creative (I can rock with that)

Alright, so...thanks for that Nat Geo....scientific confirmation of what I already knew. 

Alas, all is not lost...apparently there are scientifically proven BENEFITS of daydreaming! (Yes!! I knew it)

This explains alot. Low blood pressue...check. Better working memory....check. Creativity....working on that so, check. More empathy? Welp, can't have it all. lol

Seriously though...I'm glad we're having this chat. I've always been curious about daydreaming so I'm learning along with you today. 

According to psychologists, we spend up to half our mental activity on daydreams. They help us realize our goals and reveal our innermost hopes, desires and fears. Instead of being scatterbrained and unfocused, they really help us to keep your life's agenda in front of you and remind you of what's coming up. It is a valuable channel of self communication. 

Day dreams detach us from our current situation...completely distracting us from our daily tasks. But they are often not what they seem and can require some decoding - usually more concerned with trying various courses of action. 

For me, I'm constantly daydreaming about where I'm going next, what I will do when I get there, how awesome it will be, etc. Especially for this upcoming trip to China. I'm stepping in a territory that is unfamiliar to me and I'm nervous but excited all at the same time. 

It doesn't help that my cousin sent me this video to watch last night....since then my mind has been racing with all these ridiculous scenarios lol

Ok, so the 10 things this man mentioned have me a little worried.....lol. I'm not sure what I'll do if I see a kid poop in the street....real talk. 

Nevertheless, I'm still daydreaming and my mind is still wandering....because I'm anxious to embark on this new adventure. So basically...this has been me.

...trying to figure out what clothes to bring so I don't freeze. I'm from Texas so I'm not used to any type of real cold weather. I've been searching online to make sure I can fulfill this fantasy I have of seeing giant panda bears. I want to try new food...maybe not donkey or dog as the gentleman in the video suggested. I'm just getting more and more excited as the days fly by.  

So what do you daydream about? And what do your day dreams say about you?? Let me know in the comments!

**There's no where to go but everywhere...so get going! ~GEV